I interviewed Aaron Kerr about his work, and that led me to a wonderful odyssey of finding the band the Swallows, Dissonant Creatures, and J. Briozo, Sleeper Pins and more. The label they are published by is Emperor Penguin Records, and the label is run by Tyson Allison. He is also aboard the bands mentioned. Through the quarantine I endured a vast number of health issues and worries. But, rather than fall into deep depression, I was moved and lifted by the beauty of this music. I felt that I had to interview Tyson, as a desire to inquire into a creative mind, and as a way to find out how I could help promote such magnificent music.
Alex: Tell me first of all, where are you from, where did you go to school, where do you live now? Does the sense of local and the region you come from infiltrate your work? How so?
TYSON ALLISON: I’m from Grand Forks, ND. I was largely raised by my Mom, as my Dad died in a snowmobile accident when I was 3 years old. We lived there until I was 11, then we moved with her boyfriend (who later became my Stepdad) to Mountain Home, ID. It was beautiful, mountainous land and although we lived in a very small town, I actually really enjoyed my time there. When I was about to turn 15 we moved again, this time to Racine, WI. My Stepdad was from there and had a lot of family there. I spent all of my high school years there, which was tough at the beginning because I didn’t really know anyone there. My Mom, Stepdad, and 2 half-sisters still live in Racine now. After I graduated, I went to college in St. Cloud, MN and later moved to the Twin Cities with my girlfriend. We got married and had our son Eli. Several years later my wife and I divorced. She returned to Racine, WI where she was from, and I was able to stay with my company and transfer to Chicago in order to remain close to my son. It soon became apparent that Chicago wasn’t close enough; I wasn’t happy and felt I wasn’t seeing my son enough, so once again I transferred and made my way to Milwaukee, which is about 30 minutes away from Racine. I’ve been in Milwaukee now for 9 years and have remarried and established some roots here.
Throughout most of my life I’ve been an avid music lover and musician. I’ve been in several bands, produced/recorded albums, booked shows, toured regionally, and started my own record label called Emperor Penguin Records. There are many factors and experiences that can shape an artist’s work. I do believe that locale is one of them. When I listen to bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, or Sonic Youth, I can hear NYC oozing out of their music. The art scene, the frenzy, and the confidence that helps them stand out from the other millions of people around them. My friend and collaborator Jeff Crandall is from the west coast, growing up in both Oregon and California, and I often hear tones and motifs that I would associate with the ocean and the sun coming from his music.
For me, obviously I’m influenced by “the midwest.” I’m a sucker for alt-country bands like the triumvirate of Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt. A polite disposition, strong work ethic, and appreciation for well-crafted things is always part of me. (But I’m also charmed by the drunken middle fingers to all that in bands like the Replacements!) We feel all 4 seasons here, and I gravitate toward the “darker” side of them—cold, slushy winters and wicked summer thunderstorms. But there is a beauty within them and on the other side of them that I also enjoy. My favorite season is Fall, where you don’t need a coat to go outside, but you may need a flannel in the evening. It’s nice, but there’s a bit of a nip in the air, and you can smell a bonfire not too far away. That’s my music. I like wide open spaces, and don’t like a lot of clutter in my music. I feel lucky to have moved around in my life. Part of my life was spent looking out my window at another concrete building, and part of it was spent looking at a mountain. I’ve been exposed to country life and city life. “Three Chords and the Truth” and “Better Living Through Noise”. Both influence my music. It’s why I’m just as comfortable making an acoustic album of conventional song/lyric structure as I am making an experimental record of wild improvisation. And I like it that way.
Alex:What is your training, outside of all the playing you do which is practice after the original training. Do you think music is a gift you naturally possess, or does it require nuanced efforts to expose it to light and act upon it? Norm Macdonald once said that comedy isn't about being naturally talented, because funny people can go on a stand up stage and if no one laughs, they weren't measurably funny. Therefore it is a skill you learn. Is making music similar?
