Take It All Seriously
Hello, and welcome back! I’ve been on an unintentional, but necessary hiatus from the podcast. August and September were intensely busy months for musicians, and everyone I tried to connect with was swamped. It’s good to know that we’re all working but it’s also good to be back getting to know some of Nashville’s finest keyboardists.
On the day I spoke with Michael I was recovering from a weekend of gigs and wonderful, birthday celebrations the day before. I was kind of zonked, honestly. Listening back to the show this morning, I’m thinking it’s a good thing because it kept me from geeking out too much over all of the quirky and cool keyboard parts that contribute so much to Smash Mouth. I dearly love "Astro Lounge” so it was a bit surreal to talk about it with the actual keyboardist for the band. Michael is incredibly easy-going and willing to share how he does what he does.
Like many of us when starting out, he found books that taught him what he wanted to know. He ended up in bands, playing music he loved. He came across mentors who set him on challenging and inspiring paths. He even had moments of reckoning such as when watching “The Inner Light,” an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he realized that music was the constant in his life. He found an area that fit his skills, working at The Music Annex. Being in this setting no doubt contributed to his big break, going on the road with Smash Mouth. He could rest on those accolades alone, but these are the words that catch my attention even more than gear and gig talk.
“I’m a keyboard player so we have to play everything,” said in regards to his continued interest and practice of different styles at the instrument.
“My favorite thing about music is when you’re recording and you just wanna listen one more time,” commenting on being completely satisfied with one’s efforts in the recording studio.
When I brought up my students, this was his advice for new musicians: “Say to yourself, I’m going to do this. Say yes to everything. Put yourself out there. Take it all seriously.”
“One thing I love about the music business is everybody’s always trying their best because you need to,” and “It hasn’t gotten old. I mean none of it and I still feel terrible about myself—(laughing) in a good way. I don’t feel like I’m done.”
I didn’t edit this interview at all and oftentimes I don’t, because many musicians are funny, down-to-earth people who I think deserve space to talk about themselves. My interview with Michael gradually evolved into a friendly chat about the laid-back culture of Nashville and how supportive we players are of each other. Many former guests and local musicians were mentioned which makes me so happy. One of my goals when I decided to host a podcast was to help build friendships within the keyboard community in the Nashville area. I sincerely hope this show is helping us all, and I love Michael’s idea of a get-together for the first year’s guests to happen sometime in January 2020. Future guests would also be quite welcome!
Until the next time, be sure to check out Michael’s solo project, Klooster. You can find their Facebook page in the links on the podcast page.