The anatomy of an interview
Interviews whether they are print, live radio, TV or
recorded for later even podcast are a vital and necessary part of being an
artist today. You have a chance to reach listeners who may come to your work
for the first time. First impressions being what they are critical and I use
that word in all its meanings. Recently I did an extended phone interview with
a station out of Santa Fe, NM, KSFR that brought these points home. It was ostensibly
for the upcoming Gathering of Nations PowWow in Albuquerque where I’ll be
performing April 27&28. The first questions were about significant women in
my life and how I would like to honor them being the end of Women’s Awareness
Month. Of course I was thinking….um is this the right program? Did I get the
info wrong? But I went with it and you’ll hear it. You’ll hear me speaking spontaneously
and from my heart about the first person to mind, my mother. The interviewer
skillfully led that into my background, my Native roots, my music and other
areas I couldn’t have prepared for if I wanted. Those are the good interviews:
the ones where you don’t chit chat beforehand and are forced to get out of your
own self-promotion and try to connect with the question, the interviewer and especially
the listeners.
You will hear me speak about that aspect of the listener
and how I realized years ago that you don’t speak into a vacuum. You must have
some consideration, be succinct, remember the question, get out of the way and
be present to that moment alone. I’m grateful to have done so many interviews
that I can be spontaneous and go with the flow. But I’ve found you can’t be
distracted or look at notes. I visualize the question and the “arc of the
answer” so to speak. You learn to talk about your music in a detached way
instead of saying ummmm I have no idea where that song comes from sorry…. As I
have heard many an artist say.
I hope you will learn something about me as you listen to
this interview and about my music. I was visiting a friend at his ranch in
southeastern Arizona and sat outside during it. You can hear his Turkey, Clark,
goggle a few times, the chickens and even the whiney of a horse. I love it and
worked it in. Please feel free to comment and share. Next interview you can
also stream live is Monday, April 9th at 10AM MDT at KGRT.com. It is
a Country station so should be interesting but then again, I like that.
Randy
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