TYSON: I don’t have much official training. Sadly, I am one of those many musicians that largely learned by ear and experience. Although I can read chord charts, I am terrible at sight reading and have only a basic knowledge of actual theory. I did receive some guitar lessons at three different points in my youth; all of them were short-lived and in the grand scheme of things didn’t help me all that much. For drums I followed a few instruction books to get started and progressed from there, and the rest of the instruments I play (bass, piano) I just figured things out as I needed. Part of me is fine with this situation, but the other part of me is disappointed that I didn’t go through formal training with music. It makes me feel like I’m not a “real musician” at times, or that by calling myself a musician I am disrespecting those that did go through all the training with theory and sight reading and truly learned their instruments. I am in awe of these folks that can have a piece of music they’ve never heard or seen before put in front of them and they can play it. For the most part I’ve made my peace with this and accept that I take the skills I have and use them and continue to build on them. I make music, therefore I’m a musician. It took me a long time to get to a point where I was comfortable saying that!
My friend and collaborator Aaron Kerr, who is steeped in theory and a virtuoso on cello, told me that he likes the fact that my knowledge of theory is limited; he said it lets me take chances and frees me up to find melodies and chord structures that in theory don’t necessarily work. This kind of thing interests and excites Aaron as a player, and allows him to also think outside of the box of theory to find a way to make these musical ideas work. This has all proved to be very beneficial to our songwriting relationship. So whether or not there is training to cultivate it, I do think that music is something that comes natural. The steps that happen to facilitate a person going from novice to pro musician are things that would unfold naturally just by being in that context. I think people have a compass inside of them that points them in the direction of things their heart would be happy doing.
There can be several different paths to sort out, so perhaps not all of them get followed, but something inside of us is saying “you should do this” because we inherently know we will like it and (hopefully) be good at it. We often hear of people being called a “natural athlete.” It’s the same kind of thing. Some people were just born with the coordination, motor skills, body control and calculation to be good at sports. Some aren’t. Some people get naturally drawn to melody, can whistle or sing in tune, and will find their way to one or several instruments and learn to play them. Some don’t. The funny thing is that sports, music, and all forms of art are there for all of us if we want to give them a try. It doesn’t matter what we’re born with to take the initial step; we can all do them to some capacity/level or another. But I do think there is some magic in the DNA that’s involved that will help some people exceed and expand while others plateau early in the process. Passion, drive, and positive/negative feedback come into the picture as well. Some musicians learn an instrument but never create original music. Others create original music but it’s on top of another musician’s creative blueprint that was made first.
I’ve met many great musicians that would never feel comfortable writing song lyrics and are happy to let others handle that side of the process. It’s all different levels of involvement and it’s all useful; we all need each other and work off of each other. Happiness and fulfillment can be found at any level. In my case, I’ve always gravitated to music. I was singing, learning lyrics, and paying attention to the radio long before I ever played an instrument. It physically affects me. It can rearrange my chemistry and change my mood. I feel validated when I play music, like nature is running its course and I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I hope everyone finds that thing that makes them feel that way, whatever it may be. My son currently doesn’t play an instrument, but I’ve noticed his built in sense of rhythm. If he wants to I believe he could be a good drummer/percussionist. I used to work at Music Go Round and sold tons of guitars to people in their 50s just starting out; they were happy to learn some cover songs and play around the house. And they could grow from there, it’s never too late! I know plenty of people that don’t play anything but still appreciate music and love to listen. It’s up to each individual person how far and at what point in their life they want to follow their compass.
On the whole, I disagree with Norm MacDonald’s quote. I think comedians do have natural talent; they are often great storytellers, have a unique way of looking at the world, and don’t mind getting up in front of people to succeed or fail. None of those characteristics are necessarily teachable, whereas music theory and some level of performance can be taught. Comedians work on their craft of jokes/bits/observations as much as musicians work on chord structures/melodies/lyrics. Both require work to achieve greatness, and some performers are going to begin higher up on the ladder than others. I realize that Norm said comedy isn’t “about” natural talent, but the source of motivation to even get oneself onto a performance stage is something that likely came naturally to that person in the first place. If a comedian doesn’t get laughs, then they weren’t funny for that particular show for that particular crowd. But there shouldn’t be a blanket statement made about that comedian. The natural gifts that a comedian possesses will propel them to get up and try again for another crowd. Here’s where comedy and music are definitely different, though: the interpretation of feedback. Performers need feedback. It’s a barometer as to how we are doing and how pleasing our art is. It answers the question “Do you like what I do?” Comedians are looking for laughs. Musicians are looking for applause. The only way to get it is to put material out there to an audience and see what happens. For comedians, people either laugh or they don’t. Laughter is an elicited response, so something is either funny or it isn’t. The audience won’t “fake” a laugh; it’s not authentic and wasn’t earned. So laughter is hard evidence that a comedian can interpret as success.
