Martin Lesch is a husband, musician, songwriter, phenomenal pianist, and teacher, in addition to being fully committed to preserving the art and culture of jazz music.
There are a lot of people who love jazz music and kind of idolize the life of the creative artist/ musician, so I feel that his willingness to be open and vulnerable about both the joys and struggles on his path will be extremely insightful. During this conversation we discuss creating, as a legacy of caring about your community. We delve into tough subjects like the creative process, addiction, dealing with death and questioning everything. He also discusses his decision to create a new CD Journey through Jazz and to sell it on iTunes.
Martin has always had an interest in music. He tells stories of playing the piano from before he was old enough for lessons (starting around 4 years old), simply making up his own melodies and asking his mother what she thought of them. He began taking lessons at 5 and had both good and bad teachers until his tween years, when he finally found a great teacher. That teacher was a stand out because he did two things: asked Martin what kind of music he liked (and let him play that), as well as “taught him music theory from the get-go.”
Parallel to his childhood interest in music and the arts, he describes growing up in New York City with a family that had some very interesting theological metamorphoses. He describes how his thought patterns changed and were shaped with deep conversations with family and extended family members.
Martin grew up playing music and went through Berklee music school. He was writing, performing and constantly on the road. He had the opportunity to perform with exemplary musicians from all around the world.
He spent an extensive time in China, and Europe , as well as touring all over the United States. His greatest desire was”[He] just wanted to create.” During that time his meditation practice grew, as did the depth of his commitment to Buddhism. We discuss how “creativity develops in the quiet, not in the noise.”
Music is definitely another language and form of expression. Jazz solos are like improvisational stories. “Sometimes you get home at the end of a night performing and you feel like you didn’t finish saying everything that you wanted to say…” explains Martin. He then sits down on his piano at home and plays a bit more until he has finished “his story” for the night.
Martin talks about the Jazz tradition of helping younger players to become accepted into the Jazz community, as well as offering them the experience that they need to fully step into the world of improvisational music. We discuss how Martin extended that invitation to my son Hani’el Mastriani-Levi, after hearing a brief video of him warming up for a sax lesson, in a parking lot.
Hani’el in the Parking lot: https://youtu.be/8XSRPIHjl3Q
Hani’el’s Debut at Jazz corner link: https://youtu.be/Mn_SNfv7UWo
Martin is vulnerable in discussing the risks of a creative to show up fully and the bravery necessary.
“Being brave is attractive.” “The best art is created in an ego-less space.” ” Jazz enables your art to be a community activity.”
He also openly discusses how substance abuse is a huge deterrent to artistic development and progress. We speak about how prevalent it is in the world of art/music and how quickly it can lead you down the wrong path.
Martin spent years writing for others and now he says, “I’m writing every night…just that I’m doing it live on stage.” The legacy that he desires to create is not just as a musician, rather as a compassionate person who helped to bring empathy amongst others in the community.
A Simple Change that Martin recommends is:
- Practice Meditation…every day in some way…to create compassion & understanding in all that you do.
To learn more about Martin Lesch and how you can support his mission of preserving the art of Jazz music and/or to purchase his new album, please contact him at: leschband@gmail.com or visit him at the website: www.martinlesch.com
Sources Mentioned in the Podcast
Journey Through Jazz by Martin Lesch Buy it on iTunes here
Here’s Moonlight in Vermont off the Journey Through Jazz album 2016
Journey Through Jazz by Martin Lesch
Buy it on iTunes here
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Simple Change Theme Music by Hani’el Mastriani-Levi
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This podcast was edited by Mannafest Living
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