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Lindgren and Melanie 

Photo courtesy of Lindgren and Melanie Fontana

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Quarantine Diaries: Lindgren And Melanie Fontana Are Hosting An Open House, Cooking Blue Apron & Watching "Cake Wars"

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
May 19, 2020 - 10:55 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, songwriter/producer Lindgren and his wife, singer/songwriter Melanie Fontana—who collectively have worked with names like BTS, Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, Halsey and more—share their joint Quarantine Diary.

Friday, May 15

[9:32 a.m.]

Lindgren: I get rudely awakened by a hungry cat trying to scratch her way through my bedroom door. Melanie gets up to feed the little monster, so obviously I go back to sleep. I am no use to the world at this ungodly hour. 

Melanie: Hello! I’m up! Throughout these quarantine times, my body has been truly terrible at sleeping. 9:30 a.m. is pretty much the latest my brain will let me go, even if I go to bed at 4 a.m. (which is what I did last night). My cat Vanderbilt is scratching like crazy at our bedroom door. Time to open the can and start the fish factory for her. I get myself a fresh, steamy cup of coffee from our Jura coffee maker. I peek out the back door window to see if it’s sunny; it is! I let Vandy out. She starts pouncing on invisible predators as I sit in the morning’s breezy silence of our backyard.

[11:22 a.m.]

Lindgren: This time the awakening is sweet. I being served fresh coffee with oat milk by my lovely wife who hands me my phone and kisses my forehead. The cat is now snuggly and ready for a nap in my lap while I slowly boot up my brain that apparently still runs on Microsoft Windows 98; slow to start but then very steady and reliable. I check my emails, delete the spam and respond to the ones from the home country (Germany) as they are already on their way home from their offices. Next up is iMessage. (God, I hate group chats.) A looming red double digit number lets me know that I’m fashionably late to a morning plotting party with our manager, Justin Garza. Once I’m all caught up on the ‘DREAMTEAM’ chat group I begrudgingly get out of bed at 11:50 (nobody should have to live like this).

Melanie: I leave my laziness on a poolside lounger to head back inside the house make a fresh cup of coffee for Lindgren. I use my pointer knuckle to gently tap on the bedroom door and I pad barefoot into our still shadowy room to deliver Lin his (late) morning brain fuel. I want bagels. Bad. We have some in the freezer, for sure. 

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[1:07 p.m.]

Lindgren: After a second coffee and a pastrami bagel, I finally feel human. Humans go to work, right? But there’s nothing to do just yet... other than... Oh yeah, we’re showing the apartment today! Over the last two weeks we’ve been renovating our newly aquired rental property in Hollywood and today a potential tenant wants to see it. Am I done with everything? Of course not. So I pack my tools, glove and mask up and get in the car. 

Time to "car test" the songs from this week. I’ve been missing this ritual throughout this time of adjusting to this new normal. We play the songs we wrote and produced, judge the writing, arrangement and mix on the car’s Bose system and sing along. "Pull uuuuup!" yells my wife. 

Melanie: Crap. I’m late! I’m supposed to be doing an "account takeover" of my manager’s company’s Instagram account, The Dream Adopters. Wish I was doing something a bit more musical today to show his followers, but eh, guess that’s life! Actually, today is a pretty cool day for some songs we already wrote and produced. We have a double release day! Bonnie x Clyde are releasing a REALLY unique song we worked on called "Atypical." At 9 a.m. Jessica Andrea will be putting out her long-awaiting single "Love Like This," a tune Lindgren, Jess and I poured our hearts into!

We are now at our investment property in Hollywood to give a quick "6-foot-masked-tour" to some potential tenants. I am currently and magically juggling ripping down old light fixtures, answering questions on my takeover, vacuuming and then eventually heading down to the lobby to let in our interested party. Please, lord, don’t try to talk us down in rent price. This place is f**king adorable and it's fully furnished with the comfiest and cutest furniture. Honestly, anyone would be lucky to wake up to these breathtaking Runyon Canyon/Downtown views. Someone stop me from renting out my own house so I can live here (like the city kid I am at heart!).

[2:59 p.m.]

Lindgren: Phew, just in time the new clock is hung, the bedroom barn door finally level (my poor German OCD had been tingling since the day I put it up crooked) and all the dust is swept up. Time for the Open House. 

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[4:37 p.m.]

