JAMES STRECKER: Please tell us about one or more projects that you have been working on or have recently completed. Why exactly do they matter to you and why should they matter to us?
GLENN ANDERSON: Outside of my work with, and commitments to several other amazing leaders and their projects, I continue to focus my attention on our band Red Hot Ramble. RHR has been together now for over eight years and my partner singer/pianist Roberta Hunt continues to work with our wonderful band mates Alison Young, Jacek Zorawski and Jamie Stager in creating new places to play, new material to perform and write, and to continue to grow as a band.
JS: How did doing these projects change you as a person and as a creator?
GA: Working on RHR hasn’t necessarily “changed” me as a person or as a “creator”, but it is always a challenge to balance that creativity with the necessary “evils” of spending the time promoting the band and finding new and interesting venues to play … i.e. the business side of the music business.
JS: What might others not understand or appreciate about the work you produce or do?
GA: Like every occupation there are aspects of it that people who are not involved with that occupation don’t understand or appreciate. I think the basics or fundamentals of “succeeding” in anything we aspire to do are basically the same. However, I’m not sure we can expect others to necessarily “get” what we do as musicians.
JS: What are the most important parts of yourself that you put into your work?
GA: I think my love for making music with friends and other great musicians and my love for the different kinds of music I’m involved with is extremely important for me.
JS: What are your biggest challenges as a creative person?
GA: One of the biggest challenges is being a creative person while earning a living, especially in a city like Toronto that has become ridiculously expensive to live in for everyone that isn’t extremely well off financially. It’s also challenging to maintain the effort and persistence to keep a “band” working and together in today’s working musician’s environment.
Another challenge is getting your music heard and appreciated taking into consideration the vast amount of talent both young and not as young that are attempting to capture the attention of what has become a somewhat finite audience for live music.
JS: Imagine that you are meeting two or three people, living or dead, whom you admire because of their work in your form of artistic expression. What would you say to them and what would they say to you?
GA: Those are interesting questions. In all honesty, I have had the opportunity to meet musical artists or otherwise who I admired greatly for their work and it’s always a challenge to come up with something meaningful to say and/or ask until you’ve had an opportunity to really sit down and get to know each other. I can remember being introduced to Buddy Rich by now deceased jazz broadcaster Phil McKellar backstage at Minkler auditorium years ago. I was so in awe of Buddy, and well aware of his reputation for his sharp tongue that I basically stammered my way through a few questions and compliments. However, if I could have sat down with Buddy and had a coffee, I think the conversation would have turned to more substantial questions and responses. Listening to those you admire simply tell their stories is always informative and inspiring and can help give one that little jolt of encouragement to continue on with one’s goals.
JS: Please describe at least one major turning point in your life that helped to make you who you are as a creative artist.
GA: I’ll give you three examples…
I’m fond of recalling that my exposure to the music I love started with my Dad’s love of good music and the drums. He used to play piano for us at home and introduced me to big band music and traditional and mainstream jazz artists. But when we watched the ‘Gene Krupa Story’ one afternoon on television, I knew immediately what instrument I wanted to play and how I would approach the drums when I played them. That movie had a huge effect on me becoming a musician.
When I was in Grade 8, the local high school, Wexford Collegiate brought its Senior Stage Band to the school to encourage kids to go to that high school which was beginning its transition into a school for the arts. When I saw and heard that incredible band, my immediate goal was to sit in that drum chair as soon as I could. The next five years in that incredible musical environment under the leadership of J. Ross Folkes changed my life forever.
The last example is the first time I was “let go” from a band almost directly after receiving several favourable reviews both personally and as a band after several performances. I won’t go into the personalities or details; however, suffice it to say that the music that band played sparked something in my musical psyche to inspire me to look deeply into the music of New Orleans and the musicians that spawned so many styles of music that we listen to today. That experience became the catalyst for the creation of our band Red Hot Ramble almost a dozen years later.
JS: What are the hardest things for an outsider to understand about your life as a person in the arts?
GA: I’m not saying anything ground breaking when I say that people not involved in the music industry or in the arts continue to justify their undervaluing of musicians by stating that we are lucky because we play music for a living. They’ll nod their heads in agreement and agree we don’t get paid very much, but, “we do it because we love it” so we are blessed. I can’t argue with that; however, they fail to understand that this is a profession and each one of us is, in effect, a small business trying to keep our heads above water in a city that has become prohibitively expensive to live in. As much as we love doing it, the challenges to even survive are becoming prohibitive.
JS: Please tell us what you haven’t attempted as yet that you would like to do in the arts? Why the delay so far?
GA: Despite the fact that recording CDs have become little more than expensive business cards for many of us, I would like to record a second CD under my name. I recorded ‘Glenn Anderson Swinging the Blues’ in 2003 and would love another opportunity to record that band.
JS: If you could re-live your life in the arts, how would you change it and why?
GA: “Should have, would have, could have”? Haha!! I think there’s always things we could have all done differently and/or better in hindsight; however, here’s where I am and it’s the future I’m looking forward to.
JS: Let’s talk about the state of the arts in today’s society, including the forms in which you work. What specifically gives you hope and what specifically do you find depressing?
GA: I don’t think I can speak for the arts. However, in my musical world and that of many of my colleagues, especially those of my “vintage”, the live music scene has changed drastically over the past twenty years and not necessarily for the better. It is difficult to see so many talented musicians struggling to make ends meet and it has become a huge challenge to get audiences to come out to see live bands. There are less and less venues to perform in for an incredible amount of talent from around the world. That being said, no one told the younger musicians that it was going to be a struggle because they are out there with incredible musical talent and education and are willing and able to do what it takes to have their music heard.
JS: What exactly do you like about the work you create and/or do?
GA: There are two things that I like about my creativity. One is collaborating and creating music with incredibly talented musicians and friends. There is nothing like performing live or recording with people who are there to create interesting music and provide entertainment and a chance to “escape” this crazy world. The second is when an audience is clearly enjoying and immersing themselves in whatever musical performance I’m involved with. Seeing people get out of their seats because they love the music and can’t help themselves is very rewarding.
JS: In your creative life thus far, what have been the most helpful comments you have heard about your work?
GA: Well, on a personal level I’ve had many incredibly talented and respected musicians young and old offer comments both positive and constructively critical. It’s always valuable to listen to and consider comments from those you respect; however, there are times when I believe one has to have faith in their talent and goals and push forward to achieve what it is you’re striving for.
JS: Finally, what do you yourself find to be the most intriguing and/or surprising things about you?
GA: Perhaps one of the most surprising things in a way is the fact that after 41 years of playing drums and being a musician, I’m still out there doing it. I’m doing what I wanted and said I would do from the age of 14 when I informed my parents that I was going to be a musician. Four decades is a long time to do anything professionally however I feel like I don’t have enough time to do everything I want musically.