MUSICIANS OF NEW YORK — THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS

A stripped-down return to the song’s first breath.

In a world of overproduction and algorithmic listening, The Acoustic Sessions is a growing series that invites musicians back to the beginning — the first time a song was felt, not just played. Created and directed by Mod Schwalbe and filmed across New York City, the series captures intimate, live performances by emerging and established singer-songwriters in the rawest way possible: just voice, instrument, and the emotion that birthed the music.

Each session is a quiet portrait. Whether filmed in a bedroom, a borrowed studio, a park, or a stairwell, the setting is always chosen for calm, connection, and authenticity — places where the artist can reconnect with the original feeling behind the song.

This is not a performance for crowds or cameras. It’s a conversation between artist and art — a moment to rediscover what the music meant when it first emerged, before the recordings, before the tours, before the playlists.

“When all the fluff goes away, you’re left with the essential. That’s what we’re trying to document — that essential. ”

The series currently features artists like:

• Adam Cohen

• Jacob Fjeldheim

• Dustin Lowman

• Katie Martucci

Each performance is both a documentation and a reflection — a snapshot of craft, emotion, and personal narrative. With minimal camera setups and carefully chosen lenses, the visuals aim to mirror the vulnerability of the sound.

The Acoustic Sessions is ongoing — a love letter to the quiet power of music when it’s allowed to just… be.