ARTIST FEATURE: Miro Lauritz from ‘The Dream: Monash Sessions’
We’re featuring artists who perform on the Dave Douglas release,The Dream: Monash Sessions, performed in collaboration with musicians from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. This time, we’re highlighting Miro Lauritz, who is an up-and-coming pianist, percussionist, composer and arranger, currently studying Jazz Piano at Monash University. Miro’s musical journey began at the age of eight, where he joined the Australian Boys Choir, whith whom he performed across the world and on some of Melbourne’s biggest stages with companies, including Opera Australia. Miro then went on to study classical singing, orchestral percussion and jazz vibraphone for six years at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, before graduating and furthering his musical pursuits at Monash in 2020.
We reached out to Miro with some questions, which he responded to via email:
What instrument do you play and can you describe the room you recorded in?
I’m a piano player, and the room I initially recorded in was my bedroom, with sheets lining the walls and mattress behind the piano. Unfortunately my piano was not ideal for a recording like this, so I eventually used a Rhodes keyboard with a direct input into the computer, eliminating all of the extra audio recording set up.
What was the biggest challenge of remote recording and how did it differ from challenges to in person playing?
Not being able to connect with the other musicians in real time, both sonically and visually. Despite this being a challenge, I really believe that we all still managed to connect with each other quite personally.
How will the musical interactions you’ve had via remote stay in your practice when the lockdown is eased, if at all?
I think the remoteness of the music making required me as a player to be extra alert and responsive, forcing me to fine tune the way I used my ear in a performance context. I know that was a turning point in my musical journey, and I will now always endeavour to stay at the same level of responsiveness no matter where I play.
Where do you see yourself and your music fitting into the community of musicians?
I would like to think that because of my varied interests and musical backgrounds I, as a musician and a creator, fit into a lot of different areas of the music community. I never move away from any potentially challenging, new, or unconventional musical experiences, and I regularly perform in lots of different contexts, e.g. Jazz gigs, RnB/Soul gigs, Choral and solo classical singing, orchestral performances.
Where can people learn more about your work?
You can find me on my personal Instagram at @mirolauritz! You will also be able to find some footage of me in a duo with my sister Isadora on Youtube here and here.
The Dream: Monash Sessions is available exclusively on Bandcamp here.
