You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians - Finding and Following YOUR Narrative

Episode Date: December 3, 2019

In a very high-concept episode of You'll Hear It, Peter and Adam discuss how jazz has helped them frame their personal life stories.In honor of Giving Tuesday, a portion of any course purchased from Open Studio will go to Pianos for People. This is an organization that provides pianos to children and families with limited resources who otherwise wouldn't have access to the transformative power of music. You can also make a direct donation by visiting their website at https://pianosforpeople.org.This episode of You'll Hear It is sponsored by Anytune. If you want to improve your jazz playing and transcription skills, Anytune is the #1 tool you need. Just load any track you want into the app, and Anytune allows you to change the speed, loop sections, change the pitch to a different key, and so much more. For more information, go to https://anytune.us/youllhearit/Want every Open Studio course for free? That's right - over 300 hours and 1200 lessons can be yours with free lifetime access! All you have to do is enter Open Studio's 2019 Holiday Giveaway. Go to https://learn.openstudiojazz.com/giveaway/, or watch this video of Peter for more info: https://youtu.be/KsdhVXE5ovILike those You'll Hear It shirts Peter shows off on the podcast? Want some YHI swag of your own? Take a visit to our store! And if you sign up for Premium, you'll get a discount on all YHI merch. Just go to https://teespring.com/stores/open-studioLet us know what you think by leaving a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, or head over to our YouTube channel and leave a comment for this episode.Interested in more jazz advice? Go here to browse our catalog of jazz lessons and courses available for purchase.Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram at:https://www.facebook.com/heyopenstudiohttps://twitter.com/heyopenstudiohttps://www.instagram.com/heyopenstudio See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hey, Adam. Yeah. Ever narrated anything? No. Really? Yeah. Do you have an inner narrative? No.

I'm gonna hook you up today. All right, I'll find it. You'll find it, but I won't follow it. I'm Adam Edis. And I'm Peter Martin. And you're listening to the You'll Hear at Podcast. Daily Jazz Advice, coming at you. Coming at you today, sponsored by AnyTune.

AnyToon is an amazing tool for any musician who's serious about getting better. It's an incredible app that's more than just being. able to slow down without losing pitch, although that is an incredibly handy feature. That's their marquee feature. Yeah, for sure. But it's not there only. As you're doing that, you can set markers that you can easily

navigate in the track that you're transcribing or trying to play along with. You can take out instruments. Virtually it will. Yeah. With a very beautiful interface. In fact, the entire interface is so intuitive and easy to use. You don't need to look. There's no instruction.

Well, there is. Well, there is. But you don't need it. No. It's delightful. And it's just been a great tool for me personally, as I've been shedding the last six months or so. So wholly endorse any tune.

It's a serious app for serious musicians that helps bring more joy to the grind of becoming a great jazz musician. That sounds like something we wrote, but actually the good folks at Anytune wrote that. And when we read that, we were like, oh, yeah, this is going to work. Because it's, you know, it's really like,

it's that tool when you have practitioners and the people who are making the tool and the engineers, everybody lined up with the kind of same goal, really magical things can happen. We've already got great feedback from our listeners who've gone and checked it out. One of our awesome transcribers, Max, is a seriously big-yeared musician who does some transcribing for us here at Open Studio,

and he had some nice things to say. I know. I was shocked that he didn't know about it, actually. Yeah. But, yeah, it's really good stuff. He's kind of his own AnyTune, Max. I know. Max is getting excited about it. So anyway, go to Anytune.

you'll hear it and it'll link you to a nice little deal there you can download the free version you can go pro at any time pick your platform all that good stuff details are there that's right and you know so yesterday was Cyber Monday that's right you know what today is

today I'm excited of course I know today we're both excited this is great because we're big hearty guys well you know it gets so commercial around this time of year I mean it's like a little antidote we have a company that we must be commercial for but there's also some really great things about this time of year one of my favorite things is how how giving people can get around this time of year.

