LA LIGHT

After I wrapped on a video production in LA, I masked up and explored. I was in town producing a promotional video for Samsung on Matador Network to support the Galaxy S21 Ultra (watch here). I had never been to Downtown LA before and while I was pandemic-hesitant to leave the hotel, my curiosity won over my fear.

When it comes to exploring a new place, especially solo, there is an indescribable force of energy that takes over. I feel as if there is a magnet within me, and something exciting is pulling at me. The force took me from the 29th floor at the Westin Hotel, down to Flower Street. It was about 2 o’clock on a sunny Sunday and, at first, I was really weirded out by seeing everyone in masks, but with each block it became less strange and clearly requisite.

I turned onto the jewelry district and was window shopping, not for giant diamonds, but rather for the reactions from people dazzling inside who were trying on rings and necklaces. Even masked, seeing people light up when trying on expensive jewelry is way more fun. From the jewelry district, I turned onto the theatre district and was enamored by the beautiful art deco venues, although weathered and shabby, they were radiating; the marquees were a thing of beauty.

And then, I was jolted out of my gaze by jazz music. At first I thought it was coming from a store and then the closer I got to the source, I realized that it was being performed by actual musicians. Not those within a protective live stream, but the real life kind of the before time. My internal magnet had found its attraction…live music. 

The piccolo trumpeter and the accompanying violinist were playing in front of il caffè ’ located on Broadway. And even though we were in the shadow of the eastern Columbia lofts building, the pièce de résistance of LA architecture, the musicians were beaming and I felt re-awakened to the joy of travel surprises like these. 

​At that moment, I was caught between the feeling of jubilation and also prohibition. For a year, this entire experience of enjoying music in public has been forbidden. My smile was as zestful as the orange juice I was sipping. It was like putting my toe back into the pool of music and culture. Frankly, I really wanted to rock a cannon ball right in the middle of the cafe!

After my moment of music zen, I continued exploring, meandering through different districts, and as the sun began to set, I finished my trip at Pershing Square Park, where the purple bell tower transfixed me with its illusory angles.  COVID may have stunted LA’s cultural renaissance and put it in the headlines as a hot spot, but for this east coast girl, LA is where I saw the light spill through the cracks and where I felt my musical compass spin once again. 

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