We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Murphy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
my secret to the creative process is this : i honor , respect and foster my curiosity.
i allow it to run rampant, untethered and amok in my life . it is often messy and disruptive but it leads me into the most interesting places & solutions
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
i am professional Musician . i play the violin and perform 200+ events a year in an incredibly wide range of situations; private events, concerts, recording sessions, farmers markets, weddings on boats, bars and castles .
my musical style is influenced by folk music from all over the world, including North America, Europe and the middle east as well as Jazz , Classical & Rock music .
What’s interesting about what I do is that I only play music that I have composed , regardless of where I am, I don’t do any cover music or music that exists elsewhere. It’s all from my own imagination, and I build into all the pieces of music that I write places where I get to improvise and create in the moment, influenced by the situation i find myself in :
the audience , the venue , the environment or the weather , like a live film score to wherever I am , interacting and responding to the moment .
i always want my performances to feel fresh and inspired
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
curiosity , courage & consistency ,,,
take a wrong turn ,,,
go to thrift stores and find the clothes that reflect your personality ,,,
embrace mistakes ,,,
learn something the wrong way and refuse to change it ..,,
don’t worry about technique ..,,
edit , edit , edit ,,,
read biographies, you are not alone ,,,
go by yourself more often than you like ,,,
day drink !
watch black & white movies ,,,
throw it away and start over .,,
don’t use credit cards ,,
follow your curiosity.,,
keep going ! keep going ! keep going !
the challenge is to be the best version of yourself that you can be .
also , don’t overcook the pasta .
very bad !!
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
i love working for folks who value the live music experience ! especially folks who like original, enchanting, creative, sensual, and magical violin music lol .
there’s nothing like having wave forms created from a musical instrument, live , in real time , in front of you floating through an event like incense, changing the algorithms and moods and experiences.
hire a live band , not a D.J. !!!!!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chrismurphymusic.com
- Instagram: chrismurphyviolin
- Facebook: chrismurphyviolin
- Youtube: 1chrismurphymusic
Image Credits
@kimfoxphoto