That's right. Thinking about other folks besides just, you know, the shopping frenzy. And yeah, so today's Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday. And I think the start it is, I don't know the whole history of it, but I think it was kind of a,

um, a backlash against all the me, me, me, me, me, buy, line up and push people out of the way to get my $99 flat screen. Hey, don't get me wrong. I love me, me, me. I love flat screens. But, I mean, how many can you get?

No, but I think that, you know, we really look at it. everything we do, I mean, the podcast, this is about the community. I mean, the listeners we have and how this has developed this year. I mean, we started last year from nothing, and it's kind of built up, and it's really because of the listeners. And so they, you know, you guys have been so great to us and said, thank you for giving us all this. But, I mean, we've gotten more, I think, from you guys and from this whole thing. For sure. Then certainly we've given. So in the spirit of that, I think we can all come together today. And there's so many different ways to give.

We're going to just tell you a little bit. Should we do it at the end? Or let's tease a little bit. We'll just say that our organization that we've picked for Giving Tuesday is an organization that's near and dear to both of our hearts and to our entire musical community here in St. Louis. And that's pianos for people. We've talked about it on the podcast before. They provide free pianos to families that can't afford them. Like real upright pianos that go renovated. Renovated.

And rehabbed. Rehabed. And then move at no cost to families who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford them. who are interested in piano lessons. They move the piano in their house. And then, as if that weren't enough, they offer free piano lessons. Yes.

To those families. And they've created a community. That's the amazing thing. It's an incredible place. You know, they have two locations here in South St. Louis and in Ferguson. And they have great teachers. I mean, it's just a first class operation. I was just there a couple weeks ago at the St. Louis location,

doing some master classes with some of the young, exceptionally talented students that they have. there and it's more than piano lessons for those kids it's a place to hang out and it's a place to be safe and to to enjoy music with each other and you know some of the kids that come out of there are actually going on to like you know the berkeley college of music like our buddy royce and but not every kid and sometimes it's just a place to to grow and to be with people who like music as much as you do so if you care about that kind of thing at all we encourage you to either go to open studio jazz dot com and any course you buy

today proceeds will go towards Piano's for People or go to Pianos for People Pianos for People.org directly. Exactly. Yeah, you can learn about the organization or feel free to give in your community. This was way more than a teaser. Sorry. You know, this is good. This is important. So we're doing it today. You know, what we're doing with Open Studio

Jazz, you know, a portion of everything. What we're calling it actually is get a course, give a lesson. That's right. But it's also get a course, give a piano. Because that's they're doing the whole thing. Yeah. If you buy a course at Open Studio, if today's your day, that's right.

Partial proceeds go to pianos for people, and you're helping these kids get pianos and piano lessons and piano lessons. And you'll see all the details. If you go to OpenCito Jazz.com, it can be right there at the top all day today. And also, you can also look at it as get a gift to give a lesson. So if you want to just get a gift for somebody and it doesn't have to be for piano for people, whatever, we're still going to donate a portion of those proceeds directly to pianos for people today. So if you've been thinking about knocking out some shopping and maybe you miss the other day, deals. Yeah, you're going to pay regular price today, but you're going to really be matching those dollars for some kids that really need, and not only need, they want it. I mean,

these kids are, like, excited. It's transformative. I mean, you were just there. I was just, it's an amazing thing. You're going to be changing lives and actually helping to create new music from talented young musicians. And I think, you know, giving Tuesday, it's important. There's so many great causes we can give to. So we would never say that, you know, partnering. Yeah, no matter what you do. Yeah, do something. Do something. But I mean, it's fun, like, thinking about music, because music does trans. It's not, you could say, well, you know, some people are hungry. They need food, absolutely. But, but music can be the food for the soul. Sounds corny, but it's true. I mean, it transforms lives. So, anyway, we're excited. I'm excited about today. I love today, man. I love the choice,

the title of the episode is find and follow your narrative. Right. And this is, I've been wanting to do this up for a while and we talked about it. And then you were kind enough. You said, I said, you understand what I'm talking about. You're like, not really. Let's just jump into this. So this will be kind of un-rehearsed as it often is here. I mean, I like the way it sounds, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Okay, so let me just give you a kind of the big picture that we can see, you know, banter a little bit on the nitty-gritty. What I mean for this is like we're all going through our lives.

