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- MuzicNotez Crew: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.
What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?
- Glen Neff: Thanks Nick for the interview.I grew up in a family that was always playing music. Dad, Granddad Neff, brother, sisters, uncles, cousins – I thought everyone grew up like that. The music they played was Ol’ timey fiddle tunes, Bluegrass, the Standards, Dixieland, even elements of Blues and Texas Swing. Pretty diverse.Granddad Finck was the 1st violinist in the Philadelphia Philharmonic. I played piano, banjo, guitar and cornet. But I left it all behind early on for synthesizers,and a Fender Rhodes heavily effected. I wrote music with unusual chords, Jazz Funk and Rock & Roll. Also Introspective piano ballads that I sang. And I enjoyed experimenting with other players doing abstract jams-music Concrete. I love to improvise, and I love melody. This, and my interest for strange chords and unusual sounds has linked me to jazz, but I don’t play standards and prefer to create my own compositions. So what motivated me to start creating music… don’t know, it just happened… grew up playing and experimenting, still am. I felt compelled to do my own thing after the Ol’ timey music didn’t infuse my spirit.
David Schwartz (founder of Mix Magazine and chairman of the New Mexico Music Commission) had this to say: “Santa Fe-based Glen Neff is a composer, musician, artist, designer & builder whose style in all of his art forms is both organic and romantic. Born in New Jersey into a family of artists and musicians, Neff earned a BA degree from San Diego State University, and was raved about in the San Diego Reader as “head and shoulders above the Eno clones in his sophisticated use of harmonics, rhythms and synth voicing. His music is adventurous and lively… Neff is a true improvisor and a reflexive expert at reacting to himself on tape. This one-man interactivity is compelling.”
- MuzicNotez Crew: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?
- Glen Neff: I have the mind and soul of an artist.And being an artist you assimilate your environment and hope to find your own voice. This takes time,so I’m fortunate I found my way early on. It’s not easy to talk about myself, but I’m appreciative that I’m an original and not a replicant! I have to say, after being exposed to the music of my family, I first discovered on San Diego radio the likes of Miles Davis, Weather Report, Carlos Jobim and Music From the Hearts of Space (out of San Francisco). I saw The Grateful Dead, John McLaughlin, Tangerine Dream, Ornette Coleman, Brain Eno,The Tubes and the Iron Butter Fly live! That ought-a do it! My music and painting life was inspired and stimulated by this great movement taking place in music at that time. I still have my record collection. I was reassured that my strange chords, unusual sonic textures, effects and sound fusions were justified. If Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock can do it! Right! Almost everything I have created has a melody. I love harmonically rich. Of course there is the other side. I think we all have the other side; the heavy metal dude that likes New Age Music! My other side was to jam with all kinds of people and create non melodic music.Dissent even,like abstract expressionist sound paintings. I guess I’m part of the original Electronica scene in California. I’m Part of the first group of synthesizer composers. Been do’in this for awhile. I had people tell me I remind them of Jamiroquai and Goldfish, it’s all a matter of perspective!
- MuzicNotez Crew: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?
- Glen Neff: I finally got a music publisher, Musicofthesea, so maybe some more opportunities will open up. I would like my music playing in the background of a TV show. I want to write some more film scores. Put my music in a commercial. I’d love to write music for a play or dance performance. I know I’m not a pop star and I’ve gotten over it. Let the music speak for itself, it’s more timeless then a human life. Music is a most powerful means to reach our humanity, a great mediator. Music permeates into us, we understand. The universal language of music can perhaps help bring World Peace someday to our struggling planet. My ultimate goal is to keep creating and fusing my music with cultures of our planet, and cosmic influences. Get it out there through licsencing and digital downloads.
VIEW THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE >>
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Artist Interviews
