Alan Brown is a New Zealand musician with a rich history in the local jazz scene as a pianist & Hammond organist. From leading the successful jazz-funk band Blue Train in the 90s, the organ-based Alan Brown Trio in the 2000s, through to working with such local artists as Caitlin Smith and Nathan Haines, Alan’s music has recently explored a more ambient approach to composition.
He has released two albums of solo piano improvisations recorded at the Auckland Town Hall (Silent Observer & Composure), plus a more electronica-based work Wind and Wire in 2020, and a recent Rattle release Murmur. He is also half of the electro-acoustic duo Alargo who have released three albums to date – the latest, Obscura, is also on the Rattle label.
Alan has been involved in music education for over twenty years, having taught at MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of NZ), at both Massey and Auckland University’s jazz departments, and is currently a Music Production lecturer at SAE (School of Audio Engineering).
"Being able to express myself through music, to tap into the deepest parts of my feelings and to articulate them musically. To me, this is such a gift"
Thank you so much for talking to us at musikian! You have such a rich musical career. Who inspired you?
There are SO many musicians and artists who inspire me, and the more I listen or explore new music, the greater the list becomes! I find it hard to pinpoint individuals who would cover all aspects of musical inspiration, as my output can be quite broad. If I was to name just one in terms of jazz, it probably would be Keith Jarrett. His intense immersion in the music, freely drawing upon multiple genres and influences, yet possessing an immense musicality and lyricism, is what captivated me in terms of jazz piano. In terms of my ambient, electronic music, most definitely Brian Eno – the godfather of the ambient music genre, but also such an innovative, creative artist. His whole artistic and philosophical approach is so inspiring.
Music is all about bringing different sounds together and making sense of it. What would be your dream collaborative mix?
Some years ago, it would have been a jazz musician, but now, probably again Brian Eno. As my own creative output is now more into musical journeys and emotional connection (in the general sphere of ambient electronica), to be able to collaborate with such an artist would be amazing. Actually I did have a couple of pieces of mine be included on a mix put out by (the now defunct) ambientmusicguide.com, entitled New Music For Airports (a nod to Eno’s classic 1978 album Music For Airports), which was quite a buzz as my music was featured alongside some very important ambient artists.
What's the best piece of advice another musician gave you?
In a reverse psychology sense, the muso who told me (early in my jazz career), that I’d never be any good as a jazz musician! That inspired me to prove them wrong! Not ‘good’ advice but I turned a negative statement into a point of positivity and motivation.
And in reverse, what advice would you give someone who wants to make music their career?
As I heard recently from an online interview (and I can’t remember who it was, sorry), don’t ‘follow your passion’, as you don’t necessarily know what your passion is until you start doing something. If you’re interested in some aspect of music, give it a good go – practice hard, immerse yourself in this – the passion will follow.
An important aspect of being a musician can be performing in front of others, which can be daunting to some. Do you have any anxiety performing live?
As long as I am fully prepared for the gig (and that means being well-aware of things that could go wrong and how I would deal with that), I generally feel any pre-performance nerves as positive energy. I honestly feel that such ‘anxiety’ comes from a place of not being completely prepared or confident in one’s own ability – and that includes acknowledging that the worst could indeed happen, and being prepared for that.
Your favorite performance memory?
There have been a few! A recent one (2019) would have been with Nathan Haines for his ‘Shift Left’ album 25th anniversary at the Civic Theatre. Fantastic venue and really memorable gig. Technical issues meant the first set was a little difficult but everything came together for the second and the band was incredible.
Roadblocks are an inevitable part of life so our readers would love to know how you cope with them.
I’d say it’s part and parcel of being a creative! It could be getting into a rut in terms of thinking you’re not making any improvement, or it could be frustration and disillusionment with your own music, or the music scene…any number of things. The thing is to be totally honest with yourself, acknowledge the block, but don’t fight it. It will pass in its own time. Do other fun, creative things in another genre, or artform even but try not to pass any judgement on yourself. That will just kill any creativity further.
Do you have a fixed practice routine that has helped you?
When I was self-studying to be a jazz musician (before any jazz courses existed in NZ), I guess I practiced 4-5 hours a day. Nowadays, I again don’t pass judgement on myself for not practicing as much as I ‘should’. I was hyper-aware of that at one stage and used to feel really bad if I couldn’t practice to my self-set ‘ideal’. I just practice, compose, play as I feel now but I don’t beat myself up for it if I don’t get the time I’d like.
What should a budding musical talent keep in mind in order to constantly improve?
Just be consistent. That means consistent in working at your craft, but also consistent in being totally honest with yourself. Not doing ‘this’ or ‘that’ because others say you should, but because it resonates with you and you’re motivated by it. Sure, you need to explore new avenues to know what you may be missing, or to encounter new ways of practicing but always make it your own thing.
Even with myself, it’s total honesty with yourself. Acknowledge your weaknesses but don’t be hard on yourself because of them. Take each thing apart and practice the smallest aspect until it becomes second nature. Then add a bit more and repeat the process. Eventually you’ll overcome that weakness and then forget about it. Your strengths are just what makes you, ‘you’. They define your individuality – honour them, embrace them, cultivate them naturally. Never judge or compare. Honesty with yourself; honesty with others; acknowledging and accepting your weaknesses; being open to advice and suggestions/corrections; deep listening; getting yourself out of the way – it’s not about you, it’s about the music!
What are things you enjoy and don't enjoy as much as a musician?
Being able to express myself through music, to tap into the deepest parts of my feelings and to articulate them musically is something I enjoy the most. To me, this is such a gift. Least favourite thing? Dealing with lack of self-esteem, constant comparison to others, worrying about ‘making it’ – whatever that means anymore!
As your musical journey has progressed and you have done different things, what have you loved doing the most - recording, touring and live playing?
It used to be performing live when I was younger! I still love live gigs and being able to improvise in whatever setting that may be, although in the context of mindless background music, yeah, not so much..! Touring is hard work and usually not very financial – but musically it can be very rewarding. Live gigs I find much more conducive to be able to relax ‘in the moment’ and take risks.
Session work is SO much different to live! Way more stressful and intense. However, preparedness is the key. If you are prepared and confident, sessions and live work become less daunting or anxiety-inducing. I used to be fearful of recording and get quite stressed about getting things ‘right’. These days I’ve chilled out a lot more and really like the intensity and focus of a recording session.
What's next for Alan?
Exploring new territories in soundscape/ambient/experimental music – maybe some more jazz but at this stage my focus has shifted away from that a little. I would love to get into film composing so we’ll see how that goes…!
