Interview with Kathy Kosins: Music to me is my life: Video

Jazz interview with a bad musician, as if singer Kathy Kosins. An interview by email in writing. She decided to herself that it is possible to answer in capital letters, and our please write normally, she did not hear us. Maybe she wanted to increase it in this way? It is bad !!!

JazzBluesNews.Space: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?

Kathy Kosins: – I GREW UP IN DETROIT AND LISTENED TO MOTOWN AND R&B AS A CHILD.. THAT WAS MY START.. I WAS ALSO INTO JIMI AND JANIS AT THE SAME TIME  AND LISTENED TO PINK FLOYD AND TRAFFIC.  MU INTERESTED WERE QUITE VARIED.

JBN.S: – What got you interested in picking up the jazz vocal? What teacher or teachers helped you progress to the level of playing you have today? What made you choose the jazz vocal?

KK: – I HAD NO LESSONS AND NO TEACHERS OF VOCAL JAZZ OR ANY VOICE LESSONS FOR THAT MATTER.. I LISTENED TO JAZZ RECORDINGS AND ALSO STARTED WRITING FOR OTHER ARTISTS.. BOTH JAZZ AND R&B.. I STAYED IN AND HAVE  CONTINUED TO STAY IN BOTH GENRES

JBN.S: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?

KK: – I DID NOT SET OUT TO ELOLVE OVER TIME.. I NEVER KNEW FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT IF I WOULD STAY IN MUSIC.. IT SIMPLY EVOLVED ON ITS OWN AND THAT IS BECAUSE I WAS IN THE BUSINESS FOR ONE DAY AT A TIME.. IN FACT I STILL AM.. AS AN ARTIST, ONE NEVER KNOWS WHAT THE NEXT DAY WILL BRING , OR THE DAY AFTER THAT… IF MY SOUND HAS IN FACT HAS CHANGED, IT WAS NEVER INTENTIONAL

JBN.S: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?

KK: – I DO NOT PRACTICE OR WARM UP.. I HIT THE STAGE AND OPEN MY HEART AND MOUTH AND I SING!

JBN.S: – Which harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now?

KK: – I DO NOT DELVE INTO PATTERNS AND HARMONIES.. AGAIN, I SIMPLY SING AND TRUST MY PALLET CHOICES OF NOTES IS PLEASING TO THE AUDIENCE I AM PERFORMING FOR.

JBN.S: – Which are the best jazz albums for you of 2017 year?

KK: – I AM CURRANTLY LISTENING TO R&B, SOUL, HIP HOP AND CLASSICAL MUSIC … AND ALSO I LISTEN TO OLD RECORDS FROM THE 70’S IN THE SOUL GENRE ESPECIALLY … I HAVE NOT REALLY EXPLORED NEW JAZZ MUSIC IN A COUPLE OF YEARS … HOWEVER … I DO LOVE ANYTHING THAT BLURS THE LINES, SUCH AS ROBERT GLASPER AND ESPERANZA …  ALWAYS GETS MY ATTENTION.

JBN.S: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

KK: – THE BALANCE FOR ME IS IN MY HEART AND SOUL.. IF IT GETS UNDER THE SURFACE,  THEN I CAN INTERNALIZE AND THEN EXTERNALIZE IT INTELLECTUALLY

JBN.S: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

KK: – I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD.. THE  ONE THAT STANDS OUT IS THE JAZZ A’ VIENNE IN LEON, FRANCE  IN 2009.. I PLAYED THAT FESTIVAL WITH KEVIN MAHOGANY, WHO  SADLY JUST DEPARTED THIS WORLD. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST STAGES I HAVE EVER BEEN ON AND THE AUDIENCE WAS AMAZING..ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE THERE.

JBN.S: – Many aspiring musicians are always looking for advice when navigating thru the music business. Is there any piece of advice you can offer to aspiring students or even your peers that you believe will help them succeed and stay positive in this business?

