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#WFH Diaries: Dann Liebermann of The Elements Music
As the pandemic continues, and with most folks still working from home, we’re continuing to check in with industry pros to see how they’re faring. Below, we chat with Dann Liebermann of The Elements Music.
Give us a one-line bio of yourself.
I’m executive creative producer for The Elements Music, once-upon-a-time singer/songwriter on the path to rock stardom, but somehow ended up in advertising.
Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?
I live in London with my two girls and our whippet, Ray.
What’s your work situation like at the moment, and how is it evolving?
The Elements are based in Los Angeles and London. We always had the advantage of working a 24-hour clock, but since Covid we’ve got each other’s backs more than ever, and, incredibly, we’ve worked solidly throughout the pandemic, so feeling extremely lucky for that and keepin’ my fingers crossed for the future.
When you do you expect to return to the office?
I’ve always been a remote worker, so apart from missing the social aspect, which is a big part of who I am, I’ve been able to adapt to working from home easily. I guess the downside is that, like most people, I’m probably working longer hours and harder because I’m only ever a stone’s throw from my laptop.
Describe your socializing strategy.
Socializing?! I hate Zoom, especially after a day of work meetings, so dog walking, especially now the whole world has a puppy and luckily I’ve got a side entrance to my garden, so I can have friends come and hang without stress—got my firepit all ready for the winter!
How are you dealing with childcare?
At the start of lockdown it was beyond challenging working and home schooling two kids who are 9 and 11, but now they’re back to school and we have an au pair, who has just finished her quarantine, phew, so we have some semblance of order.
What are you reading?
I work late most nights, so I haven’t been reading a whole lot lately, but when I do it’s biographies, mainly music ones. I love Just Kids by Patti Smith.
What are you watching?
I love a good documentary, again, surprise-surprise, music ones. Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is one to watch, but I will admit I devoured Succession. They’re all so mean!
What are you listening to?
Isolation Radio Station. A project we set up sharing playlists with video and text messages from our friends in the industry at the start of quarantine. What was essentially our version of the mixtape for people who love to connect through a shared love of music, has incredibly grown—and still is—into a collection of playlists from some of the biggest music supervisors in the world. There is sooooo much great listening, I was painting a wall in my house and ended up painting the hallway so I could listen to more.
How are you staying fit?
Children, animals and the weekly workout.
Have you taken up a hobby?
Sort of. I love editing, and used to do it when I was making music videos. In lockdown I started “In Zoom conversations” with friends in the industry and created short interviews with Instagram edits. I’m obsessed with getting more female composers into advertising, so there’s a good one with my friend, composer Charlotte Raven, talking about that.
An awkward moment since all this started.
It’s always tech and time zones for me, arghhh!
An aha! moment since all this started.
Sitting with my mask on in the control room at the stunning Air Studios in Hampstead on a Sunday morning listening to a scaled-back orchestra play our adaptation of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” for one of our projects. Man, it was awe-inspiring watching how people rally and adapt to still make creativity possible.