We all are going on a story, whether you know it or not. Like the story of your life is being written every day, every minute, and, you know, once you die, it's complete. That's the end. You know, it's the beginning of the end. It's a movie. It's a story. It's a thing.

And so I think so much of our lives, you know, it's the end. You know, from when we're very, look, when you're a newborn, your story's being pretty much controlled by your parent or whoever's caring for you. And then as you become a little bit more independent, you start to take a little bit of control. But I think a lot of times we're trying to live the version of our life that we think others think we should be at our spouse, our parents, our friends, our employer, our children, our society. And most people just sort of drift around, you know. And I just, you know, what music has done, what jazz music, what improvised music, what this wonderful culture has given to me, and I think to all of us that are willing to accept it, is a chance to really be confident in, you know, following, creating, and sculpting our own narratives. And I think that when we do this, I mean, it sounds very, like, high flute and all that. But when we tap into this and start to understand it and realize it's not actually a lot of work, it's more just,

just getting comfortable with the mindset of it and say, you know what, I'm going to narrate, I'm not going to just be a player in the Peter Martin story. I'm going to be the director and the producer and the whole thing. And I'm going to narrate it as I go, as opposed to letting somebody else to narrate and say, let me see how I can fit into that story, you know? And I think it's important for all of us, because, you know, to be free and to be able to have something to say as an improviser and as a composer and as a player and to be able to hopefully, I mean, for me, a big part of the narrative of my life, I want it to be is to bring joy to people through my piano playing or through my writing or through whatever it is.

Like, that's what I feel like I was put here for, or through my teaching or through any of the things that I do. But I want to be able to control that. Now, it doesn't mean that, oh, I don't listen to anybody else. No, no, no, it's not about that. It's really about not getting off track of other people. Like, what happens is everybody's stories start to collide, which is great. That's civilization and that's community and all that. but when we get them lined up and say

look I'm not going to do anything as I'm telling my story and following through that's going to mess up your story or try to be like you got to come on my story well I did with the podcast I was like come on this podcast journey that's part of my story now too yeah yeah exactly so yeah there's all these different things but I just think it's important for us as artists I'm not even to say as the

improviser as artists that's the important thing you know I was to ask that's funny that this is what you mean by this because I was just having a very nice conversation with another musician the other day about story and narrative and how important it is for us as we go on this journey and we try to grow and we try to make the best art we can make and that having a direction and a story so what you talked about is something that I would describe as having a set of personal values that are ever evolving it's not like you're 18 and you're like okay here are my absolute values for the rest of

my life but we have we actually have a pretty good idea by then yeah of who we are and what we where we are with things and what we'll accept. That's going to evolve as you get older and you get wiser and you go through life experiences. But setting those in place and then here's where it gets tricky. Not comparing your narrative

to your friends or your colleagues or the people that you aspire to be like fully and suffering this game of comparison that I didn't get here by the time I was 25. I wasn't on this band when I was 30. I couldn't do

this when I was 40. All of that is BS. And actually goes against the healthy part of our narrative, which is that we direct, as you said, we direct where we go and we put these values in place. And then we believe in that story. A story is such a powerful human tool that we've used. I mean, every single great thing that's happened in history has happened via some kind of narrative. That's how we relay things to each other. You know, it's not just a list of things. We're much better. at stories. So, you know, I think it's always great to take a step back and, and sort of say, what is, what is my narrative? Where is, where am I at my story? Right. Where do I want my story to go? And then what do I need to do? What are the values that are going to guide me through that story?

