Joshua Zimmerman Interview #2 - The Final on Vinyl Podcast

I enjoyed my second interview with Joshua Zimmerman to discuss his latest recording, Light Beyond The Shadow. 

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:14

Hello everyone, this is Keith MuzikMan Hannaleck with the Final on Vinyl Podcast. And today we are with Joshua Zimmerman, who I spoke to back at the end of July, actually, about his album Finding Peace. And he somehow has gotten together another album that quick, and it's coming out today, actually, which is a good time to be talking about this, called Light Beyond the Shadow. Welcome back to the podcast, Joshua.

Speaker 0:39

Thanks, Keith. I I really appreciate that. Thanks for having me back.

Speaker 1 0:43

Absolutely. So I was uh a little surprised how quick you turned things around and got this music out. I I imagine uh you just had a continual process with recording even after the first album came out, or you had already had those set aside. How did that work for you?

Speaker 1:02

Yeah, well, I actually recorded Finding Peace in early February, and I and I waited a few months to release it. I didn't release it until May. And we didn't chat about it until until July. So so uh the day I got back from recording Finding Peace, so we're talking you know, February 7th, February 8th, I began writing uh the music for this this new album might be on the shadow. And um, you know, I heard somewhere, I don't know if it was a podcast or what, but I I heard that you're most creative the first two hours in the morning. I I've always written all my music at night, and uh, feel like that's you know most emotional and that can kind of come out at at that time. But uh took that to heart and started waking up every morning at five o'clock and writing and composing and practicing until seven. Um, and the music just started to stack really, really, really quickly. Uh, and had actually everything written for this album. By the time I even released Finding Peace in May, I had everything written and recorded this whole album in uh in in early June. So it was by far the the fastest I've ever written music. Um I I I recorded Joe Bongiorno at Piano Haven. I called him up. Uh once I once I got six of the songs written, I said, hey, let's let's let's schedule another another recording day. And he's like, well, really? You sure it's pretty quick. And at that point there was some pressure on me. And those last few songs were were pretty pretty tough to write just because I had a little bit more pressure on me to get them done before the recording session. But um, but yeah, it came together really uh really quickly, and I'm I'm I'm very pleased with uh with uh how it turned out.

Speaker 1 2:52

Well, so was I. That's beautiful music. And uh just I'm amazed at that, how a person can do what you did. And I guess there is some truth to that plot of time there for you as far as the creative process goes.

Speaker 3:09

Yeah, it there you know it it it was pretty amazing um how uh how quickly some of the ideas came. Um and and then I've got a I kind of the competitive side to me as well, where I wanted to see if I could go a hundred days in a row getting up at five in the morning, weekends, and everything else. And so part of it was just to see if I could prove to myself um that uh that I you know was serious about this and was going to stick with it. And I remember a couple of the times um traveled up to my parents' cottage and it it had to extend you know 25, 30 degrees at night, and they didn't have anywhere I could practice, so I brought a keyboard up and they had a a shed you know out back, it wasn't heated or anything, and uh still got up at 5 a.m. on the weekends and went out to the shed and threw some gloves on and a few coats on and and practiced and kept kept writing on uh to hit my you know, ended up getting I think 110 or 120 days straight in a row before I uh before I recorded this album.

Speaker 1 4:13

So you have a separate building uh a little recording studio then called the shed. Is that right?

Speaker 4:20

Well, that that that was just um that that was just up at my parents' cottage. They they've got it's not it's definitely not a recording studio. They they keep uh tools and I mean it's it's you know like any other utilities utility shed. That was just the one that was just the one spot where nobody was sleeping. Um, you know, where I could you know I'd be waking people up in the morning if I was practic practicing piano. So that was the one spot where nobody was sleeping that I could go and plug a piano in and and uh and and practice and keep writing music.

Speaker 1 4:53

What's your equipment? What do you use to practice that?

Speaker 4:57

Uh I have a a a cord. It probably is I don't know, maybe 15 years old. It's an SP 250. Um, but it's it's a nice, it's a nice keyboard. Um I really like the bass in it and and the really, really rich sounding keyboard. Uh other than that, I have a really old Steinway upright uh from the late 60s, uh early 70s that I that I play on. I do a lot of my um there's some videos of me playing this kind of an overhead shot, and that's on that uh on that Steinway. It's a beautiful piano. So I do I do play and practice on that. And then I uh own a meet studio, uh music academy called the piano cottage, and we have seven pianos, um a lot of Yamaha's. Uh there's a there's a QA as well that I practice on. So sometimes I'll go in early and jump to different studios and practice on on those as well.

Speaker 1 5:58

Okay, I remember that now. Talking about the piano cottage, your your business. Okay. So you're always surrounded by music then, huh?

Speaker 6:07

Yeah, yeah, and that that's uh, you know, that that's that that's definitely a a blessing. It's it's pretty cool to uh um you know it it it's really interesting because most of our students at the at the piano cottage they they go to school during the day. So the the the studio is dead in the morning and early afternoon, and then all of a sudden it just comes to life at like three o'clock, three thirty. And you can stand in the lobby and there's just this, you know, and I'm sure you've been to plenty of practice studios and you just kind of hear it's chaos, but at the same time it's a really beautiful sound. Um and so that that that definitely is a a blessing and and something very, very special.

