Fay Lovsky doesn’t mind if she makes you uncomfortable; a matter of fact, she thinks it’s one of the best ways to instigate thought. As a professional musician (bass, cello, saw, theremin, timple, xylophone, and percussion) from the Netherlands who now calls Jasper her second home, she translates her observations and interactions into quippy ditties. She spoke to The Fitzhugh’s Nicolle Hodges ahead of her upcoming solo shows at Habitat for the Arts, aptly named Politically Incorrect.
Fitzhugh: What is a theremin?
Fay: It’s the first electronic instrument! It was invented by Léon Theremin. (It is controlled without physical contact).
Fitz: Is there a particular reason why you’re drawn to this instrument?
Fay: It is unusual and fun. People always want to come up after a show and give it a go. You don’t see it a lot. It’s also a challenge and there aren’t many people who actually play it.
Fitz: And you play the saw too, is that exactly what it sounds like?
Fay: Yes. I was touring in the USA and had to go through security with my musical saw. Of course, they were suspicious. They didn’t believe it was a musical instrument. So, I got it out, sat down at the airport, and played the American National Anthem. Then I noticed a sign that read ‘If you are joking at the expense of security, you risk a fine of up to $1,200.’ I went home and wrote a song about that.
Fitz: You are from the Netherlands but you call Jasper home now?
Fay: I do. Isn’t this beauty too much to take in?
Fitz: I feel like my heart is always exploding. Nature at this caliber really wakes you up.
Fay: And it makes you think about what we’re doing with the environment. I’m currently working on a project about how landscapes affect your DNA. My grandmother is from the mountains and I always felt when I went somewhere with mountains, I was embraced. It’s that feeling of Mother Earth heaving up so you can see her.
Fitz: It’s so interesting to hear about the reasons why people are drawn to Jasper.
Fay: I believe that cities make you anonymous but this is a place where people say hello because they know each other. There is a philosopher that says communities should not exceed a few thousand because then you lose that sense of belonging.
Fitz: Reputation is as close as your shadow in a place like this too. How you behave ricochets off others and bounces back to you almost immediately. It really causes you to look at who you are, the small kindnesses and the bad habits.
Fay: People retreat to the shell of their comfort zones in big cities. Part of what I like to do with my shows is walk that thin line of entertaining songs that have matured badly over time and encouraging the freedom to speak freely in the prude world we live in today. There are shifting levels of social acceptability for lyrics and I find that incredibly interesting. I like lyrics that take things a bit too far but deep down it feels like a relief. If you mind your Ps and Qs all the time, you deprive yourself of your own observations.
Fitz: Your show is called Politically Incorrect so it’s pretty self-explanatory what people can expect?
Fay: I’ll be telling stories and saying that it’s alright to think your thoughts, and it’s important that they don’t fester in your mind and go unexpressed. The evenings will include my own songs and covers of songs that have an opinionated message, have stirred up controversy or been outright banned over the years since the 1950s. My goal is to offend everyone in the audience at least just a little bit.
