An Interview with Simón García
Simon Garcia, born in 1977 in Mugardos, is a Spanish bass player and composer - one of the most successful bass composers of the 21st century. He is a member of the BMMC which has led to him gaining a renowned reputation from different orchestras, soloists and ensembles. When someone whose compositions have been played in 38 countries across 4 different continents and had more than 50 works published by Recital Music, it's safe to say they are most definitely well known internationally.
I chose Simon Garcia for this interview because his compositions are so unique, and as a bass player I have played many of them. Music like this helps bass ensembles especially have a much stronger presence in ensemble concerts then they would have had.
1. Which musicians influenced you?
I have listened to very diverse music since I was a child, but if I have to tell you some musicians who influenced me or their music has been and is important to me I would say: J.S. Bach, Mozart and Beethoven of course also Stravinsky, John Adams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Ray Brown or Christian McBride to name a few from different musical styles.
2. As a musician every day is different, describe one good day?
For any musician, everyday is different. We never work a constant routine, perhaps our only true routine is individual study. In my case, my days are different since; in addition to being a symphonic musician, I work as a composer, I am a member of a Cuban music string quintet, a member of a trio and a jazz quartet, and I accompany live concerts and recordings for many artists, as well as my personal projects. So every day is a different adventure and I couldn't tell you how much music goes through my music stand every month. The worst thing about this is when I have a concert at night until quite late, sometimes with a few hours of travel and the next morning I have to get up early for my symphonic work. It is very tiring but worth the effort.
3.When did music become important to you?
I started studying music when I was 5 years old but not permanently. At the age of 13, I was studying classical guitar at the nearest conservatory in my town and I also played the electric bass a little. When I was 14 years old I started studying electric bass with a teacher who motivated me a lot. Our weekly classes were 3 or 4 hours long and at the end of the class we always watched a video of a concert. In these videos I discovered Carlos del Puerto, NHOP, Ron Carter and many others. One of the first videos I saw with my teacher was a Jaco Pastorius concert, before I knew of him. When I heard it, it was clear to me that I wanted to be a bassist. A few years later I started studying double bass. Today's young double bass players can start from a very young age, but almost all of us who are of a certain age have played other instruments before, since Mini Basses did not exist or at least were not common.
4. What advice would you give to younger bassists?
My first advice is perseverance when studying the instrument, practice makes perfect. Secondly, that you look for a good teacher as soon as possible, this means not only that the teacher plays well, but also that you get along with him and know how to motivate you. Knowing how to learn from mistakes is very important and not getting too frustrated. Never giving up because of failure, almost all of us have failed at some point. My last piece of advice is that to make sure you love music and that you know how to find your own path, we are all different and the job possibilities are different. If you find a job in which you feel fulfilled, you will not think of it as a job. And to finish I would tell you to be humble, no matter how well you play there will always be someone who plays better than you.
5. What inspired your unique music style?
I think that if I have an unique style, it should be answered by another person who knows, if not all, much of my work, but I could tell you that being such an eclectic musician, all those influences are in my way of writing. Sometimes they are obvious and other times they are hidden. I know different musical languages and this helps me think about which way is better for one piece or another. On the other hand, I found a way of treating the instrument that has always worked for me, but this has not been fortuitous, I have had to take time exploring the instrument and learnt how to develop it. Sometimes I have had to study new music to be able to write a commission and document myself in those styles of music that I barely mastered. Other times it is the interpreters themselves who make me write in a specific way. Another important point of view is that although I joke about this, I say that I do not write music for the double bass, but rather I try to write music on the double bass, in the way that when I write a sextet, for example, I think of an orchestral sound, always imagining it in my head and then when I try to play it on the double bass. I always say that you can play anything on the double bass but you have to find a way to do it. Believe me when I tell you that I've had assignments that seemed crazy to me but helped me grow as a composer. Another important characteristic from my own music is that I always try to write in an emotional way, my inspiration can be an emotion, a feeling, a sunny day or a little bird that visits my window. I need mental preparation before I start writing, I like to be an observer and inspiration can be anywhere.
6. What question would you have liked me to ask you?
All your questions have been very interesting and I have loved answering them although I don't know if I did it, because when they ask me something I always end up talking about a lot of other things. So, like a Galician person (in Spain we are famous for answering with another question) my answer to your question is: "What would you like me to tell you more?"
“If you could travel in time and meet one of the famous musicians that influenced you, who would it be, and why?”
A bit of humour to close a serious interview…
If I had visited Bach I would have spent the day in church, I would have ruined Mozart betting on the pool, with Stravinsky I would have had to pay for all the vodkas… So I think a crazy night with Jaco Pastorius after attending the Live in New York concert City (volume 1) in 1990, it's not a long trip!
Questions from Holly Reinhardt
Simon Garcia (30th June, 2022)
