Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Lapan.
Hi Martin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m an only child, and I was born in Seattle, Washington, and lived there for the first 14 years of my life. As a kid, I enjoyed engaging in creative activities such as writing, roleplaying with friends, and creating card games inspired by some of our favorite video games and cartoons. My parents both graduated with degrees in drama. When I was seven, my parents divorced, and around that time my mother lost her job as the artistic director of a theatre company, and my dad was evicted from my childhood home. My mom moved to West Seattle, and I had to adjust to commuting to and from school. It wasn’t long before I was taking the public bus long distances in middle school when my dad moved to a suburb outside of north Seattle called Ballard. My mom ended up deciding to move to Georgia in 2011, as most of her family was in Georgia, and her father’s health was deteriorating. I moved to Georgia shortly after in 2012, in part because my family felt there were better education opportunities in Georgia with the existence of the HOPE scholarship. My grandfather passed away shortly after moving to Georgia.
Around this time, I was passionate about creating short films and skits, which I would film and edit. This passion turned into the creation of video content during the time I was in high school. I also participated in marching band, playing trombone, and began to engage more with my passion for music. Coming out of high school, I wanted to pursue creating films, so I began university at Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in film. After realizing that I would not be able to attend for more than a quarter without beginning to amass debt, I transferred to Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta. For about a year, I commuted to the downtown campus from my grandma’s house in Lawrenceville, where I was living at the time. Eventually, I moved to Decatur with a couple of friends, where I lived for a couple of years. During this time, I began to engage more with my passion for music, writing songs and filming/directing/editing music videos with friends. In February of 2020, me and a couple of friends put on our first show. Shortly after, the pandemic hit, and I found that I hadn’t gotten as much hands-on experience with film through school as I would have hoped at Georgia State, despite being about to graduate.
Considering this, I made the decision to transfer to the University of Georgia. At UGA, I continued to pursue film through the Entertainment/Media program and also did the music business certificate program to get more experience with the music business. While I attempted to put on a couple of shows through mostly my own efforts, unsuccessfully, I was eventually able to play an integral role in putting together concerts and festivals organizations I co-founded with some friends called Afterglow and Techno Speakeasy Athens. We have put on several shows in and around Athens, most with an eye toward activism and making meaningful change in the world, be it through our yearly Earth Day festival or a show to raise awareness and money for victims of sexual abuse. Our goal is to turn this organization into a nonprofit and continue to expand our reach in our local community and beyond. I also began to learn how to produce music and began to perform more during my time at UGA, alongside learning more about creating films, such as through an internship in Los Angeles, where I created documentaries in 2022. I graduated from UGA at the end of 2022, and I have been continuing to produce and write music, organize shows, and work a full-time job at a print shop since then.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall, it has not been the smoothest road, though I am extremely appreciative for all of the opportunities I have been given. One of the biggest challenges in my life have been constantly moving every year or two, as that can be incredibly destabilizing. Also, going through periods of financial hardship, where it’s been hard to keep up with pursuing creative endeavors due to having to focus on making enough money to live. Early in my career of putting on shows, not all of them turned any kind of profit, which also contributed to financial hardship. My relationships with family and friends has also been turbulent at times, which can make for a lot of stress. And dealing with my somewhat rocky mental health without the aid of any prescription medication has made dealing with circumstances difficult at times.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work with others to find creative avenues to approach putting on shows and festivals, creating music, and creating short films and music videos. I’m extremely proud of the community we have fostered and helped create through our events. I’m also proud of music videos such as “No Fear,” which features a conceptual story about fear, oppression, and breaking free. My work in film tends to be abstract and experimental explorations of mental health, perceptions of self, and adjusting to life in the digital age. Some of my work, such as documentaries I’ve made, takes a more literal approach or even a comedic approach, as a few short films I’ve made have leaned more toward satire. I believe my work ethic and unique way of seeing the world through my own experience has shaped my work, and is what ultimately sets me apart. While it may not always be easily understood, I at least always offer expression that is somewhat novel. In my music, I have a range of genres I experiment in, from punk rock to hip hop to pop. I don’t let myself get too tied down to any one sound, as I continue to develop my ideas and find my voice. I also hope to produce for a variety of musicians down the road. Understanding what makes music exciting, sad, etc., has been a big part of this, and my own explorations as a music artist have led me to create many different vibes and feelings through this form of expression.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love all the murals in Atlanta! But I’m not super big on the lack of affordable or free parking.
Contact Info:
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-414250791
