Through the eye's of a Legend~ Interview with Quincy Jones

In the eye’s of a Legend~ Interview with Quincy Jones
Conducted by: Charlie Rose

I was very inspired by this interview with Quincy Jones by Charlie Rose. It is amazing to hear the words of someone who has been in the music industry for over 56 years and worked with a huge list of successful artist. This interview was a reflection of the career of Quincy Jones and it was really inspiring to hear what he experienced and the lessons learned. He shared inspirational quotes that helped him along in his career. For example, he mentioned a doctor in Sweden that shared the quote, “Love, laugh, live and give”. He also quoted his neighbor saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans”.

Quincy has a new album book called, “Q on Producing”, which talks about how important the relationship is between the artist and producer. He stated that, “Its about love first and then trust”. He knew how important it was for an artist to feel comfortable and also how to maintain a great relationship with producers on his team. He also has a new album called, “Soul Bossa Nostra”, which was produced by rapper, Timberland. Quincy talked about how years ago how Timberland told him that the Hip Hop community wanted to do a tribute to some of his songs. He says, “This album has everyone on it from Snoop Dog to Amy Winehouse”, and that “This was the first time I did an album with no hands on it”. He was very flattered by this album and was honored by the gesture of the Hip Hop community.

When Quincy was asked about the rap industry today, he mentioned, “I was on a passionate campaign for a definitive curriculum for the school systems of America”. It’s great to see someone with so much history in music, recognize the importance of music in education. It’s a fight that has resulted in the lost of the arts in most of our educational programs. This is a very important cause for me as well, because I perform for various schools and I see the positive effects of music and self-expression on the energy of the children.

When I think about Quincy Jones, I think of someone who is as versatile as a painting, forever being constructed. Quincy Jones is a master composer, able to hear and feel every rhythm. He has seen the evolution of music and has contributed to some of the best song in this world. He is definitely someone I look up to in this industry and I can’t wait until I too get the chance to sit down and compose a masterpiece with this legend.

~Gigi Dowell

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11316