Exactly. In a way that's me. I love that. Yeah. And I think that the values, yeah, absolutely, they are the, almost like the guardrails so that as you're telling your story, you can stay on track once you know what that is. And you can rely on those. Is that outside of my values? It's a yes or no question that's what's so important about values you know and if your narrative changes and you're able to value you might say well maybe my values changed or maybe my story needs to change but it's just important that it's yours you know that is for all of us and I think that you know the the joy is like not this is not a thing that we become our solitary thing and we we're living in a bubble because that's fun and really that's to me is what like friendship and companionship and community is about is learning about other

people's stories and like their journeys and supporting their journeys not changing your own narrative and story, but seeing how they can weave in and out at times and supporting that journey and uplifting. And I think artists, like, we can do that through music. Like, that's the amazing thing. And through art, like, just without even talking

to someone, like, if we're doing our craft at a high level and we accept that that responsibility is part of our story, that selfless thing of like, let me just, not let me sell this many records, you might say, I want to reach a lot of people. I was put here to reach a bunch of people with this musical message,

or this, whatever, but to have that being an edifying thing for their story so that when they come to hear you play, they leave there saying, even if they're not a musician or something, saying like, wow, my life just got lifted up. I want to get more in touch with my story now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because this, you know, I mean, art has that kind of transformative power on the listener or the viewer or whatever. You know, I mean, I think of all the, you know, beautiful visual art and museums that I've been,

and I'm so glad that I've, you know, often take advantage of that and how much that's uplift and become a part of my story. Not that I'm painting anything. I don't know how to do that. Maybe I will. Maybe that'll become part of my story. But it doesn't matter. It's like it's part of like lifting me up as a human being. And then so I want to go and do more of that for other people through ways that I can do it. Let's talk a little bit about some of the pitfalls of this and and the difficulties. I think that the main one is that to truly find and follow your own narrative takes an incredible amount of courage. It's it's very scary to go outside of what you think. think other people think of you.

That's right. You know what I mean? Especially if it's a loved one and we see this a lot with parents. Like this is the biggest place and not even the bad parents. Or even peers or other musicians. You know, think about monk saying, you know, the best sounding musician is the one who sounds most like themselves. Yeah.

That's a very telling, following your story kind of thing. But I said, I misunderstood him for a while. I was like, oh, the best pianist is the one who sounds like monk the most. Okay, cool. I'm going to try to sound like him. No, no. But this is what I'm saying. It's way less scary to just.

copy someone else's narrative. And it's easier. It's way easier. It's more scary. Well, it's easy at first. Yeah. It gets frustrating. And so you get to that self-awareness point where you're like, wow, I can't actually sound like them. And it gets depressing. It does. And you're not making anything good. It's way scary to be like, okay, this is really me, and I'm going to put this, me out there. Yeah. It takes a lot of courage.

But the world needs to hear your story. Absolutely. And everybody listening, you got to know that. That's the world we, like, our stories need to be told. Nobody's more important. wants to hear you sound like Corey Henry. No. I want to hear Corey Henry sound like you. I want to hear you sound like you. I know some guys and some gals that do a very good Cory Henry, but none of them are as good as Corey Henry.

For sure. I don't want to hear you sound like Jacob Collier either. I wouldn't listen to Jacob Collier all day long. But those guys are both really good examples of... They're playing their story. They're doing their story. For sure. And you know, I think that what I love about this too is I think it's kind of aligned with a lot of things that we've said, because some of you, I know

are thinking like, well, what did you say? Why are you always saying transcribe this and practice and listen? different. Yeah, but I think what hopefully we're always saying and we need to always be saying is practice, listen, transcribe, grow, be influenced, and then when you get a chance to get up and play, forget about all that and be you, be

confident in who you are, have the courage to let that absorb you, but let it still be your story. Yeah. You know, and the community part, I mean, you know, some, there's some individuals that are like such, like, their story is so distinct and so separate that they don't

