A lot goes into making a live performance memorable and worthy of watching. Whether it’s the talent that’s being showcased, the set design, or even the use of lighting, everything about making a good show is crucial. What many people may not question is who tackles all of the fine details into producing and designing something like a concert or a live music production. That is where Laura Escudè comes in.
So I started out as a violinist and played classical music. When I was in high school, I discovered the Dave Matthews Band and they had a violin player that was [jamming out] and playing electric violin. That kind of sowed the seed of knowing that there was more to playing the violin than just classical music, but I didn’t know how to achieve that.
My first big gig was with Cirque du Soleil in Vegas, and after that, I ended up touring with Kanye West for about seven years. I branched out in between [doing] my own stuff and then [focusing on] working with other artists. I think for a time it was more of the technical side [that] I enjoyed more. I’m good at both, and switching between the left and right brain. For a while, I just wanted to figure out the craziest things.
Now, there’s more of an open space, and there’s more women that are coming into the field. A big part of my work has been training other people to do the same work and to get into the space, and I think it’s important to represent women, be inclusive, and show that it is possible. It’s exciting to see that it has been catching on over the past couple of years.
We all discover things on our own time, and the way that technology is now, it’s much more ubiquitous. It’s great, especially in this past year, that a lot of people have been learning online from me and my team. It’s been really exciting. I think juggling so many different components; I don’t do just one thing, so it is a challenge sometimes because I need to remind myself to meditate and figure out what is the next move that I want to make.