Speaker 1 6:51

So just thinking about um being an artist and being in that position in life, uh I know you know you don't like to put expectations on anything you create and you put it out there uh with hopes that you're going to get a positive reaction. So in your case, uh what was it like the first album you released? And you know, were your expectations met? Were you surprised? What kind of things happened, and and what would you anticipate happening with this album? Much of the same, or do you have other goals?

Speaker 7:28

That that's that's a great question. Um I I when I first released Finding Peace, the the whole idea was I was just writing with zero expectations, and uh you know, at worst I was leaving some music for you know for my for my children, for my family to listen to. And you know, when I started writing it, I had maybe a handful of people listening to to my music on Spotify, like literally maybe two or three. And so I I released Finding Peace, and honestly, I I couldn't have expected the amount of traction and and streams that that came out of it. Um I've been right around 25,000 monthly listeners on on Spotify. Uh, and it's just been um it's been amazing seeing the yeah, amazing seeing the the traction, the the um response from people, uh the messages that I'm getting. Um when I practice, I actually uh right in front of me I have like a couple um like bulletin boards and um I I print out some of the the really nice comments and things that people leave me, and so it's it's really a good reminder as I'm writing music and as I'm practicing. And I'll tell you that that has been more of a I guess a challenge would be would be trying the right word, um, where it's the first one wasn't about with zero ex I had zero expectations with it. And with this one, it's like, man, if that one went so well, what what could this one do? And could it keep the momentum going? But I do have to keep reminding myself that um, you know, it it I'm doing this just because of the love of writing music, and um again, anybody else that gets to hear it, it's a really added bonus. And seeing the the blessing that it's been to so many people has been um it's been very, very humbling and and very rewarding at the same time.

Speaker 1 9:38

Nice. So do you ever have opportunity to step away from everything and and play live? I know I probably asked you this before, and I know you have a family and a business to run, so it must be uh quite a challenge to be able to do that. But um I'm I'm sure once in a while you have something that you that you do live locally. No?

Speaker 9:59

Yeah, yeah, I do. Um I I help out my my wife actually plays guitar, and we help out with uh with worship at our um at our local church. We do that about usually about once a month. Um so that that's not necessarily a performance, but it's an opportunity to play live. Uh I I I play in a few weddings. I I've really limited my uh the amount I play in weddings, but I do play in some weddings here and there. Um I have what was that?

Speaker 1 10:29

Oh, I just acknowledged that.

Speaker 10:34

Sorry, one more time. I I I think you're breaking up a little bit on me here, Keith.

Speaker 1 10:38

I was just acknowledging what you said.

Speaker 10:41

Oh, okay. Got it, got it, got it. Got it. Um so so yeah, I I've uh uh planned some weddings and uh um I've got a couple nice opportunities coming up uh coming up next year where I think I'm I'm going to really start getting some of the songs that I'm writing performance ready and um and looking for some opportunities to to perform those as well. Because it is a challenge, and I'm sure you know as well when you're constantly writing music, trying to at the same time practice the music that you've already written, so so that is that that a good amount of that music does stay performance ready. So um it's been a lot of writing the past year and uh not quite as much practice as uh as I would would like, and that's something that I'm still trying to find some balance to. I see.

Speaker 1 11:35

So have you been submitting your music to the world of media to be used for soundtracks and commercials and things of that nature?

Speaker 11:47

You know, no it's funny, some somebody just asked me about that. And that's been on kind of the the the short list of of things that that I'd like to do. Um but I I just haven't looked into that enough. And and part of that is I I I want to make sure that if if my music is moved used in um in either you know some sort of commercial or soundtrack or something like that, I would just want to make sure that that um that it's a good fit and and uh and that I agree with what the the movie's about and that I can stand behind that. And I really want to make sure that my my music is in places that um that really capture the feel of um and intention behind uh the music.

Speaker 1 12:46

So you want control, which makes sense. I mean, there's a couple of different platforms out there and companies that do that. I I understand where there would be some concern where, well, how do I know where it's going and you know who's listening and what it's being used for? So I guess you have to be really careful about how you pick and choose what you know what platforms, what companies you work with.

Speaker 13:09

Right, right. But but it is something I'm very um for the most part, very ignorant on where I have to learn a lot about it and and uh um and and that is something I'm I'm planning on hopefully in the next few months um researching a lot more and and maybe getting my music to to have some other opportunities uh as well.

Speaker 1 13:32

If I were you, I'd be connecting with other artists that have already done it, and it's the only way you're gonna get a straight answer because the internet, as you know, is a jumble of information. And you know both sides. You're gonna hear both sides and you won't be able to make a decision because there's just too much information out there and everything. And at least that's what I run into anyway.