Lindgren: Jessica Andrea texts "Come Outside." We step outside to find our masked friend on the front lawn and an ice cold six pack of Mango White Claw on the porch. Time to celebrate the upcoming release of "Love Like This," a song the three of us wrote for her project. It’s gorgeous. I hope it does well. Six feet apart and fully masked, we chat about potential promo moves and boys. Ain’t no hang with Jess without boy talk. ;-)

Melanie: Back home from Hollywood and JESSICA ANDREA IS A QUEEN. She just stopped over to drop off a $100 The Palm Coffee Bar gift card as well as a box of mango White Claws. Now that’s how we like to celebrate release days, baby! Jess, Lindgren and I sit six feet apart on my front lawn to talk a bit of "release strategy" in regards to "Love Like This" coming out in like... four hours. The song is really dreamy. It’s a pop experience. I hope it does as well as I think it will! Masks on, we continue to chat about how quarantine can be such a bummer for artists, who can no longer just head out there and do live performance promo for the foreseeable future. We speculate for a while over how it’s going to be even in the near future. Who friggin knows.

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[6:48 p.m.]

Lindgren: Time to be the music power couple for a bit. So we make some Daily Harvest smoothies and head into our respective studios to finish up some work. Melanie works on a track from our friends Daytrip and I go over notes from the band Public on a song we’ve been fine-tuning. With this magnifiscent weather outside it’s hard not to leave the studio patio door open and give the good people of Burbank a free concert. But I must resist the urge. 

Melanie: Lindgren heads into our A Room studio to wrap up editing vocals on a song he’s been feverishly poring over these last few days with the band Public (signed to Island) and I head into the B Room studio to melodyne vocals on an unfinished song I started working on with Daytrip last week. They always send me such unrivaled, inspiring tracks, I have to make sure what I send back to them is up to par. I love this song. It’s called "Blame Me."

[8:30 p.m.]

Lindgren: It’s been a couple minutes since Daytrip’s 808 bass made the wall between our studios shake. That can only mean one of two things: Melanie is either petting Vanderbilt or has started cooking. Damn, I’m hungry. Blue Apron’s orange glazed meat Chinese balls are on the menu. 

Melanie: Lindgren and I live for our Blue Apron meal cooking kits. Tonight, orange glazed meatballs is on the menu. Holy crap. Sandiest head of bok choy I have ever seen. Washing this thing for at least two minutes before I can even think of prepping it. Other than writing songs and home-renovation/interior design, cooking is my third passion. As I’m thin-slicing three large freshly washed carrots, I start to miss the cooking classes that Lindgren had got me for Christmas a couple years ago. Those were fun. We should do that again! On a serious note, I always dream of owning a small, very well decorated café that serves small plates, coffee, wine and beer. Goals, am I right?! 

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[9:52 p.m.]

Melanie: We crash Jess Andrea’s Instagram live. There were talks of Shia Lebouf and new songs on the way.

[10:50 p.m.] 

Lindgren: Time for a quiet walk through the neighborhood. Wow, I don’t even need a sweater tonight. Nice job, California. Oops, how did we make it all the way down to Whole Foods on Olive? Shall we turn around? "I miss Vanderbilt," says Melanie. Homeward then!

Melanie: Taking long, late-night walks is a newfound happy addition to our life. Somehow, floating atop a lively conversation about real estate and industry politics, we walk all the way to Whole Foods on Olive Ave. How the hell did we get all the way over here???

[11:57 p.m.]

Melanie: Laying on our massively oversized, gray tweed couch. This thing could tame a wild boar, I’m convinced. Time for reruns of "Cake Wars"! Sometimes you just have to watch something silly to stop the gears in your brain from turning so rapidly. I have to put my phone down now, because if I look at this screen for too long, I’ll be up wired till 6 a.m.! Goodnight, you weird and beautiful world. 

[1:30 a.m.]

Lindgren: After "Penny Dreadful" and a couple "Cake Wars" reruns, Melanie and Vanderbilt—my cats, as I endearingly call them—have succumbed to the sleep-inducing gravity of our couch. Time to switch over to "The West Wing."

[3:45 a.m.]

Lindgren: The edible is hitting like a truck. What did Josh say? What did CJ do? I can’t follow anymore. I wake Melanie up with a kiss on the forehead and whisper "bedtime."

"Good night, Veebee," she says to the snoring ball of cuteness. 

