Imitation or Innovation

[Alisdair Hogarth]

Hi everyone,

I've just written a new blog post about to what extent it's ok to take ideas from other performers. I'd appreciate your thoughts and comments as always! Here's the link:

http://blogs.linn.co.uk/music/alisdair-h...vation.php

Best,
Al

[oliverh Linn Staff]

(2012-02-22 12:07)Alisdair Hogarth Wrote:  Hi everyone,

I've just written a new blog post about to what extent it's ok to take ideas from other performers. I'd appreciate your thoughts and comments as always! Here's the link:

http://blogs.linn.co.uk/music/alisdair-h...vation.php

Best,
Al

Not much of a musician myself but found this really interesting - what's the strangest or non-typical influence that you've ever picked up in one of your performances or recordings? e.g. consciously or not, you find that something from another non-classical realm has changed or improved the particular way you play or interpret something

[Alisdair Hogarth]

Actually, I do think the influences with the biggest impact for me have come from within classical music, but often not necessarily through other pianists. Because I work with singers so much, that has really helped with keeping the melodic line flowing when I play, and breathing with the music too. In some ways, the jazz I've been working with recently has been a huge influence. Creating music at the same time as playing it makes you perform classical, written-out music in a different way; you kind of hear it through another pair of ears and you listen more deeply.

[oliverh Linn Staff]

Ah, so to paraphrase the Terribly Smart Eliot:

'A good musician will usually borrow from artists remote in time, or alien in style, or diverse in instrument.'

I once did an English Literature presentation drawing comparisons between Byron and Eminem. Well, it made sense to me at the time...

[Alisdair Hogarth]

Absolutely! Everything is connected...Barry Manilow's 'Could it be Magic' quotes Chopin Prelude in C minor, Radiohead's Exit Music for a Film is based on a classical concept, the ground bass (a repeating bass line that you create melodies on top of), and 'All by myself' pinches a big chunk of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto!

[rowlandhills]

Alisdair - Interesting read, that blog article.

If you're posting on the Linn blog site, are you a Linn employee, out of interest? (And If so, why don't you have the "Linn Logo Avatar" like Oliver and other Linn staff?)

[Alisdair Hogarth]

Thanks! No I'm not a Linn employee, but I'm a Linn artist with my group The Prince Consort. We've recorded a couple of CDs... On an Echoing Road and Other Love Songs if you're interested:

http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-prince-consort.aspx

[oliverh Linn Staff]

(2012-02-22 17:33)Alisdair Hogarth Wrote:  Thanks! No I'm not a Linn employee, but I'm a Linn artist with my group The Prince Consort. We've recorded a couple of CDs... On an Echoing Road and Other Love Songs if you're interested:

http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-prince-consort.aspx

Great plug!
You should check out Alisdair's 1st blog too if you've not already: http://blogs.linn.co.uk/music/alisdair-h...erfect.php

[rowlandhills]

(2012-02-22 17:33)Alisdair Hogarth Wrote:  Thanks! No I'm not a Linn employee, but I'm a Linn artist with my group The Prince Consort. We've recorded a couple of CDs... On an Echoing Road and Other Love Songs if you're interested:

http://www.linnrecords.com/artist-prince-consort.aspx

Ah. That makes sense. I'll have to have a listen...

Thanks.