This concept doesn’t carry over to musicians so much; it becomes a gray area where applause as positive feedback is concerned. When bands are finished playing a song at a bar, people clap. Society is conditioned to do this although many of those people weren’t even paying attention to the music; they were drinking and talking to friends or chatting up a girl. I’ve had my fair share of this experience. I’ve finished playing a song, and there’s a pause while some of the audience realizes that it’s quiet in the room because the music stopped and they start absent-mindedly clapping for a few seconds. They don’t even know what they are clapping for, it was just a response because that’s what they are “supposed” to do. There was no judgment contained in the applause. As the performer, I don’t zero in on these people, I just accept the applause from the audience as a whole while preparing to play the next song. It’s a few seconds of gratification, but really, I don’t know if they actually liked the song or not. Musicians get “fake” claps all the time, so we can’t trust applause as a measure of success. If a comedian doesn’t get a laugh, they know they have to rework the joke or come up with new material.
Musicians get applause no matter what, and we keep playing the same songs in different bars to different crowds, hoping some of the applause is genuine. Perhaps record sales is the only hard evidence we get from someone truly liking our music. A significant portion about modern popular art isn’t about talent anymore; it has become more about what you look like, how savvy you are with social media, and how big of a public spectacle you are willing to make of yourself and your art. So hell, maybe Norm is right after all.
Alex: Are you one of the many creative talents who has many outlets to demonstrate his or her gifts or skills? How do those, if they exist, intertwine and express themselves with your musical talents?
TYSON: The human brain is powerful! I definitely am a believer in the mind/body connection and the physical manifestations that can come from mental thoughts. I’ve made many scary mountains out of harmless mole hills, and thought myself into and back down from panic/anxiety attacks. This is a fascinating part of our nature; that we can think of something that becomes real in our bodies, or affects us physically, and I think it’s the same process that allows us to think of something that becomes real outside of our bodies, too. Like an architect envisioning a design for a skyscraper and then building it in reality down to the last detail. Our bodies are amazing conduits for ideas becoming reality. We’ve all got gifts and talents we bring to the table, and they are unique to each of us. A few of mine that have carried over to music are the hand/eye coordination and motor skills I developed while excelling at sports in my younger years, which has helped me to physically play instruments, and another is the decent mix of left brain/right brain skills I have. I don’t think either side is dominant for me. I’ve always had a healthy playground of an imagination that stays busy coming up with ideas, sounds, and various creative projects. I’ve also always been good at problem solving, math, and analyzing scenarios from multiple angles to find the best step by step plan to make something work. This all comes in handy when making concept albums, scheduling shows, planning tours, communicating with other artists, and seeing a project through from beginning to end.
But the outlet I use the most in tandem with my music skills is writing. I’ve written some stories, had a few poems published, and always have a couple ideas for a future novel, screenplay, or memoir on the back burner. I’m not a big talker, but there are worlds of things going on in my head that I mostly keep to myself. Sometimes I’d rather write than speak, and I’d rather read than listen because something about words on a page sink in with me deeper than just hearing them. I’m drawn to words as a means of expression, and I use them to describe things and feelings in order to get my point across in a way that is both understandable and decorative. I bring this into my music when attempting to write lyrics. I’m usually not a fan of meaningless /throwaway lyrics, so I probably put more effort into the words vs. the music in my songs. I don’t really get tired of my own songs because they all mean something to me personally. I approach songwriting the same way I would with a poem or story. First I come up with a concept, then I flesh it out by answering some questions: Why do I want to write this? How does it make me feel? Where do I want to go with it? How can I get there? It’s kind of like a journalistic who/what/when/where/why kind of thing. The answers to those questions will go a long way in shaping the song, and the rest is a trial and error of details and fitting words with melody.
