Very Vocal Preview! Interview with Martin Kerr

I was lucky enough to sit down with Martin Kerr, guest performer at this year's Very Vocal Showcase 2010, to talk about his life, music and upcoming performance at the showcase. Martin was a very gracious host and has lead a fascinating life following his passion for music.

Along with the interview below, check out a sneak peek of Martin and his music!




Paula: How long have you been playing and singing?
Martin: I can't remember a time when I wasn't singing. I started playing guitar and writing songs at the age of 13.

P: Have you had any formal training?
M: I've had a bit of formal training but I've never really enjoyed it.

P: What are your biggest musical influences?
M: I've always loved singer-song writers; anything where the lyric and melody are front and center. My favorite artists growing up were Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon. Later on people like Radio Head, Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Buckley.

P: What has been the biggest surprise about the music industry?
M: Discovering that it really is possible to make a living in the music industry. That's what I've been doing. Growing up, anyone I told I wanted to be a professional musician would say I would have to have a Plan B and maybe you can do that in your spare time; I would need a real job to pay the bills until you get your big break.

It seems to be the only business where you have to have a big break. If you say you want to work in IT (Information Technology), nobody says you need a real job until you become "Bill Gates." It's the only business in which success seems to be only the top 1% of people and if you are just making a living, its not success. But I think it is; making a living doing what you love.

P: Have you been able to make a living?
M: Yes. Like any small business, it takes a year or two to get off the ground. I'm through that hump and things are going well.

P: You were on Canadian Idol. Can you talk about that experience was like?
M: There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes you don't see on TV. There is a whole prequel to the show that goes on to get from the 10,000 that show up for the auditions to the 1,000 they have time to film for the auditions you see. Basically, they file you into a room five at a time to sing in front of producers of the show who make the initial cuts. So the bit where they walk in seemingly off the streets in front of the judges doesn't happen until a couple days into the process.

P: What was the best part about being involved in the show?
M: By far, getting to meet, perform with and jam with really talented and lovely people from all over Canada.

P: Did the show help you with your career?
M: I think so. It's definitely a foot in the door to say you've sang in front of 2 million people on television.

P: You've recorded a couple of albums. Can you tell me a bit about the recording process?
M: The first one I did was when I was 14 and its out of print now. That was a great experience to make my own album at a time when not everyone had their own CD. It was pretty cool. That was a great experience to cut my teeth in the recording industry.

Later, when I went to record an album of my own songs, I was living in China. I had a friend who had a little bedroom studio in Hong Kong. We put down an album and it actually did really well as an independent.

P: Sounds like you've been all over the world. Where have you performed?
M: I really started taking music seriously as my career when I moved to Canada. Before that, I was travelling mostly around China as well as Central America and South Pacific. I went to New Zeland, Samoa and around the US and Europe; Northern Africa, India. I've been to 30 countries so far.

P: How has the music from those countries influenced your work?
M: Philosophically, seeing the world challenges you and challenges your prejudices. I was lucky to be brought up believing I was a world citizen and the world is my home. You get to see there are good people in every place. I think what it taught me is you need very little to survive. A lot of our fear about your career and about success and survival are based on the assumptions we need a lot more than we do.

P: You did a children's album. Can you tell me about that project?
M: I was working in a Montessori school in Beijing. Some friends of mine had built this school and they wanted me as a teacher. My traveling and reading of the Baha'i faith, I came to believe that influencing and guiding children as they grow up is a very powerful way to improve the world. With the school and reading Maria Montessori books - she has amazing ideas on revolutionizing education.

They asked me to write and record a whole album of children's songs based on character development and the virtues of human character like kindness and helpfulness. I got together with another writer remotely. He would write some; I would write some and we would edit them a bit. I flew out to Beijing to record the tunes. It is being used in schools all over China for their moral education curriculum.

P: What kinds of projects are you currently working on?
M: I'm in the midst of writing a new album. I'm collaborating with some new musicians.

P: How do you get inspirations for your song writing?
M: I'm still learning the discipline of channeling the inspiration when I find it. When I have a powerful idea or feeling, the first thing I want to do is write a song about it. I'm not sure I have an exact method to share. Being ready and available for the feeling is the trick.

P: Do you have any hints or tricks for the young musicians performing at Very Vocal Showcase 2010?
M: The most obvious thing for me is to focus on what you love. Choose songs that you love. If you do that, you won't notice the hours you spend practicing and improving. Take every opportunity to perform. I don't think there is anyone who doesn't feel nervous but you learn to cope with it.

P: Where can people find out more about you and your music?
M: Visit my website at http://www.martinkerr.com/. I'm also on Facebook and MySpace. The website has a newsletter you can sign up for as well.

P: Thank you for sitting down with me!
M: You're welcome!