Hello. Today we're interviewing the singer-songwriter-musician-poet Jenny Dalton. I'm going to try not to take up too much of her valuable creative time, which is one reason we're splitting this interview into two parts. I'll be asking Jenny a few brief questions today and tomorrow.
First, I would like to make an observation directly to Jenny. The one thing that bothers me when I read articles about you is that you're generally compared to a small and select group of women musicians. That's fine, but let me make an exception to this...
I like the way you use humor, for example, at the end of the song Snow Mazes of Norway. This reminds me of Paul Simon. And there's something in your storytelling, on a song like Dear Paul, that reminds me of the late Jim Croce. Maybe it's just because of his song These Dreams, or maybe it's something more.
But let's start...
Is it true that you're a self-taught piano player or is this a web-fostered myth?
JD: It's fully true that I am self-taught. I still don't consider myself a real musician because I don't know how to read music or even tell my band what key a song is in. I took a 30-minute piano lesson once when I was in high school and couldn't handle it because, by that time, I was playing classical pieces by ear. I had no patience for Mary had a Little Lamb.
Do you take after anyone in your family in terms of your musical and creative talents and abilities?
JD: Not really. As far as I know, there are no other songwriters in my family. I think I was a genetic fluke! My dad and brother were both drummers, so I think I have a higher appreciation for percussion than most people because of that. Maybe that's also why I love the piano so much: it's both melodic and percussive.
How important is it to you to have your own independent career as opposed to, for example, being a single member of a relatively successful band?
JD: I'm not good at being in other band projects. My brain just won't let me work that way. I can improvise well enough, but I have no memory for what I play or for other people's song structures. It's kind of weird. So I have no choice but to do my own thing. And as far as the industry goes, I also have no choice but to do my own thing. Until the larger record label infrastructures figure out how to successfully deal with the changing landscapes, I think I'm on my own. I kind of like it that way though for now.
The writer John L. Parker, Jr. has indicated that for the true runner, running is as important as life itself. I get the feeling that this is the way you feel about music. Am I correct?
JD: Absolutely. I hate to think of who I'd be without the music. I know that while I was pursuing a more "standard" life track and ignoring the music part of myself, I felt really sick and imbalanced. It's so, so, so important to listen to the gut. If I didn't, I'd probably be a very unhappy, estranged girl by now. Despite the moodiness of my music, I'm actually a happy person.
These are the first four questions we had for Jenny, and we hope we've peaked your interest! We have five additional questions for her tomorrow, including two or three unique - we hope - questions.
http://jennydaltonmusic.blogspot.com
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