TYSON: Most of what I listen to falls under the large umbrella of rock music. Of course there are sub-genres of that, and I would say that I lean toward singer/songwriters, indie rock and instrumental rock artists. I like well-crafted music by artists that take the time to infuse their music with imagination, feeling, visuals, and mystery. The longer it takes me to come up with whatever my interpretation of the song is the better. I’ve got open ears, and also listen to plenty of jazz, experimental, country, and rap/hip hop music as well. Modern and from the past. All of it offers something up to me, and all of it has elements I can use in the music I create. Artists like Brian Eno, John Zorn, Explosions in the Sky, and Mogwai were eye openers on the experimental/instrumental front, and now I’m happy to say that I’ve been a co-creator on 4 albums of that nature. No matter what genres or the number of artists I’ve listened to, the ones that have informed my musical mind the most have one thing in common: the music they make now is nowhere near the music they made when they began. They did this by pushing their envelopes and growing as artists, challenging their listeners to follow along. Artists like Radiohead, Tom Waits, the Beatles. Bending genres, finding new sounds, making us scratch our heads while we figure out their new direction. When they do this, I don’t question the artist as to why they “went there”, I question myself as to why I don’t “get it”. Some of my favorite albums are the ones I was disappointed with at first listen, and then a year later I think it’s brilliant. On the other hand, my attraction to singer/songwriters isn’t because they continuously change their sound, it’s because of their lyrical skills and ability to consistently deliver thought provoking, clever, unique, and/or detailed pictures in my mind. Artists like Dylan, Prine, Vic Chesnutt, and Damien Jurado to name a few. Whether sonically or lyrically, I’m always looking for artists that inspire me to work on my own craft and heighten it in quality. In order to achieve that, I feel it’s important to keep an open mind and expose myself to what’s out there. Even if a genre isn’t my cup of tea, I would never automatically reject that genre. I would look for the merit in it and why other people like it.
With the current explosion of streaming services, I’ve been watching many documentaries about bands and musicians. I love the behind the scenes perspectives and real life situations going on with the artist, the tour, and the music industry. It’s gotten to the point where I even watch documentaries about artists I’m not a fan of because there is always something interesting I can take away from it. Often when I learn about an artist’s motivations, struggles, background, and ambitions, I find a connection in there somewhere and I’ll give their music another chance and hear it from a new perspective. Sometimes it’s enough to win me over. I suspect this would translate over to people everywhere. If we just got to know a stranger or listened to their story we would let our guard down and care more about them.
Alex: Big picture question here, would a greater focus upon the arts from the earliest age in school necessarily result in more creative people or new sounds? Or would the creative somehow, in whatever format, style or genre find a way to express. Do all seeds end up with a harvest in the area of creativity?
TYSON: Yes, I do believe there would be a higher percentage of creative people originating from an elementary school discovery program. There’s gotta be more kids out there that are falling through the cracks because they are positioned at a disadvantage of some kind. Lack of exposure, support, encouragement, resources, finances, or simply living in an area without creative programs has to make a substantial difference to the number of kids involved in whatever arts do exist at the time they begin their education. I am so disheartened when I hear about schools that have to cut their music/arts programs because of lack of funding. It’s so wrong and I feel for the kids that are missing out. Some kids need someone to show the way and provide creative outlets, as not all parents are able to or are attuned to the possible hidden talents their children may possess.
The most logical place for a child to encounter these outlets would be school. A teacher may be the only person to notice a natural flair or talent a child may have for art and help them to see it and utilize it. It’s hard to imagine kids not experiencing the enrichment that the arts can bring to their lives, education, and personal growth. Not to get into a nature/nurture dialogue, but I do also think that some kids would find their way to art or an instrument whether they were exposed to it at school or not; the will and instinct are that strong in some. Fortunately, all of the schools I’ve ever attended have offered a decent amount of art in the curriculum. When I was in 5th grade, the music teacher visited all of the students on one day during lunch break. He came into the cafeteria, made a quick speech about music and the availability of his class to everyone interested, and then came around to each of us to have us try blowing into the mouthpiece of a trumpet, trombone, and tuba (I know, this would never happen today! Germs!). I remember him saying he liked the sound I made when I tried the trombone, but I told him I wanted to play drums. I started band class that year and continued all the way through high school and into college. By my senior year I was playing drums and guitar, and almost half of my day was spent in the music room while playing in symphonic band, orchestra, and jazz band. Although I’m quite sure I would have played something anyway, it was nice to have my school offer music classes and have a passionate music teacher reaching out to all of us the way he did. I’m sure that was the catalyst needed for some kids that otherwise never would have tried. My path officially began there and I’m still on it.
