Interview with Kaisa Siirala: … if you can touch somebody with your music: Video

Interview with saxophonist and fluteist Kaisa Siirala. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.com: – First, let’s start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music.  How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of?

Kaisa Siirala: – I was born to a very musical family in Helsinki, Finland so I started playing the violin at the age of 5. As a teenager I changed to saxophone and have stayed on the path since.

JBN: – How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?

KS: – I think my sound has evolved from neat to more expressive over time. Practising free improvisation has been my method for finding my own sound. It has helped me a lot to connect with my inner ear and express my inner feelings. It is also a source for new musical ideas for me and developing them usually leads me composing new music. As to sound production or tone production, I’ve played with the overtones a lot and explored with some extensive techniques on the saxophone such as multiphonics or different tonguing techniques.

JBN: – What routine practices or exercises have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical proficiency, in terms of both rhythm and harmony?

KS: – Two of my most important practicing routines are my scale exercises and practicing free improvisation.

JBN: – Have you changed through the years? Any charges or overall evolution? And if so why?

KS: – Sure I have changed. Life leaves its marks and you have to adapt to new situations all the time. Adaptation and creativity are qualities that show in my music too.

JBN: – In your opinion, what’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

KS: – You definitely need both, but I don’t know what is the best ratio.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for?

KS: – Sure. I think it’s very rewarding if you can touch somebody with your music.

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

KS: – It’s not about the tune but how you play it. If the interpretation is fresh, I guess people will get interested. You can always compose new jazz originals as well.

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

JBN: – She doesn’t live, she crawls, so he doesn’t even imagine life.

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

JBN: – ????

JBN: – Whom do you find yourself listening to these days?

JBN: – She doesn’t listen to anyone, no matter what he does, he is able to laugh, it is enough for a fool.

JBN: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine: where and why would you really want to go?

KS: – I’d go to the future, let’s say to year 2100. I wonder what society is like then and if music has changed and how.

JBN: – So far, it’s been me asking you questions, now may I have a question from yourself…

KS: – What has surprised you the most when making interviews with artists?

JBN: – The fact that stupid and senseless, ignorant and arrogant young people like you don’t play jazz, they don’t even know what jazz is. go away, jazz is not the place for lice like you, it’s a pity.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan

Note: You can express your consent and join our association, which will give you the opportunity to perform at our Jazz and Blues festivals in Europe and Boston, naturally receiving an appropriate royalty. We cover all expenses. The objectives of the interview are: How to introduce yourself, your activities, thoughts and intellect, and make new discoveries for our US/EU Jazz & Blues Association, which organizes festivals, concerts and meetings in Boston and various European countries, why not for you too!! You can read more about the association here. https://jazzbluesnews.com/2022/11/19/us-eu-jba/