Interview with contrabassist Dmitriy Semenishchev. An interview by email in writing.

Dear readers, get to know more about our US/EU Jazz – Blues Festivals and the activities of our US/EU Jazz – Blues Association in the capitals of Europe, we will soon publish program for 2024, enjoy in the July – August – Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Sofia, new addreses this year, also in Amsterdam, Budapest and Liverpool.

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?

Dmitriy Semenishchev։ – I grew up in the city of Kirov, a little before reaching the Urals. In Kirov, I graduated from a music school and a college in the cello class. That is, I am originally an classical musician.

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There was a double bass in the college classroom. And I tried. Surprisingly, it was easy to play it after the cello. I started to practice. And then I began to actively communicate with musicians from the jazz department. And a whole new world opened up to me. After college, I moved to St. Petersburg to study jazz double bass at the University of Culture and Arts.

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

DS: – I didn’t try to evolve the sound. around each of us there is a huge amount of music, musicians, artists, photographers and other people of art. All this affects us, our worldview, our inner voice. And it goes to the instrument and the sound naturally. You don’t need to do anything special for this, I think.

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

DS: – Scales, arpeggios, patterns. Everything is like everyone else. Maybe some ideas from classical music. I try to do a lot of bowing on the double bass, it really develops articulation and coordination.

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

DS: – Of course, everyone changes. It’s quite difficult to play and love only one type of music, one style. There are so many things around! So many great musicians and composers.

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

DS: – There is no balance here. Many jazz players like to play complex music. Music for the brain. I believe that there is nothing easier than writing complex music. And it is much more difficult to write interesting music that will be understandable and interesting even to non-jazz audiences.

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

DS: – Emotions are the most important! The listener won’t go home after a concert thinking about beautiful harmonies, odd time signatures, and B-flat in the third octave. He will go home with emotion!

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

DS: – Of course, you need to maintain social networks, talk about yourself, your work there, be creative. Instagram, YouTube are great platforms to promote your music. And of course communication with the audience at concerts, lively emotions and your attitude to the music that you are playing now. The public loves sincerity!

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

DS: – I’m still young for such thoughts! (laughing). To be honest, I try not to dive into this kind of philosophical thoughts, but just make the music that comes out of me. I am sure that there will be people who will look for depths and hidden meanings in it. It’s all pretty natural for me!

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

DS: – Nothing needs to be changed, everything should be natural.

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

DS: – Lately, not much music can be listened to, because music has become a big part of professional life. But recently I caught myself on the fact that I really like to drive somewhere and listen to Mac Miller.

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

DS: – I would like to meet Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Definitely my idol.

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

DS: – What do you think about jazz life in Russia?

JBN: – Naturally, I have a very bad opinion when you are silent, when the aggressor and deadly leader of your state kills children in Ukraine, you are his accomplices.

Interview by Simon Sarg