Joseph Fitzner graduated from Mount Allison University just this past May, but they still remember the feeling of trying to hold on to those final moments in the conservatory before campus closed due to Covid 19:
“It was so strange going into the final semester. [I am in] the final stretch, wanting to rush to the finish line and then the faculty strike happens, but then everyone’s super relieved because the faculty strike only lasts a week. Everyone’s like, oh, everything’s gonna be just fine. And then I remember so vividly being at that mandatory concert [Music students at Mount Allison are required to attend a certain number of mandatory concerts put on through the school]. Intermission comes, all the students pull out their phones and check their email, and then it was so chaotic. Everyone’s running around being like this is when they tell us everything’s canceled. None of us have recitals. There’s no more classes. And it was just a huge mess, and then we all sat back down and listened to the rest of the concert. It was an amazing concert. We had all kind of talked during intermission and been like, we never want this to end. So I remember giving multiple standing ovations with multiple encores because we just didn’t want the night to end. And it was a really amazing night. I’ll never forget it, but it was also kind of like the beginning of the end.”
Joseph became well known around the music department for their incredible electronic and instrumental compositions, but it was a journey to get to where they are today:
“In the beginning, it definitely wasn’t what it has become. I just knew I wanted to do music, and I wanted it to be of good quality in some way or another. I think that’s something that Mount Allison really helped me with; they didn’t really decide what my voice would be. In fact, they just encouraged a lot of variety in my writing. I think just being skilled in composition in general is really important before you find your style. I honestly wouldn’t even say I have one quite yet. I’m working on it. And I think it’s a journey that takes a lifetime.”
When asked why they gravitate towards electronic music, Joseph responded:
“I think electronics are such a beautiful way to express sound, and I think tambor is so important, and I think that using electronics you can create some of the most interesting sounds. I feel like being able to express the way I experienced the world, because I try not to stray too far out of my own experience in terms of my music, I think that electronics really encapsulate who I am when I can use those sounds and those samples.”
Joseph also reflected on what is currently giving them musical inspiration:
“A lot of it’s been, especially since the pandemic has hit, it’s been very profoundly personal, my experiences. [My] mental health has seen a big decline, I’m sure other people can relate to that, but I’ve been having a lot of experiences with anxiety and dissociation. I think I’ve always had some sort of level or awareness of my dissociation and maybe some other stuff, but it’s kind of evolved, especially very recently. I never want to romanticize that because I think it’s a real issue and I think it’s very sensitive, and I think it’s something that demands addressing, but it helps me be creative. So I guess I’ve just recently been trying to express new fears, as well as where I am in terms of my place in reality, but I also don’t want to focus entirely on that. I think there are really good things happening, and so I hope that I can find some light, find some dark, mix it all up and make something beautiful.”
You can listen to CHMA’s full interview with Joseph Fitzner here:
You can find their music on bandcamp here:
https://josephfitzner.bandcamp.com/
And follow them on Instagram @fitzner_music
