Today we sat down with RODNEY BAKER of Strange Circuits to talk the art of music writing, where he would be if he didn’t get into music, and much more. Be sure to check out Strange Circuits music below!
Here is the interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your surroundings?
RB – That’s a tough question; it must be a combination of things. My environment of course makes a difference but I believe schooling also helps you to overcome daily life and let’s not forget the influence that travel has upon you and your thinking. It is very difficult to be original today in a world that has tons of mass media. If you want to succeed in today’s market I suggest you study not only the new artist but also the old and then you can find where you belong.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
RB – Rock, Brit Rock, R&B /Jazz and Experimental music. During college – The Art Institute of Chicago SAIC – I got exposed to electronic music. Remember, this was before YouTube and the internet… After that discovery my musical world exploded. I was free to see and hear everything at my own pace and that makes a world of difference. It’s good to have the world at your fingertips (these days) but also it becomes extremely difficult to stick out from the competition.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
RB – Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley equally. They both changed the future of their musical cultures and influenced many musicians. It’s rare when a musician can influence the world around him – we all aspire to do that with our art but few people can achieve it, even if their sound is great. There is something about the vision they had that people were attracted to and not just the sound but image and vision too.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing today?
RB – I would be a fine artist (see www.rodneybakerart.com) because, I like being creative in my life, I like being able to express myself, and very few people in life get a chance to do that. I’m very fortunate to have that ability. I like being creative in the two fields of art: music and painting. It’s a difficult choice, one dealing with what you see and the other dealing with what you hear. I’m proud to make people feel moved in some kind of way by what I do.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?
RB – You are living at a great time; music technology has never been better no matter what musical ability level you enter at. To be great you must deal with the slings and arrows of the public and not everyone is cut out to handle the whims of the public at large. You have to make a decision about what’s important to you, in the end that’s all that matters. Living a creative life has never been easy. But if you love music it’s worth it.
