First of all, thank you for agreeing to this exclusive interview for Musicstaff.com. Having known you for many years, it is a personal pleasure of mine to have you share your expertise as a musician with our readers. I know they will garner much knowledge from your years of innovative musicianship. 1. From reading your bio, it is easy to see that you were destined for the music business. Although there are many talented people in the field of music, so many do not reach the level that you have in your profession. What would you credit as having been one of the most beneficial relationships/experiences that provided you the necessary skills to help you attain your level of success? Every musician has a different story. From my personal experience,the most beneficial relationship was playing all over creation in rock / pop bands. It offered a creative freedom to experiment, to discover how to make music though trial and error, creative discoveries through accidents, the alchemy of what gives the desire to simply make more music. It also was extremely beneficial in the development of a very crucial relationship - and that is the relationship between the performer and the audience. 2. Of course, hard work and practice is an obvious requirement for any musician to "make it" in the music business, but there are many who are left to find work outside of the field, simply to pay the bills. You are indeed, one of the fortunate few that can rely upon your work in music as your full time employment. I know many will be interested to read what you might suggest to those who would like to work as a full time musician but don't know where to start. Reality bites! Let's get real. What are the chances for that to happen and what would you suggest to our readers that are needing a "golden opportunity"? If one thinks about ratios regarding " what my chances are of making it in the music business " it is like trying to catch a tsunami in a bucket. The industry is all too overwhelming. The nature of the business is a giant casino. TO START : First, learn the mechanics of music, whether it is spinning a turntable, or the dynamics of playing trumpet, piano, etc. If it happens to be a orchestral instrument....learn to read...learn technique...learn to improvise...to open the possibilities of being recognized as a master of one's craft.It builds self confidence and self control. This is very important! Second, engage with your colleagues and to your listeners....produce music ...play music to an audience as much as possible. You are going to learn more from your failures than from your triumphs. Do NOT be afraid to make mistakes. Rest assured, you will be making them the rest of your life. Get use to it. Third, do not deny that this is a business. It is an art as well, but never forget that this is going determine how you are going to be earning a living. Read about the industry, whether it be magazines or books. Familiarize one's self who are your competitors. Fourth, the odds of luck to come your way will often be in a city where the action is. In the U.S. it is NYC, LA, Nashville. not that one has to be in the big city to get the break.....It makes since that closer that one is to the industry, the chances render to be in ones favor of a break to occur. 3. What is your background and experience in music? What was your first clue that music was to be your destiny in life? Do you have musical parents? What role, if any, did your parents play in helping you reach your goals? My background in music is very diverse, both academic and from the streets.. I knew that I was going to be a musician in my very early years....definitively by 12 years old and even much earlier now looking at the whole arc. My family on both sides loved music. My mother was a very fine pianist and got her degree in piano from the University of Texas. Her family was very musical : pianists, violinist,songwriters. On my father's side there were musicians, as well. My grandmother was an organist and an archivist of old 78's LP's. She introduced me to Ragtime Music....the likes of the " Dill Pickle Rag " and Shape Note Music. My parents and extended family were very supportive with my musical endeavors.Music was considered to be very healthy source of happiness. I was very lucky. 4. Do you have a technique that you can share with readers that you attribute to your attaining your success? Is there such a thing as a self made musician or is being musical simply a gift that one is born with? This can be answered in very few statements...LUCK and VERY HARD WORK !! The musicians that you have to fear are the ones that are gifted and with a fierce work ethic. This is what New York City gave to me. There was a quote by Thomas Edison and although I have forgotten the percentages it was something like 6% inspiration and 94% perspiration.........I would add that there is a pinch of luck thrown in to the caldron, as well. 5. What would you consider a "Key Contact" and how important is it in the process of becoming a full-time musician? How did you make the necessary "key contacts" in the music business. There again, it is getting ones self out there...Meeting the people in the business is a very important element. Familiarize yourself with the people that can facilitate problems for you when and if they should occur. As I have said before, this IS a business. This element determines how the key contacts are made. One can learn a great deal from the work force that make the music machine work. 6. Please offer any additional information that you would like to include in this interview. I may have missed some very important points that you would like to include for our readers. When one has both feet in the game of making music. There will be times of exuberance and times of adversity. Under times where there is a tremendous wave of resistance do not forget to remember WHY you originally picked up your instrument...to play music...to produce joy and fulfillment for yourself and the ones listening.....the ones who pay for a ticket to listen.The ones that want that note to make them feel that nirvana is taking off on the 2 o'clock plane. DO NOT EVER FORGET !! Thanks so much, Steve for agreeing to do this interview. It is a great pleasure to have your expertise and advice available for our readers at Musicstaff.com. We wish you continued success and great pleasure as you share your talents with our world.

 

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