Number 20, February 1, 2022

The Evolution of the Artist

This past week, during a discussion with a voice student, we talked about how artists evolve and grow throughout their creating life and careers.  It’s an interesting and at times fascinating topic to research or just even to contemplate.  In looking at the work of our favorite artists, we typically see growth, expansion and an evolution of the artists’ work over time.

As artists, how and why do we evolve?  What constitutes change in the fluid world of the creative mind?  What inspires growth, experimentation, research, expansion, even re-invention?

In the world of musicians and composers, I can think immediately of several prominent artists whose work has markedly evolved over the course of their careers.  Think of, for example, Joni Mitchell – her work as a performer began by her doing covers of well-known folk songs in coffee houses, and now at this stage of her long and brilliant career, she has innovated her sound and song output to include some of the most boundary-pushing material in the world of popular composition.  Carole King also evolved from a hit-making songwriter in the 1950s and 1960s to become a pop icon performer herself and collaborator on wide-ranging projects.  And lastly, the most boundary-pushing artists that come to mind are none other than the Beatles themselves – stretching the limits of pop music to lengths unheard of before their time.

What influences these shifts and growth spurts?  What inspires these artists to grow in the direction they did (and are still doing)?

Artistic Heat

The author and playwright Julia May Jonas, in a recent interview about her work, talked about her own evolution from actor to playwright to author and explained that in the creation of the spoken (or written) word, she found the greatest “artistic heat.”  Here is what she said:

“I started off wanting to be an actor, the most daunting field of all. Then when I went to college and I read a lot of theory, was taught by some excellent New York theater artists and thinkers, saw some life-changing performances, got excited, and wanted to make work myself. I started out making found-text dance theater compositions that I choreographed and composed as well as starred in. Eventually I began writing my own text, and realized I felt the most artistic heat when it came to writing — it was the part of the process I valued the most/wanted to be the best at. So I moved toward playwriting. Playwriting felt like it was the best combination of my love for performance and my love for literature, which I had never known what to do with as an actor.”

Ask yourself:  Where is my artistic heat?  Think of how you can be inspired to grow this year.  Push boundaries, and even have the courage to re-invent.

Interesting Article: “Throat Singing” from Pitstop Musicians

Here’s an interesting blog from Pitstop Musicians on the phenomenon called “throat singing.”  It’s explained this way:   By the book, throat singing is typically known to be a technique where a base pitch is produced and then simultaneously one or more pitches occur on top of the base pitch, also known as an overtone.    Read the Article HERE

Video of the Week:  Beatles “Get Back” Documentary and Rooftop Concert Clip

I hope you have been able to watch the new 3-part documentary series “Get Back” on Disney+.  I recommend it highly as a completely fascinating film series, watching creation in front of your eyes of some of the greatest hits that the Beatles ever created and performed.  This is from 1969 folks – watching this evolution of the artists is unparalleled!

Here is the official trailer.   Enjoy!

See you next time for all things singing for Folk and Americana styles!

Susie

PS:  Get in touch with me at newfolkfusion@gmail.com about taking voice lessons on Zoom!

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Award-winning recording artist, Broadway singer, journalist, educator and critically-acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Susie Glaze has been called “one of the most beautiful voices in bluegrass and folk music today” by Roz Larman of KPFK’s Folk Scene. LA Weekly voted her ensemble Best New Folk in their Best of LA Weekly for 2019, calling Susie “an incomparable vocalist.” “A flat out superb vocalist… Glaze delivers warm, amber-toned vocals that explore the psychic depth of a lyric with deft acuity and technical perfection.” As an educator, Susie has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Cal State Northridge on “Balladry to Bluegrass,” illuminating the historical path of ancient folk forms in the United Kingdom to the United States via immigration into the mountains of Appalachia. Susie has taught workshops since 2018 at California music camps RiverTunes and Vocáli Voice Camp. She is a current specialist in performance and historian on the work of American folk music icon, Jean Ritchie. Susie now offers private voice coaching online via the Zoom platform. Visit Susie’s Website HERE