saintalphonzo
says: Hi everyone! We're ready to go - Mike is coming to us from East Berlin
where he is on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins! We're starting a few minutes early
because Mike will have to leave a little early...we almost had to cancel because
Mike was expecting to be in New York this week - but instead he's touring with
the Smashing Pumpkins and right now he's in the middle of rehearsal. He's been
kind enough to take a break from rehearsal (quite literally) and keep the chat
going. Thanks, Mike!
thomo
asks: How did you get started working with the Pumpkins?
Mike
Garson answers: I met Billy when I was doing a TV show with Bowie in Paris
about 3 and a half years ago - I like his music. About a year after that, he was
doing the ador tour, and they were auditioning keyboard players. I found out that
he was looking for a player and called him, he didn't even ask me for an audition
and I went on the tour for about 8 or 9 months. Then we did the movie Stigmata,
composing the soundtrack together, we also wrote the closing theme called "Identify"
which was sung by Natlie Imbruglia.
Mike
Garson answers: after that I didn't see him for about a year - but then he
called me up for the VH1 Storytellers special. That went well and the next thing
I knew I was out here in East Berlin on tour!
vivian
asks: "What did you want to be when you were a little kid?".
Mike
Garson answers: I knew I wanted to be a musician from a very young age, but
in college I got sidetracked and entertained the idea of becoming a doctor for
a while! That didn't last long...
lizp
asks: "do you have any personal reason for lecturing in utrecht? aesthetically,
i think it's an incredible city..."
Mike
Garson answers: I love that school, and I'm actually hoping to go there and
give a lecture next week on a day off. I'm going to be in Amersterdam. They are
also very open to my type of music more so than in the states. Specifically my
solo "Now" music, my improvised music.
gabor
asks: "Mike, have you ever played Bartok, or are you planning to play one
of his pieces?"
Mike
Garson answers: I'm not planning to play one of his pieces, but I have read
through his music and am very fond of it, especially his string quartets and his
piece for strings and orchestra and percussion.
celinevalette
asks: "hello, do you think midi keyboard will remplace others instruments
one day??"
Mike
Garson answers: No - the original acoustic instruments will always remain,
but will probably be played less frequently and most likely only by people that
only specialize in it because it takes so long to master. There's a quicker learning
curve with the MIDI stuff.
scarecrow
asks: "are there any of your solo albums that you'd recommend to start with?"
Mike
Garson answers: the Oxnard sessions (Vol I and II) are maybe a good place
to start - these are interesting live jazz recordings. Also the solo Now CD available
on my website is improvised classical piano music.
vivian
asks: "Have you visited Alexandria yet?"
Mike
Garson answers: Yes - she is gorgeous!
ysengrin
asks: "what is your favorite music period (classical, 20's, whatever...)"
Mike
Garson answers: I love the Romantic period, followed by the Baroque.
penelope
asks: "what was the first instrument you learned to play?"
Mike
Garson answers: piano. The first and only.
jazzfyr
asks: "hi Mike.I heard your schoenberg inspired music and really like it..
any plans for more of the same ???"
Mike
Garson answers: Yes, I am continuing to write in that direction plus finding
some new stuff of my own.
scarecrow
asks: "what is your favorite Bowie related memory?"
Mike
Garson answers: Getting called by him and not knowing who he was.
vivian
asks: "Do you want to do something special with David in the future?"
Mike
Garson answers: I would love to!
scarecrow
asks: "does DB give you much direction in the studio, or does he just let
you go at it?"
Mike
Garson answers: David is the best producer that I've ever had. He gives me
lots of freedom, but he does have a vision.
calle
asks: "How much have you contributed to Davids songwriting over the years?"
Mike
Garson answers: I co-wrote six people with him on the Outside album, and perhaps
a new one for the forthcoming album next year.
ramoana
asks: "Mike, did you see all your birthday pics? =)"
Mike
Garson answers: yes, they were wonderful - thank you all so much!
jazzfyr
asks: "Mike, Do you ever plan on a solo tour with your music? "
Mike
Garson answers: Yes - probably in about 2 or 3 years I plan on doing a big
solo tour.
bianca
asks: "In one of the Danish interviews I recognized that you and Sterling
Campbell changed positions and you played drums. Where have you learned that?
"
Mike
Garson answers: From watching all those loud drummers all these years! \\;)
calle
asks: "Who was your first idol - in terms of music?, do you have one today?"
Mike
Garson answers: Rachmaninoff was my first, now I am into Mozart, Scriabin
and Messiaen.
ukmadbitch
asks: "When did you start playing piano?"
Mike
Garson answers: age 7
jazzfyr
asks: "Mike do you listen to Erik Satie ?"
Mike
Garson answers: I have - a lovely composer!
bianca
asks: "Is there a difference of working with David in the nowadays than it
has been in the 70s?"
Mike
Garson answers: Essentially, as an artist he's the same.
machine
asks: "Do you have any special rituals or exercises that you do before you
sit down to play or compose?"
Mike
Garson answers: I try to get in a silent mode. Prayer and being peaceful is
most helpful, especially being in the chaotic world of show business.
calle
asks: "Do you enjoy life on the road?"
Mike
Garson answers: Yes and no. I love playing the music, but am kind of traveling
around and planes and buses, and I miss my family.
lizp
asks: "when are you going to start giving alexandria piano lessons?"
Mike
Garson answers: I started telepathically transmitting already!
bianca
asks: "How important is improvisation in your piano-playing? "
Mike
Garson answers: 85%
scarecrow
asks: "do you \\& Gail ever share razors?"
