San Francisco Voice

Steven Gary has been in love with music for as long as he can remember. He’s studied a number of different instruments, has played in bands, choral groups and barbershop quartets and can now be heard showing off his skills as a singer-songwriter here in San Francisco. Learn more about this interesting musical past (and get lots of great musical advice) from his interview here with San Fran Voice. Steven Gary can be seen live tonight at SNOB wine bar starting at 8. He can also be seen at the end of the month (the 29th) over at Ghirardelii Square.

What can you tell us about your musical history thus far and where it’s brought you to today?

My musical history has been nothing if not widely varied and eclectic – it’s best summed up by my earliest contact with music. My mother liked to tell the story of how when I was a toddler she could never keep me still, except for 30 minutes in the afternoon when I would sit transfixed for a 15 minute TV segment with a folk singer, followed by a 15 minute segment with a classical violinist. I was singing virtually before I could talk, had my first acting experience at age 4 and got my first guitar at age 6. My school years took me from playing brass instruments in concert, symphonic and jazz bands so singing in choir and starring in a series of musicals.

It wasn’t until High School that I discovered popular music and started learning a growing repertoire of folk/rock and singer/songwriter material. I started writing songs at age 17 and most of it sounded like what you’d expect. In college I continued expanding my musical outlook in all directions – backwards to renaissance madrigals and barbershop quartets, into the present and into current pop, European imports, modern classical and more, I was always open to anything and always interested in what was out there. After I left school I concentrated on songwriting and always tried to write in different styles. I moved to LA and got more into the more commercial aspects of writing and performing. I picked up the bass there and started performing in bands – then again, I worked in a couple choral and vocal groups, performed in an award-winning barbershop quartet, played in a country band and a couple top 40 bands, wrote songs and performed in two musicals, and so on. Then I took a gig playing on a cruise ship and stayed with that for a number of years, where I got exposed to latin/Caribbean music, reggae, calypso, Cuban rhythms, salsa, meringue, etc. and got to work with a number of internationally known performers and learn from them.

After 15 years on the ship, I decided to return to my original intentions as a singer/songwriter and came back to the Bay Area. As a musician, I’ve been able to perform with top entertainers and do just about every style of music there is which makes me very versatile and able to work in just about any musical situation – it’s a tremendous advantage for me since I’m working solely as a pro musician – there are a lot of things I can do and it keeps me working. Currently I’m performing solo as an original artist, also playing and singing covers, playing instrumental guitar, playing bass and singing in a couple bands and playing rhythm guitar and singing backup with a country singer. I was rehearsing with a doo-wop group for a while and I’ll be doing Xmas Carols this December. I’m concentrating right now on building a sufficient financial base as a working musician, the concentrating more on my singer/songwriter work. I’m still doing about 1 original gig per month.

You have a history of playing a number of different instruments. How has this versatility served your career? Do you have a preferred instrument?

Again, it allows me to work in any number of different situations. It also gives me a reality on what each instrument does and its role in any musical situation. So as a side man or as a band leader I can guide the other musicians, work out arrangements, know what everyone should be doing and help them to do that. One of my assets in any situation is that I have a reality of what every person in a group is doing and can support that effort without instruction or having to be told. I make myself very valuable that way. As far as a preferred instrument, it is my first instrument, my voice. I learned guitar to serve myself as a singer and songwriter. And learned bass so I could sing in a band. But each instrument has its particular role and I always enjoy being able to fulfill those roles as well. I suppose the other thing it does is reduce the ego factor. Being familiar with a number of instruments and a lot of styles has taught me that what’s important is the music and that the instruments, arrangements, voices, all serve the music and not the other way ‘round.

What would you say has been your biggest success musically?

Oh, my. I suppose it depends on what level you are talking about. I’ve had a number of incredibly thrilling experiences. Commercially speaking I suppose it would be performing one of my songs at the St Vincent Blues Festival, where we opened for Oleta Adams. Then again, how could you top performing “500 Miles High” with Chick Corea himself?

I find it hard to look at my ‘successes’ in commercial terms- until now I haven’t really worked towards any commercial success and so look at it in terms of general impact I suppose. In that regard I’ve had successes that I really couldn’t describe here because they wouldn’t make sense out of context. I know that I’ve been able to use my music to create tremendous impact.

Maybe the most successful musical venture I did was writing and co-producing a musical revue based on the booklet “The Way To Happiness”. The booklet is a moral code based on common sense and has been published in over 60 languages with 10s of millions of copies distributed worldwide (www.twth.org ). There are 21 “precepts” (rules) and a song was written for each precept. I wrote 4 of the songs. We did a series of performances in LA with the show, and then took the show into a Southern California prison. You can’t imagine. We changed people’s lives. That’s success.

Just one more comment on this question – a friend of mine once commissioned a survey of 1000 musicians to find out why they did music. The surveyor came back totally shocked – “all these musicians, they all want to save the world!” — And I’m just one of the tribe – to me, success is the degree to which you can change the world for the better.

Describe the difference between your two recent CDs.

