Collier talks about finding his voice
National arts reporter Geoff Edgers hosts The Washington Post’s first Instagram Live show from his barn in Massachusetts.
Recently, Edgers chatted with Grammy-winning British musician Jacob Collier. Here are excerpts from their conversation. Q: I hear about these brilliant musicians starting at age 6 or 7. How old were you when you first picked up an instrument?
A: I remember picking up the violin when I was 2 because my mom’s an incredible violinist. But if I recall, by 4 I had given up the violin. I just wasn’t patient enough for it because it really takes patience to play the violin properly, whereas it doesn’t take that much patience to play the piano because you just go bang and it makes a sound immediately. I was quite drawn to things that gave me some instant gratification in a musical way.
Q: You have worked with Quincy Jones. What have you learned from him that has led you to think differently about how you compose or work or perform?
A: One of the things that Quincy often says is that you can never be more or less as a musician than you are as a human being. And he brings this up often because I think for him, he has nothing more to prove. He’s done everything . ... And so for Quincy, it comes down to who you are as a person.
Quincy also talks about using your imperfections to your advantage. A lot of young musicians often think, “How do I find my own sound? What’s really me here? What can I bring to the table as me?” I think Quincy is one of these guys who has learned how to dance with, figuratively dance with, all sorts of different musicians from different landscapes and extract something magical, something of worth.
Q: I think about the difference in how people sing musicals and people sing at folk concerts and operas. It’s a hard thing to find your voice. How did you find yours?
A: I think I found it from using it a lot, and I experimented with all sorts of different kinds of things. ... I would try shouting and I would try singing quietly or with a really breathy tone or try being super high, super low. I stretched it around. Ultimately, you find a set of aesthetics you like.