All photos courtesy of Lindgren And Melanie Fontana

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

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ARI

Photo: Nicole Davis

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Quarantine Diaries: ARI Is Cuddling With Her Cat, Making Her Own Tea & Preparing For Her Debut 'IDIOT GRL' EP Release

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Aug 11, 2020 - 3:59 pm

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, rising singer/songwriter ARI shares her quarantine diary. ARI's debut IDIOT GRL EP is out Aug. 14.

[9:40 a.m.] A late start to the day. I just woke up to my cat Malakai licking my face and snuggling under my chin, desperate for cuddles. I reluctantly gave in before diving into my morning routine, which starts by going through all of the daily news on my Snapchat feed to see what’s going on in the world.

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[11 a.m.] Just out of the shower and into the kitchen for the usual: tea and avocado toast. I don’t typically like tea or coffee, but I had this amazing tea from Starbucks once and fell in love with it. I ended up finding the recipe and making it myself, and to be honest, I like my version better. Once I boil the kettle, I start part two of my morning “meditation”: watching one of my favourite shows while I respond to emails. With the IDIOT GRL EP coming out next week, I can tell you there are a TON of emails. I turned on "Gilmore Girls" (my guilty pleasure) and opened up my laptop to go through my calendar.

[1:45 p.m.] Recording session time. Zoom calls have become my everyday life. It’s crazy to think that this time last year, you could actually be in a room with people. Now the most social interaction I get is virtually. On the positive side, I get to set up my little home studio from the comfort of my own bed and I find the sessions to be really productive with no outside distractions.

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[3:30 p.m.] Malakai is meowing at my door. As I try to sing over him, eventually I can’t ignore his cute little voice. We take a quick break and I have a little playtime with him. I can hear my song playing in the living room—it still weirds me out hearing myself. My guess is my roommate aka my manager is sending off final approval for the “IDIOT GRL” music video, which comes out the same day as the EP. Super excited for everyone to finally see it!

[6:00 p.m.] Time for dinner. It may just be my favourite part of the day. During my session, my roommate cooked us some delicious pasta. We eat dinner together every night, which is really nice. Usually, after dinner, we wind down and watch TV, but we decided to try doing an arts and crafts project tonight. I watched this TikTok video of a DIY way to make music plaques. You take a screenshot of a song on Spotify and use a marker to trace out the name of the song, artist, play button, etc. Once that’s done, you simply add the album artwork of your choice, frame it, and voila! I thought it would be a cool idea to make a wall of each of the songs off of my EP.

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[9:00 p.m.] After an eventful day, I decided to go watch a drive-in Maple Leafs game (wearing a mask, of course). My sister works for the TSN network and started hosting drive-in game nights to promote the network and social distancing events. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest hockey fan, but I’ll never pass up an opportunity to spend time with my family.

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[11:30 p.m.] I finally get home and hop straight into bed. I feel like I haven’t spent much time on Instagram today, so figured I’d open it up before getting some shuteye. I launched the pre-save link for the EP today and told my followers that I would DM anyone who pre-saved it and sent me a screenshot. I always love getting to interact with my fans and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to see how excited people are for my debut EP. It’s a great feeling to end the day with.

Kiana Ledé Talks Opening Up On ‘KIKI,' Lucky Daye Collab & “Urban” Term | Up Close & Personal

SYML

SYML

 

Photo: Ana Sanchez

 
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Quarantine Diaries: SYML Is Working In The Studio, Recording New Songs & Watching "The Last Dance"

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Jul 31, 2020 - 7:09 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, platinum-selling Seattle artist SYML shares his Quarantine Diary. SYML's new single, "The Dark," is out now. 

[7 a.m.] You know we got our kids those alarms that turn green when it’s "OK" to wake their parents. What that looks like is our kids, Finlay (5) and Josie (3), have been waiting like hyenas on the edge of their beds since 6 a.m. just staring at that clock and waiting for the kill. 7 a.m. hits and we are awakened by the hyenas clamoring on top of us to start another day. Here’s the amazing part: my wife has trained our children to go play independently for an hour after they wake us up. So even though the waking is abrupt, we get about an hour to lay on our phones and talk about the day to come. This has been a pandemic game-changer. 

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[8 a.m.] Coffee. It’s too cliche to say that I am from Seattle and just MUST have my coffee a certain way. What’s true is that we got this machine right after we got married, eight years ago, and have done the tedious math to make sure we are indeed saving money and feel good about how much money we spent on it back then. The beans are from Costco. Coffee is for closers.