“Eclectic Acoustic” is a CD of my original songs performed with just voice and guitar. “Atmosphere” is instrumental guitar only, both original and cover tunes – pop tunes, not classical or jazz. The purpose of the first is obvious, I suppose. The second one I did because while I was on the Cruise Ship, background music at dinner was a requirement and I actually had to learn to do this on board. It really took me a couple years to get decent at this and build sufficient repertoire, but after that I was constantly asked if there was a CD of my ‘dinner music’ available.

The next CD will be a lot more involved. Those who have heard me perform haven’t had a chance to hear the music I’ve written that I don’t perform solo because they either require a piano or a band – R&B, Jazz, showtunes, gospel – more to come.

Finish the sentence. Music should be …

Yes.

The beauty of music is it is a totally creative process. All “rules” are arbitrary and serve to guide one into an acceptable realm for a particular audience, but rules can be bent, broken, smashed to bits to serve creativity. It should just be.

What is your approach to songwriting? Do you commit to doing a certain amount of writing daily/weekly or just write when inspired?

Oh, now you’ve caught me out! One way is to sit down with a pen and a ream of paper and just write. Then sift through all of that and pick out what’s worth keeping and expand on it. Another is to start with a title and work from that. I’ve also started with a plot, written an outline and gone from there. Sometimes I’ll just get a verse or a chorus or a whole song that just flashes into my mind and if I’m lucky I’ll have the presence of mind to write it down. I’ve lost dozens of songs because I don’t have a pad and pen by my bed and when I’m half asleep and working out a whole song in a half-dream state, I just go back to sleep instead of writing it down.

I have not been writing much since I returned to the Bay Area in December. I’ve often promised myself to commit myself to writing a certain amount a day but I’ve never done it. When I was on the Ship I was mostly writing only when the need arose. So my songwriting output has been relatively low for a number of years. But I’m working on building a base here right now and I know I can write. So when the time comes for me to put my energies into writing again I know it will be there. Actually I’ve got a half-dozen or so songs that are about 90% done and I really ought to finish them off.

The country band I’m working with right now has a lot of energy behind it – top agent, top manager, high-powered producer – so I’m sure I’ll be writing a lot of country!

How did your experiences traveling influence your music when you returned to SF last year?

That’s hard to comprehend actually. I don’t think traveling as such really influenced me. More the people I’ve met and had the pleasure to work with. Because of them I know I can walk into any situation anywhere and do a good job.

One thing I can say about returning to the Bay Area – I love the sense of community here. I never felt particularly welcome in LA and there was some necessary distance being a cruise ship performer. But when I came back to the Bay Area I was immediately welcomed by the community and I think that’s something special and unique to this area. I mean, I was going across the Hayward Bridge last month and the car in front of me paid my bridge toll in a random act of senseless kindness. Welcome Home!

I have expanded my viewpoint – and one troubling thing I have seen since coming back is all the ‘talk’ about the state of the live music scene here – there’s a lot of complaining I’ve heard about it and no one doing anything concrete to change what they see is wrong. I feel that any situation can be bettered and I’m sure there are valid complaints, but if you’re not willing to do something about it, shut up and quit whining. If you’ve got a solution, then get to it!

See, there are two music scenes in any area – there are the working musicians, cover bands, that sort of thing. And there are the singer/songwriters and originals bands. Two very different scenes. The first is trying to make a living doing what they love, and they deserve to be able to do that. The second is trying to build a following and create a buzz that will eventually grow into something they can make a living from. Different needs, different purposes, different viewpoints. These can get confused and when they do it creates a lot of noise and no solutions. For the first the solution, far as I’m concerned, is a stronger union, one that these musicians will actually participate in and that will work to guarantee them a living wage (personally, I’ve never seen that happen, but why not here?). For the second? Hey, if you can’t find places to play or people to come see you, create your own venues, get smarter with your marketing, get better at your craft.

I have another idea that can help all of these and perhaps be the ultimate solution, but you’ll have to interview me again in a year, when I’ve had a chance to get more settled in.

Do you have a favorite SF venue?

Not as of yet. I’ve played a few places in the City and others around the Bay Area. I wouldn’t pick one out as a favorite. Although I had a friend who did a CD release party at the Purple Onion, which I thought was a very cool place and one I’d like to play at some point. I like intimate. I’ve played in front of 10s of thousands of people and I feel like you lose something when you do that. Of course those were outdoor venues where the sound all dissipates and you can see the crowd roar but can’t really hear them. It’s bizarre. But playing the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater was cool.

Which spots in the city can you be found in when you’re spending time here?

Unfortunately, it’s wherever I happen to be working. I haven’t afforded myself much hanging-out time. I haven’t even tried to find my old haunts from when I was growing up because I’m afraid they’re long gone (Cap’s Corner? Earthquake McGoons?). I’ve been down to the Haight a couple of times – “Hippie Chic” – it cracks me up. I’ve always loved Golden Gate Park, Union Square, North Beach. The one place I’d promised myself I’d go to that I haven’t been is AT&T Park! I’m a lifelong Giants fan and I haven’t been to a ball game all year!

If there was anything that you could make sure your fans knew, what would it be?

You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

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