Laying Brown The Beat
A good gig is playing with musicians who simultaneously inspire, challenge, appreciate, and entertain one another. Every time I play, I look for moments of grandeur, of surprise. Improvisation can do that. While there should be tension in music, to some extent, there should also be great pleasure. I love creating a deep groove and holding on that groove for awhile. I love linking up with a bass player and piano or guitar player at the same time. I love pushing and being pushed by a soloist. I like to come home after a show and think about the night and realize, "I played that?!" It's satisfying to surprise myself.
On Music Making
Where do I go when I'm making music? Mostly, I guess it's like a scientist who has a project of some kind. Music making is about great focus. I definitely have a tendency to go inside myself when it comes to music. Scientists who work on projects have great focus and great pride in their work. It's not about hours spent, it's about the process and the finished product. Now, it's more about surrounding myself with great musicians. I like that I don't work purely as a sideman anymore, because I feel like I created a multi-person science project of some kind. As a sideman, it's very fun to address the challenge of making the music sound the way the band leader conceived. But when I get to put the band together, its great fun to have some input from the leadership end. I can't stay all the way inside myself when I'm making music that way. There has to be a kind of simultaneous connection with the inside and the out. That exists as a sideman, too, but this is more intense, and I think more fulfilling.
On Composition
It is a real rush to hear a good band play your music. Composition is a lot of work, and it is also very private, even lonely sometimes. You have to shut everybody out to get things done. But when a group comes together and makes that composition happen, there is a big surge of pride. I get goosebumps! Also there's a feeling of honor and gratitude that a group of musicians would put focus and effort into making your creation sound the way it was meant to sound...to respect the wishes of the composer. It is like the feeling of improvisation, in that I am creating something in both, but the drawback with live music is that, once you've played it, it's gone. With composition, you hold on to the ownership of the piece. It's written down on paper. Beyond any financial benefit, its a great feeling of accomplishment every time I add to my library with my own composition.
Living With Music
Music is not my mistress. Overly romanticized quotes from Duke Ellington and others made us feel like music had to take over our lives. I don't think that's true. I want a rich family life that doesn't necessarily involve music every minute of every day. My family is the greatest distraction.
Brown The Road…
What am I going to do next? I want to play, write, teach. All these things. I want to continue my small group, and I hope to one day put together a larger ensemble (a big band) and to record that music. I think it's important to make big goals, and my goals are very big.
On Playing
It feels a bit different everytime, but I always feel like I'm home when I sit behind a set of drums. There is the physical activity, like playing a sport, but there's also a kind of brain-union between myself and the other musicians. That's a cool thing to tap into.
Brown With Class
There's an uprightness and a down-in-the-trenches feel to teaching. I like it when I make a completely new connection while I'm standing in front of the class—I'm still learning! I like challenging people, sharing what was shared with me. And I like seeing the results.
Brown On The Town
Temecula has what it takes to become a real music center that is talked about nationwide. It just takes the right business people with the right vision, and it takes a group of forward-thinking musicians with an eye on quality. There is an exciting underbelly to the town. Places like the Public House and the MERC are showcasing good music in different settings, and they're bringing in a decent crowd doing it. San Diego and LA have a hugemusic scenes that can dwarf our little city, but that means almost nothing in today's world. Local music scenes can grow in importance and I see something developing in Temecula. The quality of the music is rising. I'm just happy to be here watching it happen, and hopefully helping it to happen.