Perhaps the biggest change I’ve noticed is the societal shift in attitude toward the possibility of art being more than a hobby. When I was younger and starting college, I never thought that I could make a living playing music. That reality seemed reserved for a select few. I went to college as an accounting major because I was good with numbers and figured being an accountant was a solid career idea. As I got deeper into the courses, I became aware that I was bored and had no passion for it, while I felt alive and inspired in my English literature and creative writing classes. So I switched my major to that and satisfied my music love by joining my college choir and starting a rock band with some friends. I was on the cusp of the “DIY” movement, but it hadn’t quite taken full effect yet in the minds of the masses. Old school thought processes were still in place, where you focused on finding a decent job and your passions were set aside for weekends and “pipe dreams”.
Now there are way more resources, home businesses, loan programs, artistic side hustles, and the permeating sense of being able to do what you love, be who you want to be, and actually follow your dreams. Do your thing, put it on social media, and earn revenue from it. This concept has carried over to kids and is delivered in books, movies, cartoons, and I think parents have embraced it, too. The proof is everywhere. To be clear, I currently do not make my living playing music, but it somehow seems within reach. Even if schools continue to cut arts, society and technology are providing ways for kids to find it. But that shouldn’t be relied upon as a way to get it in front of everyone. Some need to be nudged, recognized, and enlightened to their own potential. A school arts program can accomplish that, while the benefits of it reach much further than its initial intent.
TYSON: As a musician, I’m not the best business person, either. Not in the sense of handling money and communication and all that, but in the practice of the required amount of self promotion it takes to market my music. I’d rather focus on the music and creating art, but instead more work has to be put into the business end of it. It’s hard to make it all work being independent and without financial backing. Plus I feel like I’m bothering everyone I know all the time with all the social media posts, pictures, events, invites, etc.
A few projects I’ve been part of have received professional promotional backing, but it’s expensive and only lasts a short amount of time. But it does help to spread the word with radio spins, reviews, articles, and you just hope those things translate into more exposure and interest garnered for your art. Sales and money in your pocket. I am no different than most artists; my goal is to do my art for a living and I dream of being able to quit having a “day job”. I don’t need to be rich/famous, I just want to make a living doing my passion. I don’t want a hand out and I’m not lazy. Art is hard work, and the deeper I’ve gotten into the music business the more I know that everything I need to be doing to create, promote, perform, and support myself is easily the equivalent of a full time job.
So artists are constantly in this state of working their day job while trying to find time to do all of the things their art needs to thrive. Plus we have all of the other life things to do with errands, bills, groceries, and many are in relationships and are parents, too. A lot to juggle! I often wonder what other songs I would write, albums I would make, and how much more I would grow as a musician if I simply had more time to do it. I’m also in the unique position of trying to run an independent record label, so not only am I trying to do everything for myself, but I’m also trying to help the friends/artists on my label, too.
From my perspective as a musician, capitalism is squeezing the music business in an ever-tightening choke hold. Most music is heard digitally now, and the largest platform, Spotify, pays less than 1¢ per stream. CDs barely sell anymore, and producing vinyl is very expensive. Bars expect bands to play for free beer, and there’s someone asking for money from bands every step of the way from forming to recording an album. It’s actually changing the landscape of artist development.
I’ve noticed way more solo artists emerging instead of bands, and a lot more music created on electronic instruments and computers rather than traditional instruments. I believe this is because of a few things: it’s easier to manage yourself than to manage the lives and schedules of multiple people, you only have to split the money one way, it’s easier to self-promote yourself, and technology has made it convenient to make quality recordings right from your own home. We’re all having to concern ourselves with finding multiple revenue streams via online promotion. There are a lot of scams out there, bots making fake connections, filters to change your appearance, and platforms giving you an uphill battle with algorithms just to make the thing you joined them for work. It’s all smoke and mirrors, and detracting from what you came to do in the first place: make music.
The capitalist world is not setup for art and does not support it very well. Like many things, there are a select few that have massive success and the rest are struggling. In the current state, I am less hopeful for music in our capitalist society, and I do take issue with the commodification of art. Making art a commodity stifles creativity and narrows what gets presented to the world. It places artists in the tough position of having to consider how well their art will sell. Over time, the majority of what is being made begins to conform to only that which is popular, leaving the truly original, unique, new expressions to fall to the side without recognition or not be created at all. And then what is popular is copied and reproduced in a formulaic fashion until it is completely played out. Record labels did this with boy bands and grunge in the 90s/2000s. In an effort to make money, the industry even did the lowest of the low—marketing fake performers because they were younger/more attractive than the actual musicians that recorded the music (Milli Vanilli and C+C Music Factory). In lieu of getting paid, artists can try to get grants, but even that is an unfortunate situation where a committee has to decide which artist is “more creative” or “more deserving” of another.
