Kristen Zaza is a writer, composer, performer and podcaster based in Toronto, Ontario. She is also a piano teacher and a singing instructor, and has been working in the music industry for many years.
“I have been studying music my whole life,” says Kristen. “I would say that since I went to school for theatre, drama and performance studies, and I received my Master’s Degree for the study of theatre and drama as well. I have been working professionally as a performer for about 10 years now.”
Aside from her studies in music, Kristen is currently producing the second season of her award-winning audio drama podcast, On a Dark, Cold Night. It is a podcast that is ideal for horror lovers with insomnia, where every week the Narrator tells you a spine-chilling yet soothing ghost story. Launched in January 2018, the podcast is written, produced and performed entirely by Kristen.
“My inspiration behind the podcast is that I’ve always had trouble sleeping, for one thing. I’ve gone through periods of insomnia my whole life. And podcasts really clicked with me in helping with that because I found the idea of hearing someone in your ear while you’re going to sleep very comforting,” says Kristen. “The problem was that the most comforting podcasts that I could find were all comedy based. I love comedy, but I was looking for something that was more of a storytelling show,” she says. “One thing I realized while searching for bedtime story podcasts is that a lot of them were boring. And that wasn’t scratching my itch. I was looking for something in between those.”
Kristen notes that she has always been a horror fan, and during her issues with insomnia, the goal was to find a podcast that had a Gothic horror theme but was relaxing. “It’s a very specific thing that is not out there, so I essentially made the show that I wanted to listen to that I could go to sleep with. And that’s how the whole idea of On a Dark, Cold Night came about.”
When discussing her writing process, Kristen says she doesn’t like to plan her stories far in advance. Instead, she lets her thoughts and imagination do the job for her. “I like to write fresh stories every week. And I’ve stuck with that because it’s a stream of consciousness style that I’m writing in. I like to let myself be affected every week by whatever’s going on with me in the world and the other people who are listening,” she says. “Not that I know what everybody’s going through all over the world, but I do like the idea that someone’s here going through this world with you at the same time. So I’m very fresh every week without planning beyond that. For season one, it was a bit harder to find things that inspired me, but for season two, I now have a system where I draw a new card from the tarot deck, and that’s the inspiration for the story. The tarot deck helps to just trigger a theme or a feeling.”
Kristen admits that her love of fairy tales and love stories has also been a help for finding inspiration when it comes to writing stories. “I am definitely a sucker for love stories and fairy tales. Those are always something that I’ve really jelled with,” she says. “One of my favourite episodes I’ve written is called “The Cemetery”. It’s a story about a girl who falls in love with someone only by visiting their grave. There’s also one based on Sleeping Beauty, another one based on a mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc. Any story that is based on a fairy tale, I have a soft spot for.”
Looking back on her years of studying and teaching music, Kristen feels very proud of the things she has accomplished in her life. “Music is a big part of my life. Even before studying drama, acting, writing, I came to the arts through music.” she says. “I love writing music. That’s something that I’ve really come to enjoy doing in the podcast, having a vehicle to compose, perform, edit songs or pieces of music to go with the stories I’m telling,” says Kristen. “I’m proud that I can do all of these things. I’m proud that I can write, compose and perform music, act, sound edit. I can do all of these things in one place. And I love working by myself.”
Right now with Ontario’s strict COVID lockdown orders in effect, it’s normal for people to experience boredom while stuck at home. Luckily for Kristen, she manages to keep herself busy throughout these strange times. “The podcast has been a guiding light for me throughout quarantine, having a weekly goal that structures my week and gives me both a sense of purpose and a schedule,” she says. “I could say the same for my music lessons. I’m very grateful to the students I have who have been willing to go on this online journey with me. That’s been great to give my days some shape,” says Kristen. “I think obviously, we all need days off, and we all need times where you have nothing going on. Especially now more than ever, you need to take time to deal with this thing that we’re all processing. But I do think that having structure, making your own structure is good.”
So, you want to create a podcast and need a few pointers on where to start? Or maybe you’ve always wanted to start one, but you’re afraid that it might not get many listeners? Fear no more. As an experienced writer and composer, Kristen is here to help. “I think at the end of the day, you have to do something that you enjoy. Even if you’re the only person who likes it, at least one person does, and that’s guaranteed. That’s how I started the podcast,” she says. “You can’t expect immediate recognition for it, especially if you’re creating a podcast. There are a lot of podcasts out there, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create one. You absolutely should,” Kristen maintains. “But don’t get discouraged right away if it doesn’t take off or become the biggest thing because there are a bunch of them out there. But I think the people who stick with it and steadily build that following, that listener base, that reputation, are the ones who will see some success in it.”
Lastly, she adds: “You have to bear in mind, what does success mean? Having been a musician, actress, writer, podcaster, success is this ephemeral thing that’s far off. I think you have to let go of the idea that it means a certain amount of money or stability. It just has to do with how you feel about what you’re doing,” she says. “I know it’s hard to hear because everyone wants to do what they love and make a stable living out of it. But just stick with it. If you enjoy it, that’s its own reward, and I think that shows. If you do it long enough, that really shows the passion and the investment in it, which people respond to. It just might take a little while.”
Stay in touch with Kristen:
- Kristen’s Instagram: @kristen_zaza
- Podcast Instagram: @darkcoldnightpodcast
- Kristen’s Twitter: @kristen_zaza
- Podcast Twitter: @ADarkColdNight
© Tamara von Estorff, SesayArts Magazine, 2021