KK: – YES … THINK TWICE ABOUT A CAREER IN MUSIC..IT MAY NOT BE REALISTIC TO BE IN THAT CAREER.. IT IS UNFORGIVING AND CAN LEAVE MANY SCARS OVER TIME.. IF HOWEVER YOU CAN WITHSTAND REJECTION AND ARE TOUGH SKINNED.. THEN STAY IN THE GAME … THIS BUSINESS OF ENTERTAINMENT, CAN BE A COLD HARD PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE, A LONELY PLACE WITH LITTLE OR NO SUPPORT … WITH MUCH DECIET AND MANY GAMES … ONE HAS TO BE SUPER TOUGH TO STICK IT OUT!.. IF YOU CHOOSE TO STAY AND PLAY,  THEN OVER TIME THERE MAY BE REWARDS.. THEY MAY BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.. OR THEY MAY BE PLENTIFUL.. ITS A DAY TO DAY PLACE IN WHICH  TO LIVE AND THERE IS LITTLE SECURITY … I HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE IN THIS BUSINESS FOR ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE, BECAUSE IT IS MY PASSION.  ITS A QUESTION EACH PERSON HAS TO WEIGH IF THEY WISH TO PERSUE A CAREER IN THE ARTS.

JBN.S: – Аnd furthermore, can jazz be a business today or someday?

KK: – IN MY OPINION, JAZZ IS A CHANGING ART FORM .. THE AUDIENCE IS GETTING YOUNGER AND THE OLDER JAZZ FANS ARE DYING OR GETTING TOO OLD TO ATTEND CONCERTS AND GO OUT AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS.. TIME WILL TELL WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE BUSINESS OF JAZZ.

JBN.S: – Which collaboration have been the most important experiences for you?

KK: – EVERY SINGLE COLLABORATION HAS  SIGNIFICANCE FOR ME … EACH ONE FOR A DIFFERENT REASON..ALL OF MY SONGS WHETHER WRITEEN BY MYSELF WITH OTHERS, OR ARRANGED WITH OTHERS HAS AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN MY CAREER AND IN MY LIFE.  IT IS A DANCE AND THE STEPS ARE A BIT DIFFERENT WITH EACH PERSON I AM DOING THE DANCE WITH.

JBN.S: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

KK: – AHHHH … THAT IS THE FIVE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION.

JBN.S: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?

KK: – WE EACH IN OUR OWN WAY TRANSLATE THIS DIFFERENTLY.. MUSIC TO ME IS MY LIFE … MY SURVIVAL AND MY EXISTENCE.

JBN.S: – What are your expectations of the future? What brings you fear or anxiety?

KK: – I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.. I LIVE IN THE MOMENT … IF I THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE … THEN I WILL HAVE ANXIETY … SO I RESIDE IN PRESENT TIME.

JBN.S: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

KK: – MORE HONESTY AND SUPPORT FOR EACH ARTIST WANTING TO BUILD A CAREER … AND OF COURSE MORE MONETARY GAIN  FOR THE ARTISTS.

JBN.S: – What’s the next musical frontier for you?

KK: – I WOULD LOVE TO PERSUE DOING ANOTHER RECORD IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT MIRRORS UNCOVERED SOUL..  THE BOOKEND SO TO SPEAK … I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO PEFORM SOME OF  THIS MUSIC WITH A SYMPHONY. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO  MORE COLLABORATIONS WITH OUTSTANDING ARTISTS.

JBN.S: – Are there any similarities between jazz and world music, including folk music?

KK: – YES OF COURSE AND MORE AND MORE ARTISTS ARE BLENDING VARIOUS GENRES AND BLURRING THE LINES.

JBN.S: – Who do you find yourself listening to these days?

KK: – I LISTEN TO THE BBC AND  I LOVE IVAN LINS THE GREAT ARTIST FROM BRAZIL.. HE IS THE MOST AMAZING ARTIST I HAVE EVERY SEEN LIVE OR HEARD ON RECORD.. HIS PASSION GOES DEEP BENEATH THE SURFACE. AND I ATTEND THE SYMPHONY WHEN TIME ALLOWS.

JBN.S: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?

KK: – TO WOODSTOCK IN   1967 … I WOULD TO LOVE TO MEET AND HANG OUT WITH  WITH LAURA NYRO, JIMI HENDRIX AND JANIS JOPLIN,  OF COURSE.. AND THEN THE TIME MACHINE WOULD FORWARD ME TO THE 70’S AND I WOULD BE WITH CURTIS MAYFIELD AND RONALD ISLEY FOR A DAY!

JBN.S: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…

KK: – HOW DID YOU GET INTO JOURNALISM AND IS THIS YOUR FULL TIME PASSION?

JBN.S: – Since 2003, yes, of course …

Interview by Simon Sargsyan