Mike
Garson answers: she was the one who taught me how to shave my head when I
cut it off. \\;)
gabor
asks: "is their someone who would you dying to work with(either historical
ones)?"
Mike
Garson answers: Most of the guys I'd love to work with are dead\\; John Coltrane,
Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Booker Little.
mattdaman
asks: "Mike: I understand you are now "Highly Technical" Please tell us about
the "computer in your mind"
Mike
Garson answers: The computer in my mind is quite a bit more advanced than
my McIntosh computer. But that's why I have guys like you & Saint Alphonzo...
zimmo
asks: "are you working on new projects at the moment and if so which ones?"
Mike
Garson answers: Yes, I am working on a piano concerto right now. The poor
guy who is having to write it out is the one who has the hard work - my part is
improvisation.
penelope
asks: "interesting (only piano), did you learn classical piano first?"
Mike
Garson answers: yes
ukmadbitch
asks: "When you write do you do it only with the piano or do you build up
tracks and improvise something out"
Mike
Garson answers: In the past it's been mostly through the piano, but recently
I've been doing it using the latter method.
calle
asks: "Do you think there schould be more piano in rock/pop music?"
Mike
Garson answers: It is what it is, but of course I would like some more. I
take what's given me.
neondisease
asks: "Will you be working on the 2.Contamination project?"
Mike
Garson answers: I did all my playing on it already, just waiting to hear the
final results.
beckybeusmans
asks: "hi what advice would you give to anyone learing a instrument as i am
learning the guitar..."
Mike
Garson answers: Like the old joke, the way you get to Carnegie Hall is practice,
practice, practice...
celinevalette
asks: "what do you think about techno music?"
Mike
Garson answers: It has it's place - it's a small window for me, but it has
it's place.
jazzfyr
asks: "Mike, how about Eno?"
Mike
Garson answers: A very eccentric, creative artist!
vivian
asks: "What's your favorite Bowie song to play?"
Mike
Garson answers: Life on Mars and Wild is the Wind
bianca
asks: "I was quite impressed when I heard that you played the musical part
on Aladdin Sane at one take. Was it your idea playing the part the way you did?
"
Mike
Garson answers: You could say that David asked me to play something on the
Avant Garde side and it was a good call on his part.
lizp
asks: "where are your nyc haunts? if you still do the club thing, we'd love
to see you live!!"
Mike
Garson answers: I still occasionally play in clubs, although recently it's
been in LA. The last NYC club I played was at the Blue Note a few years back with
Stanley Clarke.
Saint
Alphonzo says: Mike has to return to rehearsal in 5 minutes - last questions,
please. In case you're joining us late, Mike is coming to us from a tour with
the Pumpkins in East Berlin, and is breaking from rehearsal at this moment to
chat with us.
calle
asks: "Do you ever go a whole day without playing the piano?"
Mike
Garson answers: I missed 3 days about 15 years ago and I went psychotic.
bianca
asks: "Is there a possibility to see your jazz-combo soon live again?"
Mike
Garson answers: Probably not for about six months.
gabor
asks: "wat was working like with Stan Getz?"
Mike
Garson answers: I only had one opportunity, but it's amazing - he's a very
special musician.
zimmo
asks: "did you ever play a piece with quatre mains?"
Mike
Garson answers: No, but I have written some 4 hand music.
jcarr
asks: ".ever been in a turkish prison??"
Mike
Garson answers: Planet earth is doing pretty good, Jeff
scarecrow
asks: "any keyboardists out there that you admire?"
Mike
Garson answers: I love Keith Jarrett
ukmadbitch
asks: "Do you find that you still need to do exercises to limber up your fingers
aor are you way past that now?"
Mike
Garson answers: It's always good to warm up for a few minutes before I play,
it means a lot for me.
vivian
asks: "What do you think of Earl Slick being with the band again?"
Mike
Garson answers: I am happy to be playing with Earl again. We played on the
Diamond Dogs tour together and the Young Americans tour.
bianca
asks: "Have you had any influence in the choice of songs for the 60s albums
and new arrangements?"
Mike
Garson answers: my influence would just be the playing I did on the piano,
Hammond Organ, electric piano and synth.
ida_q
asks: "Have you tried to get David Bowie to go for the shaved look yet ?"
Mike
Garson answers: I've been trying to talk David into shaving his head - but
if I had that head of hair I wouldn't shave mine! ;)
celinevalette
asks: "what do you listen at the moment?"
Mike
Garson answers: These days I've been mostly listening to the pieces I composed
as I've been in a heavy writing period. There are times that I do a lot of listening
to other music, but when I work on my own stuff I don't really listen much at
all. It's a period of shutting everything else out, basically.
bent
asks: "Mike, did you see my question?"
Mike
Garson answers: yes
moonweazle
asks: "DO You smoke?"
Mike
Garson answers: Nope. Only on the keys! =8-)
gilly
asks: "how do you address earl slick?"
Mike
Garson answers: I just call him the Duke of Earl.
gilly
asks: "can you play any non-keyboard instruments?"
Mike
Garson answers: no
vivian
asks: "Did you ever kissed your piano?"
Mike
Garson answers: yes, in fact I've made love to it several times.
Mike
Garson says: sorry I have to leave a bit early....I had expected to be in
New York at this time, as this tour with the Smashing Pumpkins came up rather
unexpectedly.
Mike
Garson says: Time for me to get back to rehearsal! Good questions guys, hopefully
I can do this again soon!
Saint
Alphonzo says: Thanks, Mike! And thanks everyone for the questions!