In a capitalist world, artists are pressured to professionalize, and if they have any success with something they feel like they have to keep remaking the same thing instead of branching out. Only after something is exhausted are the masses ready to see something new, then the cycle repeats. This is not a sustainable way for a true art scene to exist. There will always be visionary artists creating new things, I’m not worried about that, but if they aren’t supported it gives less reason for others to follow their path in the future. I don’t think art will ever die, but it could become endangered.
Alex: What are the role of arts in modern life? Poetry has served as a cultural gathering place for millennia, acting as entertainment as well as a way to inculcate into culture the events and ideas into a society. Is that still the role of arts? With streaming and digital both strip mining profit and making works still popular but without reward, can the modern society somehow reward without violating their ideal of everything being free for use? How so?
TYSON: Art has a broad definition, and its role in modern life is equally multi-faceted. But ultimately I think it has 2 roles: to make you think and make you feel. Maybe I can boil that down even further to one role: art is a catalyst. It is made to mirror the heart of a person and the soul of society in order to inspire movement. It speaks to us and for us. For these reasons (and many others) I first want to say that I don’t necessarily feel that art should be free for use. Art is one of the last frontiers for showing us something we’ve never seen before. It originates in the mind, where all things are possible.
A creation with that much potential and bearing traits of one of a kind status is probably worth paying for. When it is free it becomes taken for granted. And that is where we currently are. All forms of art are surrounding us everywhere we go, and we’ve come to expect it to be there. If it’s always supposed to be provided, how do we reward the creators to entice them to keep making it and giving it to us? I’m struggling for a practical answer. It’s easy to think that some kind of trade system could work, but not in an everyday, local, rent and utility bill kind of way. It’s not like in frontier times when if you couldn’t pay your tab at the confectionary you traded in a couple hens or a cow instead. I don’t see the energy company keeping my house warm because I wrote them a song about how cold it is in the winter. On the other hand, the band Weezer once wrote a jingle for State Farm Insurance; for the sake of argument, let’s say in exchange for that song all the members of Weezer were given a year’s worth of free car and home insurance. That would be a solid reward for a mutual exchange of service. Maybe an artist could pay for a hotel stay by painting a picture that could hang in that hotel room. It’s not impossible to think up these scenarios on a case by case basis, but it’s not easy to put it into motion on a large scale for all artists in the day to day real world. It’s hard enough for artists to assign a monetary value to their work; in a trade system they would have to figure out some kind of intrinsic value, which seems like it would be even more difficult.
There are foundations and charities set up for art in our society, but is that really a reward? And then there are Patreon accounts, where people pay artists each month a certain dollar amount for the privilege of gaining access to exclusive content from that artist that isn’t made available to the general public. That’s been a helpful invention that is gaining popularity and supporting many artists at all levels. I’ve thought about doing it myself. But it also smacks of those commercials on TV that said, “for just 30 cents a day you can sponsor a starving child and provide them with food, clothing, and medical attention.” Is that where we’re at with art in modern life? Apparently. The really sad thing is that there are artists with Patreon accounts that are actually professionals that have already “made it”. This isn’t a knock on them, I’m just saying that even they need help in this current climate, so where does that leave the local musician that doesn’t have the reach that fame affords? Asking their relatively small circle of friends and family (that are likely just as financially stretched thin as they are) for support won’t get them very far. I’m not really sure how to make it work, but I do think it is somehow possible for our society to reward artists after appropriation. Whether it be larger scale versions of pay it forward, donations, providing resources, or trade service for service, we as a society need to be more creative with finding ways to show our appreciation for art. Not everything is about money, but an art gallery isn’t a flea market; you don’t haggle on the price.
Alex: Do you think there is a highest form of music? That is, I've heard some famous musicians and/or composers say directly, that classical music is the highest form of the musical art due to the many layers, skills and education needed to produce such work? (I both heard them say it in radio or podcasts, or read them say it in an interview or prose article).
TYSON: I don’t think it’s necessary to make judgments like that. I’ll concede to classical music probably being the most complex, but “highest form” is up for interpretation and too dependent on personal taste and the ear of the beholder. I consider a singer/songwriter stepping out to play a song armed with only an acoustic guitar and their voice as capable of achieving a highest form, albeit in a simplistic way.
