Published: September 13, 2010 2:47 AM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight September 2010 Edition
Lisa Downing
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Lisa Downing
Solo pianist Lisa Downing’s music is heavenly to the ears. Her passion and endless love for music comes out from her brilliant instrumentals throughout her CDs. Currently, Downing is one of the top instrumental airplay recordings in the world, and once you listen to her music you will see why. Check out this interview Lisa conducted with our Webzine as she shares her musical world with our readers. Enjoy!
Isaac: Let’s get started with this interview. When and how did you first become interested in music? How long have you been playing music? Who would you say are your biggest musical influences and why?
Lisa: I’ve been interested in music for as long as I can remember. I’ve also been making music for as long as I can remember. Singing by myself when I was a little girl, we didn’t have a piano until I was 10 years old, so I spent a lot of time playing the toy xylophone my parents gave me, hanging out with friends that did have a piano so I could play whenever there was an opportunity, making rubber band guitars out of cigar boxes – you name it and I tried to make music with it. My first love was always piano.
My biggest influences as a very young child were commercial jingles and TV sitcom theme songs. When I finally got my first transistor radio, everything I heard influenced me. As a teenager, I was a real “Metal-Head” and loved Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. I also listened to Yes and Dan Fogelberg quite a bit.
My main influence on piano was without question, Liz Story. I heard George Winston first and was quite taken with his music, but when I heard Liz, I related to her music in a very personal way. It was so similar to the music I heard in my own head and for that reason was extremely compelling. I also felt like she was kind of a role model and I thought if she could do it, so could I. I have since had the wonderful opportunity to tour with Liz and she and I have become dear friends.
Isaac: What has been the greatest highpoint in your career so far?
Lisa: Sharing the stage with the people I have admired for so many years – Liz Story, Suzanne Ciani, David Lanz, Peter Kater – they have all influenced me, inspired me and motivated me for so long. Playing alongside these artists has been a dream come true.
Isaac: What has been the greatest disappointment in your career so far? What did you learn from that experience?
Lisa: I really haven’t been greatly disappointed during my career. I’ve been in the music business for so long as not only an artist, but as a talent agent, that I really haven’t had anything unexpected happen that would disappoint me.
There are things that I wish were different in the industry as a whole. For instance, I would like to see a realistic way for artists to maintain financial control of their intellectual property, and I would like to imagine that there would be a way for independent artists to make a reasonable living by practicing their art. Even though I knew what I was getting into from the start, the fact that those two things are generally not a reality has taught me first, to diversify my financial income, and second, not to hold on too tightly to something that can’t be controlled by me anyway.
Isaac: What draws you to want to play the type of music that you do?
Lisa: It’s the music I hear in my head. I want to be able to play it so other people can hear it.
Isaac: What do you feel it takes to play this type of music that you play?
Lisa: It definitely takes some dedication and determination to be any type of artist – musician or anything else. It takes practice, of course, to develop an appropriate technical skill set and it takes the willingness to keep going even when not everyone loves what you’re doing. You have to believe in yourself and know that whatever you hear inside will speak to someone out there if you decide to let it come out.
Isaac: What do you think you will create that will make your performances and who you are stand out in the music industry?
Lisa: I think that sharing myself with my audience in a real and honest way is an important part of all my performances. My music is intensely personal and I love to share the stories about the music during the concerts. I also think that my music is pretty unique and naturally stands out in the “new age” genre that I find myself in.
Isaac: If you had the opportunity to do one cover, what cover would you do and why? How would you put your own spin on this cover?
Lisa: There are so many cover tunes that I would love to do. “Netherlands” by Dan Fogelberg is a piece that has been going through my head a lot lately. He sings about the freedom he longs for in his life and that subject really speaks to me. My spin would simply be that it would be instrumental rather than vocal – lots of energy in the incredible sweeping phrases. I might also like to do “Mad World” by Tears for Fears.
Isaac: What does it take to be a good songwriter?
Lisa: For me it takes the ability to relax enough to “hook in” to the infinite stream of music that is continuously happening just outside of normal awareness. Sometimes I think it’s misleading when people think I write songs because much of the time I can just “hear” the music happening and I’m just using my limited physical skills to approximate the “piece” of music I’ve tapped into.
Isaac: How difficult is it to juggle music, family and work obligation, and life in general? Explain.
Lisa: It’s difficult, for sure. It seems like I have to give up something everyday. Sometimes it’s sleep, sometimes it’s exercise, sometimes it’s even practice, but I rarely can find time for everything in one day. Usually I can fit most things in, but it can be pretty stressful. I really try to fit in some quiet time to connect with my Source, even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes. That seems to help everything flow better.
Isaac: What is your definition of being an Indie artist?
Lisa: The definition is in the title -- Independent. An artist that has taken it upon themselves to be in complete control of their musical career. It’s intense, stressful, overwhelming, and sometimes it seems nearly impossible, but the work is its own reward, and the control of the creative process is immeasurable.
Isaac: Where can fans access your music online?
Lisa: Everyone can hear samples and purchase my music at my website, (www.LisaDowning.com), CD Baby, ITunes and Amazon.
Isaac: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Lisa: I will be a more experienced and skilled composer, performer and recording artist. I will also be traveling all over the world performing my original music and sharing the stage with more of the artists I have admired throughout my life and I will be sharing it all with my wonderful husband and our families. Oh yeah – and I’ll be rich, too.
