Interview with Jeffrey Watts, December 10, 2020
Project: Gig Economy Workers in the Arts During the COVID-19 Era Oral History Project
Interview Summary
Musician, sound engineer, and union backline worker Jeff Watts discusses at length his adventures with unemployment when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down every job he had with his bands, and his work with Lexington Parks and Recreation and the Lexington Center, which includes Rupp Arena, The Downtown Arts Center, and the Lexington Opera House. He talks about the process of losing work, watching everything shut down one gig at a time, and how he stays inspired even as the lockdown continues. He also talks about the few sound jobs that have trickled in despite the lockdown, such as the University of Kentucky men's basketball games at Rupp Arena, and what his business might look like as the world comes back online.Interview Accession
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Sound engineers Sound man Backline workers Unions Rupp Arena University of Kentucky men's basketball Lexington Opera House Downtown Arts Center Lexington Parks and Recreation Moondance Amphitheater Big Maracas (Artist) March Madness Marching Band (Artist) Thriller Touring shows Musical production Burning Man Black Rock, Nevada Colonel Sanders Kentucky Fried Camp Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemics Unemployment Arts Union IATSE Local 346 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees UnionInterview Rights
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Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.Restriction
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Watts, Jeffrey Interview by Kopana Terry. 10 Dec. 2020. Lexington, KY: Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Watts, J. (2020, December 10). Interview by K. Terry. Gig Economy Workers in the Arts During the COVID-19 Era Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington.
Watts, Jeffrey, interview by Kopana Terry. December 10, 2020, Gig Economy Workers in the Arts During the COVID-19 Era Oral History Project, Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
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