The impact of having/being cool parents!
By Jon Liebman
October 25, 2018
In this week’s interview, you can hear Kilian Duarte talking about his gigs with Scale the Summit, Lattermath, and Gypsy Jazz Experience, as well as bass technique, gear and lots more. One thing in particular that caught my ear, though, had to do with his initial exposure to music as a child. Growing up with a dad who was an “old school” fusion fan and a mom who was an avid prog rock fan, Kilian was exposed to pretty heavy musical doses of Al Di Meola, Return To Forever, Weather Report, Renaissance, Rush, Yes and other bands.
The music playing in the house during a child’s formative years can have a major impact on his or her musical development, regardless of whether or not one comes from a musical family. In Kilian’s case, as he found himself gravitating to the sound of the bass he became enamored with the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Anthony Jackson, Geddy Lee, and Chris Squire. Having attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where he studied with revered bassist and educator Bruce Gertz, his list of bass influences grew to include Billy Sheehan, John Myung, Victor Wooten, and Justin Chancellor.
Have you ever stopped to think back and try to remember your earliest exposure to music? How did those sounds first send you down the path that eventually led you to becoming the musician/bassist/enthusiast you are today?
Taking it a step further, who are you influencing with your music and what kind of music appreciation are you helping to spawn in the ears, hearts, souls, etc., of those who hear it? Should you modify your selection? I wouldn’t! Rather, I’d develop a curiosity for whatever they’relistening to. Maybe it would ignite a dynamic back-and-forth, an exchange of musical ideas that may end up who-knows-where.
With Kilian, it all started by having parents who were big music fans, instilling in him a great love and appreciation for music. In all likelihood, they were doing this unknowingly. Nonetheless, its impact was profound.
Have a thought about the subject? Feel free to leave a comment.
In the meantime, check out my interview with Kilian here.
