#WFH Diaries: Jonathan Hecht of Venn Arts
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the world, we're checking in with people in the creative industry to see how they're doing. Here's an update from Jonathan Hecht, founder of Venn Arts, a music supervision company.
Give us a one-line bio of yourself.
Music supervisor who collaborates with creative companies that dot the marketing and media landscape. I love docs and have been lucky to get to work on some.
Where are you living right now, and who's with you?
I'm where I'm usually found, in Dumbo, Brooklyn. I'm here with my home team, Jackie, a creative producer at Vox Media, and our dachshund Freddie.
What's your work situation like at the moment?
WFH is a space I'm already comfortable in, but the way things have evolved over the last few weeks has still taken some time to process. Shifting focus between news of the world and the mental space I need to be in to do my work well is a new challenge. I'm grappling with questions about what music can do right now, and I believe it can do a lot. I'm getting a lot of good perspective, and I think I see a path forward. It's different than what I'd expected, but I'm grateful to have a sense of direction.
Describe your socializing strategy.
I'm playing around with Zoom, FaceTime and Google Hangouts more than ever. I'm calling, emailing and texting friends and family with greater frequency than I typically would. It felt really good to connect with a bunch of folks I usually see out at shows on a Zoom recently, and we shared music videos and talked for a couple hours.
What are you reading?
The New York Times. My day doesn't feel complete without a scroll through the Arts and Business sections. It really informs how I like to think and connect things. I also follow some daily newsletters such as It's Nice That, Muse by Clio, and some other trade publications for inspiration and intelligence.
What are you watching?
I'm watching the Cuomos, Our Planet, Shangri-La (the Showtime series about Rick Rubin's Malibu sanctuary and recording studio) and snacking on random internet content. My girlfriend and I love The Profit on CNBC—the Inside Look episodes are our go-to for dinnertime viewing.
What are you listening to?
So much good music. Some highlights here.
How are you staying fit?
Long walks in the evening with ma lady and low rider.
Have you taken up a hobby?
Cooking, cleaning and connecting with peeps.
Any tips for getting necessities?
Having meal kits delivered. I would reco Gobble. The dishes are always easy and delicious.
An awkward moment since all this started.
Hmm.
Best work email you got since all this started.
Honestly, it was the first one that had a contract attached and reassured me that my business would weather this storm. A very close second was finding out by email that two projects I worked on last year have been nominated for Sports Emmys.
An aha! moment since all this started.
The moment I recognized how important music is going to be in this moment, both in helping express what people are feeling and in comforting folks. I'd hang my hat on a song with a trusted voice in a time of uncertainty.
What's your theory on how this is going to play out?
What we're seeing right now is who the essential people on the front lines are who will help us get through this, and the rest of us have to look at ourselves and our businesses and figure out how we can be more essential.