fit into any mold, you know, and that's, great and I'm trying to think of like I mean this is I don't like I don't know sonrah but even sun raw fits in but I mean like that's a one of a kind of experience was telling his story you know but he got people around him too to help tell that story become a part of that journey but what if he'd been like no I'm going to be like Duke Ellington you know now he's influenced by Duke Ellington and it's from that lineage yeah but you sure you know that's courage but Duke Ellington never went on stage with a full gold LeMay like right but you know what so we were talking about values

and I was just talking about I was just thinking about what that really is is practicing a point of view I don't know if you know this or not but I'm fairly agreeable as far as it Agreeable to a fault that was just in a movie I saw I'm a bit agreeable to like if he's like I really like that

I'll be like yeah man I like that too but so I actually have to practice being like you know what I don't like that and I'm gonna have my own I'm terrible at that's part of your story but that's but I'm trying to work on actually But, like, you know, it's in there that I think I don't like it. It's just, I'm an agreeable person.

So for me, and I know a lot of people like me, you need to work on your point of view. That's right. Those are your guidelines, you know? So every day, think of something that you don't like. That's right. Or if you don't like anything, maybe you're the opposite. Maybe you're disagreeable to a fault. If you don't like anything, maybe try to find the sunlight on some of the stuff that you're listening to.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think, too, it's, you know, what do they say? It ain't bragging if you can back it up, right? But I think, yeah, all these things are about the journey and the story. And the great thing, too, is just as improvisers, what we can really weave this into is the actual craft of playing a solo and writing a composition and putting together a performance that makes sense. That's storytelling.

So when you start to get and realize how much of your life and every day is a story, you know, what it is like, you know, kind of the world-dominic culture because certain people in institutions and countries and whatever way above my pay grade to figure all that out. But there's forces in the world that are manifested through, you know, institutions and things that want to kind of make us all to be in a coma and not realize that we're part of a story every day. Like, you have to follow this. I mean, the worst is like not even saying I'm going to follow the story of my parents. I want you to be a doctor or lawyer. Are we about to steal a declaration of independence?

Let's do it. Come on with us. Come on. You'll hear listeners. We're going to go to Philadelphia. Is it in Philadelphia, Boston? It's at the Smithsonian. Smithsonian.

Smithsonian. Missonian? How do you say it? This episode is sponsored by Spin Drift. I don't know why. You know who did follow their own narrative? Who? Is our buddy Tom Townsend?

Tom Townsend. Founder of Pianos for People. Yes. And that's really what we're talking about today. Yeah. And if you buy any... It's Giving Tuesday. If you go to Open StudioJazz.com,

you buy any course or anything that we have. A portion of the proceeds will go to help pianos for people, giving lessons to children who can't afford them, and giving pianos to families that can't afford them. That's right. And actually, you know what? I'm about to call an audible and up the ante here.

Is that okay? You look nervous. This part of my story, though, man. I'm about to up to Andy. We'd love for you to buy a course and to donate that way. But also, if you would like to, we're going to be making our own donation, you know, as we have before. But especially for giving Tuesday two pianos for people. So anybody who just makes a straight donation, and we're going to link right there, go to OpenSidiojazz.com.

You'll be able to see and go directly to Pianos for People's website. And you can donate there. But we're going to match. We're going to match. We're going to match. 100% of whatever people give directly as well. If you have it upon your heart and you have the resources, you know, to do that. And if we do too, I think we will.

No, I know we got a generous group. But anyway, that would be great. And we're going to do more stuff ongoing. Don't feel pressure. I can only do it today. Do it if you can. And you can't give it a minute. And don't, you know, if you want to go gift a course, you can give that way.

No problem. For sure. For sure. And no code today, no discount. All that stuff that would have gone there is going to go to pianos for people. So, um, until tomorrow. You'll hear it. You'll give it.

Thank you.