The issue of why I ‘do it all myself’Â has been a real concern to me for many years and for many reasons. I thought I’d comment on it partly because lots of people either ask me about it or, don’t ask me about it but wonder about it, and also because this is something that affects more and more musicians as technology moves ahead and the record business continues to break down.
When I studied music I loved learning new instruments. My primary mentor in college, Dr. Alvin King was a disciple of Paul Hindemith, the great German composer. Hindemith stressed to all his students the importance of learning to play as many instruments as possible. Hindemith himself played at least one instrument in each of the main orchestral families at pretty much a pro level. I loved that idea and I’ve worked very hard at the craft of playing a variety of instruments.
At this point? I can usually get what I want most directly by playing the instruments myself. […]
