Hi! How are you? Where are you?
I just rolled out of bed. Sitting at my home computer checking to see if I have become rich and famous over night.
What’s on your schedule right now?
I really don’t have much going on now as far as preforming goes. I just signed with a manager last week so she is in the final stages of getting my press kit all put together. My label is also in the process of finding a producer for my next album. I am just sort of taking it easy right now, working on promoting myself online.
If you hadn't’t chosen for music, what do you think you would do right now?
I would be working some depressing job somewhere just to make ends meet and I would be hating my life!
What or who was your biggest influence as an artist?
I would have to say God of course. He is what moves my fingers. When I listen to myself play I know that I am not capable of playing what I just recorded. So I know that there has to be some higher being involved!
What’s the hardest part about being a musician and what’s the best?
The life of a musician really isn't half as hard as a regular job. If I had to pick the hardest part about it; it would be the not knowing your future in this business. I would also have to add to that, that is also the best part about being a musician!
What’s your view on the classical music scene at present? Is there a crisis?
I don’t think I am really the person to give you a good answer to this. I really don’t listen to classical music all that often. I did all the time as a kid and I think I took some great things away from listening to it but to be honest with you I couldn't’t distinguish a Bach piece from a Beethoven piece.
Some feel there is no need to record classical music any more, that it’s all been done before. What do you tell them?
I don’t feel there is any need to still be copying the greats anymore. I believe we have enough Beethoven pieces out there. Although new material in any genera is always welcome to my ears.
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
A good live performance to me is being able to evoke emotion from the audience. I go up on stage not having a clue what note I am going to play next and I pretty much just go off of how the crowd is feeling my music at the time. If they are into my music I usually put a little more into it as well.
What does the word “interpretation” mean to you?
I have no idea what you are trying to get at with this question so I am probably going to go a whole different way than how you meant it so here I go. I am finding out that I interpret music much differently than most people do. Like take my wife for an example, she can listen to some music and after a few times of hearing a certain song she is singing along to it but when I hear a song I don’t even hear words. I hear melodies and bass lines and cord progressions. It is frustrating to me at times because a song that I have heard 100 times I still have no idea what the artist is singing about. I guess that is the price I will have to pay.
True or false: It is the duty of an artist to put his personal emotions into the music he plays.
Always true. I believe that is what music is all about. Making music without feeling in it is like making an apple pie and not putting in any apples. It’s the duty of an artist to open up his or her soul and expose the feelings behind the art.
True or false: “Music is my first love”
False. I had my heart broken a few times before I started turning to music as a outlet for these emotions.
True or false: People need to be educated about classical music, before they can really appreciate it.
False. I think all of the formal training emphasized on classical music detracts from the beauty and simplicity of it.
You are given the position of artistic director of a concert hall. What would be on your program for this season?
Why, me of course!
What’s your favorite classical CD at the moment?
I’m not all that into classical music but if I had to choose I would have to say Eric Whitacre Cloudburst would have to be one of my top.
Have you ever tried playing a different instrument? If yes, how good were you at it?
Yes I took about a year of tenor sax and I got to be not too bad at it. I also owned an accordion as a kid. I could never figure out the button side of it but I was pretty good with the keys.
Discography:
Harmony in Disarray 2004
Homepage:
Elijah Bossenbroek
Comments
Your songs are awesome and i want to play on the piano myself, where can we get them?
Add a comment