If classical music were the highest form, wouldn’t more musicians shoot for that? Wouldn’t it maintain a larger audience? Why can’t I think of any current household-name-level composers active right now? All the modern composers I can think of died in the 1900s, ending with John Cage. I’m talking right now in 2021. Maybe Hans Zimmer? But he writes largely for film and I feel that is seen in a different light than classical composers. Is there no room for a modern composer next to Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, etc on the pedestal? I mean no disrespect to the genre by asking these questions. I’ve been to classical music performances, symphonies, and I’ve played in symphonic bands. I’m aware that neoclassical artists are out there carrying the torch, but the public is largely still listening to new performances of pieces composed centuries ago. It seems to me that if classical were the highest form, it would evolve so current composers would have found a way to exist beside the old masters. If not, have they failed? Nah, better to keep those kind of judgments out of the picture and appreciate the many talents of musicians in all genres, past and present.
TYSON: Currently there are 11 releases on my record label, Emperor Penguin Records. The label features traditional lyric/chords songwriting with indie rock albums and also experimental/ instrumental albums as well. In order for someone to get a representative taste of what we’re about, I would narrow it down to three albums:
The first would be our latest release, “In the Shadow of the Seven Stars” by the Minneapolis band Swallows. It’s a concept album about the real life murder of Frances Coles in Victorian-era London. She is a possible victim of Jack the Ripper, and her ghost haunts a witness to the murder and wants him to avenge her. This is a historical fiction tale, and lead singer/songwriter Jeff Crandall dove deep into research for this record to turn up actual locations, people, pictures, and events surrounding the murder. This is the 3rd album by Swallows, and they hit their stride on this one with multi-layered music, imaginative storytelling, and the highest production level they’ve ever achieved. The songs are complex, they are a great live band, and we released a couple videos for this album, too.
The second would be a collaboration I did with cellist Aaron Kerr called “To Combat Loneliness: Compositions Based on the Works of David Foster Wallace”. Obviously a concept album, this was a labor of love that took almost 10 years to complete. It took that long not only because I was reading all of DFW’s works and coming up with ideas along the way, but also because when we started the project, I lived in Chicago and Aaron lived in St. Paul. We did all of the preproduction via mail. I would send Aaron paraphrases of the plot line or character I wanted each piece to be about from a DFW book, and he would write music on his cello, record it, and mail it back to me for me to hear. Then I would figure out what parts I wanted to add to it. The album is all experimental/instrumental music, so there were no boundaries. Eventually we got 10 pieces together and went to a studio in Minneapolis to record them. And then I would work on it piecemeal whenever I could get up to MN and afford studio time. I remember at one point not working on that album for over a year! But it’s done now and in 2020 we were nominated for Best Concept Album at the Independent Music Awards in New York City! We didn’t win, but it was a huge honor just to be recognized!
For the third album, if anyone reading this has any patience, I would want them to hear the new album my band has coming out later this year. The album is currently being mixed, and my band is called Cassini Echoes. It’s an indie rock album, with dynamic songs and introspective lyrics and I’m super proud of it! But for now, if the readers can’t wait, I would direct them to the Sleeper Pins album “Keep it Coming Like A Miracle”. That record was from an old band of mine back when I lived in MN and features some of the same players as are in Swallows. It’s a largely acoustic-based album, moody and quiet but pretty, too. It sums up my writing style and production/arrangement sensibilities.
TYSON: Here is the link to the Bandcamp page for Emperor Penguin Records, which contains nearly all of my work and the artists that I work with: https://emperorpenguinrecords.bandcamp.com
(All artists/albums here are also available on Spotify individually.)
Here is my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tyson.allison.54
Here is my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/music.and.tacos/
Here is my Twitter: https://twitter.com/eprmusic
Here is my Reverbnation page: https://www.reverbnation.com/tysonallison
Here is my Emperor Penguin Records page: https://www.emperorpenguinrecords.com
Here is Swallows: https://www.swallowthemusic.com
Here is the DFW Project: https://www.thedavidfosterwallaceproject.com
Here is Aaron Kerr: https://www.aaronkerr.com
Alex: Thank you Tyson.
I think the readers might also enjoy the youtube channels
The Swallows
Tyson Allison
Aaron Kerr's Dissonant Creatures
Empire Penguin Records
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