Speaker 13:57

Yeah, no kidding. That that's that's good advice. I that's really good advice. Um and and that's been something that's been really special about I mentioned it earlier, um, but just about getting connected with with uh with Joe Bon Girno and and his willingness to to connect me with other artists and other professionals. And connect he connected me with uh Diane Gerrus, who both of us know, and she's she's amazing, and and she obviously connected us, and um being a part of of Whispering's piano is is a really really um what a cool group that is, and and David Nevew runs that and so it so it really is kind of to your point, there's a lot of um a lot of power just in that networking and getting to know other artists and and not only getting to know them, but but listening to to advice and being a sponge and being uh humble enough to to take advice. Um and that's uh that's been quite a quite a process and a learning curve for me.

Speaker 1 15:05

Are you on LinkedIn? Do you connect with people on LinkedIn as well?

Speaker 15:09

I I uh my wife a long time ago said I needed to create a LinkedIn profile, and so I think there is one. Um the last time I logged in, I couldn't tell you. So so that that uh that that's probably a good reminder that uh maybe I should should get that active again.

Speaker 1 15:27

Definitely. It's just another avenue that's that's solid and you know actually uh it is a professional network. It has gotten a little diluted over the years, you know, with a lot of junk, like all social media platforms do eventually. But yeah, um it is a professional network, and I'm sure you'll be able to connect with people that you never would have before and you know be able to find some inroads that weren't existent before. It's just something I've used for gosh, I think I started in LinkedIn in 2003, maybe 2004.

Speaker 16:04

Okay, so you've seen quite a few uh changes throughout those years, I'm sure.

Speaker 1 16:10

Oh yeah. Yeah, but I also have a huge network. And um, you know, if I want to put something out there and want a response, I can get it.

Speaker 16:19

So it's something for you to think about anyway. So yeah, well, I I appreciate that. I do appreciate that. Thank you.

Speaker 1 16:27

So where do you go from here? Now today's the day your your album's released. Uh what's your what's your process from this point after releasing the album?

Speaker 16:38

Um well I've been writing a lot more music and uh I'm I'm I'm probably seven. I'm working on my eighth song right now for my my next album. So it's kind of the same story. I I finished recording in June, and I've been I've been writing and and getting more music ready since June. So so I feel like there's always two or three balls in the air at the same time. There's um, you know, with with finding peace, there there was okay, promoting that and and getting that out there at the same time as writing music for this next album, like Beyond the Shadow, recording and going through all that process, getting the album art, getting everything done, and then starting to promote this. And so so it there's kind of this um uh yeah, where there's a there's several moving parts at the same time, but but it's a lot of fun because you have you know you have different albums, different music, and different stages in the in the process. So I've really just learned to enjoy each stage, and and even with writing, um I feel like the first stage is getting all the music written, and then that that second stage is just practicing and practicing and practicing and getting it ready to record. So I'm I'm almost done with that first stage for for the eventual next album that I release of getting that music written. And uh and you know, by that time I feel creatively exhausted and I'm ready just to practice that music. So I'm I'm very excited to just start practicing and getting ready to uh hopefully record early next year.

Speaker 1 18:24

It's a constant evolving process with many levels, sounds that way. And you know, I noticed that that cover art too was was pretty cool with uh all the colorful flowers coming out of the piano. Um is that something, is that an idea or a concept that you came up with or somebody else?

Speaker 18:42

Well, um actually hired um uh her name's Camila and uh Camila Rodriguez, she's from Colombia, and my brother-in-law um went to to college with her, and she's she's done art professionally, and now she she's a college professor, teaches art, and um so met with her and just said, hey, listen, you know, uh I love what you do. She's she just if you if you get the chance, there's there's some of her art's on um my Facebook page, and go to her page and just look at it. It's gorgeous what she what she's able to paint. And I wanted I wanted a hand-painted album cover and told her the concept of the the album, the light beyond the shadow, and and it slowly evolved from um originally it was gonna be a piano in a really, really dark kind of uh place with the flowers coming from that, and that looked a little too muddy, and and we played around with some other ideas, um, and having some birds on the album, and that looked too busy. And um gradually it evolved into into uh what what the final cover was and she did just an absolutely beautiful job with it. Um if if you actually my last post uh on on Facebook is is the process of you can actually see her painting it and see kind of the process of that, and you can really zoom in and the the details to each flower and um it is really remarkable. Um that's cool, amazing job. Yeah, and I hope to to continue working with her in the in the future. I don't blame you. It's beautiful, it's perfect. Yeah, it is, it really is.

Speaker 1 20:33

Well, Joshua, once again, it's been a pleasure to speak to you and uh start following your career and and how you're developing with your music and your ideas and hearing about your process and everything. It's it's always very interesting to me, and I'm sure to a lot of other people out there. And just as a reminder to everyone before we close, Joshua Zimmerman has released today, Light Beyond the Shadow. And um he continues to make music and uh won't be too long before another one comes out. So uh hopefully we'll be talking to him again then.

Speaker 21:11

Sounds good. Thank you so much, Keith. I appreciate your your time and uh and and making this work on on the release day, that's pretty special. So thanks for for all you do. Thank you, Josh. You take care. Bye bye now. Bye.

Speaker 1 21:27

Bye bye.