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[9 a.m.] Marion (my wife) heads to her home office and I head down to the studio. I am reminded daily of how fortunate we are to be able to continue working from home during this time. I was on tour when the lockdown began and we missed about two weeks of shows. As an artist, cancelling shows is hard. But as a fan, having a show canceled SUCKS. It’s just one example of how being together is important, and I can’t wait for that to come back.

[9 a.m.–9:30 a.m.] Emails and phone calls, followed by work. Another pandemic life saver has been our sweet girl, Maggie, a nine-month-old labradoodle. We’ve taken a lot of walks together while I’m on the phone.

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[9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.] I love having multiple songs or productions in progress at any given time. I've found that I am most efficient if I have something else to bounce to when one thing isn’t clicking. It also keeps it fun instead of banging your head against a wall. It’s impossible to ignore what is happening in my country, and our world, at the moment. Thankfully, there are many ways that we can be helping ourselves and each other to become better at living together in community. I believe music and art are great vessels for questioning, challenge, peace, and of course, love. I have been inspired recently. This is one of my new songs that was recorded while in quarantine. It’s called "The Dark" and it’s about only being able to get to the "light" by going through the darkness. 

 

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[4 p.m.–7 p.m.] I have loved this time for one main reason: spending time with Marion and our kids. The past few years I have spent almost as many nights away as I have with them. As hard as it has been, being together has never been better. During this window of the day, we are usually outside, especially since summer is amazing here in the Northwest. If we have time during the day, this is when we work out. Marion and I have been “training” for a half marathon while in lockdown. We did one a year ago and are pretending like we have another one coming up in a few weeks.

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[7 p.m.] Dinner. Cocktail. Adult Time. We love eating together as a family, but we probably only do it about half the time. For food we’ve been enjoying: various bowls, grilling things to put in bowls, ordering things that come in bowls—basically basic bowl life. On the drink front, our summer vibe has been tequila and mezcal cocktails, with the occasional sparkling rosé, as you do. The perfect pairing for a summer meal is a bonfire, which we also enjoy frequently.

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[10 p.m.] Time to have another drink and watch something (or work more). We tore through Season 2 of "The Politician." Since then I’ve been loving "The Last Dance." I grew up watching Michael Jordan so the nostalgia is huge when watching this. What an incredible story, and the cast of characters is wild!

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[12 a.m.] Sleep. Since being off tour, it’s been nice to fall asleep before midnight. Occasionally I will work late in the studio, but I do so knowing that my kids are probably already up and staring at their alarm clocks, waiting to pounce.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

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Sinead Harnett

 
 
 

Courtesy Photo: The Orchard

 
 
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Quarantine Diaries: Sinead Harnett Is FaceTiming With Family, Meditating & Making Energy Drinks

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
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Jul 10, 2020 - 7:21 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, R&B powerhouse singer and "Quarantine Queen" Sinead Hartnett shares her Quarantine Diary. Sinead's new single "Stickin", featuring Masego and VanJess, is out now. 

[8 a.m.] WAKE UP, GIRL! I lie in bed and give myself about 30-45 minutes to slowly come back to reality. I love the feeling of stillness and in lockdown; we’ve been spoiled with it for the first time in most of our lives. Some of these moments in bed I’ll FaceTime my sisters so I can see my niece and nephews. They’re all precious and my favourite little people on earth! Slightly ashamed to say that this time of morning is also when I usually check my phone for emails, missed messages and notifications. Cheeky Instagram/Twitter scroll too, but I try not to be on it too much. Better for the mind to have that stuff in doses! 

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[9 a.m.] I make a hot lemon and ginger and do 10 minutes of meditation. It helps get my head straight and turn the noise down. Also, it helps me to focus on the tasks ahead. I use an app called Headspace because I prefer someone to guide me rather than doing it alone.

[9:30 a.m.] I usually wash up whatever I didn’t the night before and clean up the living room so that it feels like a cozy creative space. Tidy space, clearer mind. I’ll then make my breakfast smoothie! Oats, banana, oat milk, peanut butter, cacao—you should try it! BIG energy drink. Tastes like a Snickers milkshake but it's so good for you.

[11 a.m.] After doing some stuff on my phone like emails and replying to people, I’ll do a workout. When it’s hot here I usually do it outside so I can get some sun/nature. I LOVE the outdoors so much. It helps me escape the walls of my mind. When it's cold or rainy though, I do one in the flat. I don’t love the feeling during workouts, but I wait patiently for the exercise endorphins to show up! Exercise is good for the body of course, but what I get out of it for my mind is the real magic. 

