Our lovely Jolie
(Lady Fallow) recently had the opportunity to interview the very talented
singer/songwriter Matthew Barber. You’ve all seen his songs mentioned a number
of times in Sylvain Reynard’s “Gabriel” series. Jolie invited a few AE friends
to submit questions for Matthew. Here’s what happened...
Musings from Toronto songwriter, gardien de but, oenophile (wine connoisseur) and academic lightweight
Thank you to all who have generously contributed your questions to help us get to know the sing-songwriter we have come to love thanks to the ‘Gabriel Series’ by Sylvain Reynard
Elena from Italy has always been curious about how songwriters decide to compose their songs, since each one has their own methods.
Iris~Elli from USA mentioned how important music was for M. Reynard and at times his inspiration, so her question is with that in mind.
Susan (Mango) from USA loves this idea…she’s very interested in the creative process and would love to hear how it works especially after reading M. Reynard’s comments on writing.
M. Reynard who will only confirm he’s Canadian: “Please let MB know I admire his music.” Done!!
Sheila from England came to know Matthew just like I did…through M. Reynard’s book.
Judith from Sweden says Hallå (pronounced halowa) … wishes Matthew much success with his new album “Big Romance”.
Maria from the American West Coast who’s my adopted cyber daughter…hold up; she has two precious daughters…does that make me a cyber granny?
Kris from USA is so happy she participated because we had the same questions in mind.
QUESTIONS
· When you write a song, what comes first: the lyrics or the music?
Usually the music
· How long does it take to compose a song?
It depends - sometimes an hour, sometimes a year of chipping away at it.
· What inspires you to write a song?
Anything can be a source of inspiration - love, lust, existential angst, other people's music, books, films, events in the world around you
· Do ideas come at random?
Musical ideas seem to come randomly sometimes, but you have to put yourself in a state of mind that allows you to be open to the muse. Lyrical ideas can sometimes originate from random sounds, but then the work of finishing the song is more focused and intentional.
· Do you have a particular time of day devoted to composing and writing lyrics?
No I don't work at any particular time of day, but I would say most good stuff comes around mid-day or after midnight.
· Does your Muse tend to visit at the same time?
No, it is unpredictable.
· Talk to us about your current tour and what’s next in terms of future projects?
The current tour is going well. I'll be working on a theatre show with my wife that happens in July and then I'm doing the music for another play - The Graduate in Montreal August and September.
· Can you tell us more about the project FWYC you’re supporting at the Toronto Fringe Festival?
My wife has written a one-woman show inspired by the early life of Shania Twain and I am the musical director/band leader. She is trying to raise money to cover the costs of producing the show.
· How do you feel about being spotlighted in M. Reynard’s books?
I'm flattered that Mr. Reynard mentioned me in his books.
· Does that fact that you have a Master’s Degree in Philosophy affect your song writing?
I suppose it does but I can't say that I'm consciously aware of how it does. I actually have to fight against my rational brain sometimes when reaching out to the artistic muse.
· Have you read the Gabriel’s Trilogy?
I've read the first book.
· If so, what did you or the Mrs. think?
We enjoyed it.
· Has redemption played a role in your life? If so, how has it changed you?
I can't really say that 'redemption' has played a role in my life - I feel like I'm constantly feeling the push and pull of who I am and who I would like to be but I've never felt like I had to seek redemption - that's a strong word.
· Who do you listen to for inspiration?
I listen to all kinds of music - lately I've been really into older R and B and soul music. I always go back to Dylan and Neil Young.
· Who is your favourite songwriter?
See above.
· Is there a favourite musician whose guitar or piano you’d love to play?
Well, I play guitar left-handed so it would be pretty cool to play the guitars of some famous lefties like Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobain.
· A singer: dead or alive that you’d like to have sung/sing with or write a song?
John Lennon
Rapid fire ~ Slow burn … take your pick:
A catch phrase that the Professor uses in the series in regards to his beloved is: “I’m glad I’m your first.”
With that in mind:
· First reaction when you found out your were mentioned in an international book ~ Surprised
(I can vouch for that, I recorded it!!)
· First car ~ Honda Civic hatchback
· First paying gig ~ Higher Grounds Coffee Shop in Port Credit when I was in high school
· First guitar ~ Yamaha acoustic guitar
· First concert ~ Well, I sang in my church choir as a kid - does that count?
· First hero ~ My Dad
· First comic book hero ~ I was never too big into comics, but I'll take Batman over Superman - more mystery.
Wha… ☼.☼
· First place that comes to mind if you were given two tickets anywhere in the world ~ India
Hubs and I offer free Hindi language lessons if you ever need them ☺
· First thing you drink in the morning ~ Coffee and more coffee, sometimes tea in the afternoon.
And I’m guessing your favourite afternoon tea is Lady Grey ☺(his wife’s production company is called ‘Lady Grey Productions’.
Thank you so much Matthew, really appreciated the time you took to answer all of these questions even though you’re right in the middle of your Spring Tour.
For those who are interested in helping fund Matthew’s wife Alexis Taylor’s project as I did, here is the site:
