Interview: Toronto Based Jazz Fusion Pianist Desarae Dee Talks About Her New Single "LVLS"
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“For a majority of my music, once I hear a melody idea that resonates with me, I tend to go with it and build around it, adding jazz chords, a beat and synth sounds. ”
What first interested you in music, specifically production, and are you a self-taught pianist?
I started my music journey at the age of 6 and at that time I was not as enthusiastic about music as I am now. I was classically trained for 12 years and went to university for jazz piano. I also am the lead musician at my church in Toronto.
I’ve always wanted to immerse myself into production and learning the how to’s behind beat making and sound design. At first, I was only producing for piano and keyboards and eventually produced for multiple instruments.
What are some things/people/places that inspire your creativity when developing new music?
A lot of my music inspiration comes from my particular mood, my environment and my 4 musical influences: Alicia Keys, Robert Glasper, Frédéric Chopin and Oscar Peterson.
The most important thing for me in my music creation is to stay true to who I am: unique, outside the box, unconventional and spontaneous, but you will always hear a hint of my inspirations in my music.
Congratulations on the release of your dope new single "LVLS"; tell us about your creative process for its development.
“LVLS” (pronounced “levels”) was originally created for my #DailyVibes producing series that I have on Instagram and was written back in April 2020. For a majority of my music, once I hear a melody idea that resonates with me, I tend to go with it and build around it, adding jazz chords, a beat and synth sounds. My sound is very unconventional and spontaneous so my creative process will include some sort of spontaneity.
This song is near and dear to me as it is a depiction of my journey through my 20s and I wanted to display that journey through this song. There are many low points to the song until about a minute in where everything elevates which represents the high moments of my journey. It’s a very meditative and reflective piece and it gives listeners an idea of who I am as an artist, a musician and as a person.
As a producer, what software/hardware do you use, and what instruments do you play?
When I first started producing, I was using Garage Band and after 5 years of having my MacBook, I had no idea that there were drum loops (*face palm*). After finding that out, that’s when my producing and sound design journey began. After about a year and a half of using Garage Band, I transitioned to Logic Pro X and have been using it ever since.
I am a multi-instrumentalist, so I play quite a few instruments - 14 to be exact, but my main instruments are: Piano (24 1/2 years) and Saxophone (18 years) and Key Bass (12 years).
Can we expect to hear "LVLS" on an upcoming EP or album? If so, what can you tell us about it?
One of the main reasons why I made “LVLS” so short is because I will be releasing an extended version sometime in 2021 as part of my debut album. This extended version will include some features and a visual.
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