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[12 p.m.] I usually make some lunch, which I demolish before showering! I don’t think I’ve cooked and cleaned more in my entire life than in this lockdown!

[1 p.m.–8 p.m.] During these hours, it's usually a juggling act of writing music, recording vocals, doing admin, promoting songs, making sure my socials are in check and calls with my team. etc. This time goes so quickly I almost feel someone’s pressing fast-forward. I’m always doing about five things simultaneously.

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[9 p.m.–11 p.m.] I talk to family or friends that I haven't been able to get back to during the day. I'm not the best at communicating, especially nowadays because I don't like being on my phone too much. I prefer to see people in real life but obviously that’s had to change.

[12 a.m.] Ahhhh, rest time! I love to sleep so much! I've started a new habit of making sure I'm in bed no later than this time. I don't like the feeling when I wake up late, so I have to discipline myself to get into bed earlier. I always wonder where the day has gone and how I didn’t manage to watch a movie or switch off from musical work. But then I remind myself that music isn’t work, it’s a privilege and joy! Head down now, ready for more action tomorrow.

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If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Quarantine Diaries: Lindgren And Melanie Fontana Are Hosting An Open House, Cooking Blue Apron & Watching "Cake Wars"

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MONOGEM

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

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Quarantine Diaries: MONOGEM Is Cuddling With Her Poodle & Binge-Watching "The Path"

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
Jun 30, 2020 - 11:55 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, electro-pop/alt-R&B artist MONOGEM shares her Quarantine Diary. MONOGEM's latest track "Paraíso" is out now.

[8:20 a.m.] I just woke up to some rare clouds here in Santa Monica, Calif. The June gloom makes it easy to stay in bed a few extra minutes while I prepare to dive into my calendar and emails, but really a 30-minute Instagram sinkhole.

I was supposed to be in Mexico City this month exploring the city, playing a couple shows, doing some radio interviews and visiting family. It’s bittersweet to think of all of the things that could’ve happened this year, but I am doing my best to stay positive and lean into a new daily routine.

[10:14 a.m.] After a nice long walk with my dog, Sadie, and a homemade oatmilk latte, now it’s time to get a workout in. I always try to get some kind of activity in every day and I like to switch it up between jogging outside, yoga on Zoom, and at-home circuit workouts that I find online. Today, I’ll do a weight circuit.

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While I was exercising, I caught my song live on the air on KCRW, which is pretty much the coolest thing ever! I am full of gratitude and it will always be completely surreal to hear my music on the radio.

[12:50 p.m.] Lunch is served. My days get busy after 1 p.m. with writing sessions, recording vocals and occasionally teaching voice lessons on FaceTime. I’ve started preparing pre-sliced salad fixings to make things easier. Today I made a spinach arugula salad with cucumber, radish, cherry tomato, homemade pickled onions, hard boiled egg and Sprouts veggie couscous with a red wine vinaigrette. It was delicious.

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[2 p.m.] I have a couple voice students today; here is my virtual teaching setup in my home studio. I'm finding it’s actually just as productive as in-person lessons, maybe even more. Singers are extra-exposed since I can’t accompany them in real time without a delay. So as a result, pitch is extra fine-tuned now.

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[4:25 p.m.] Quick cuddle break with Sadie, my poodle, who just turned 11.

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[5 p.m.] Happy hour, my new favorite thing. Today I'm enjoying an ice cold beer (I never drink beer), but it’s summer and why not? I’m about to FaceTime with my friend who speaks with me in Spanish for an hour twice a week. It’s great practice for me to brush up, conversationally, with all of my new music being released in Spanish.

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[8:46 p.m.] After dinner, now I'm getting set up to record a live video for something exciting that will be released very soon. I’m playing my new single and a song off my last EP.

[10:13 p.m.] I got the video take—success! Now it’s time to binge-watch "The Path" on Hulu. It’s about a modern day cult-type, religious movement starring Aaron Paul and I. Am. Obsessed. After two episodes, it’s bedtime. Thanks for joining me today. Until next time…besos x.

Quarantine Diaries: Lindgren And Melanie Fontana Are Hosting An Open House, Cooking Blue Apron & Watching "Cake Wars"

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.