We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jack Waugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jack, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I think music fuels optimism naturally when you enter into a creative space. Especially playing with likeminded musicians who are talented and driven, you begin to discover your voice and collective voices and also the impact it can have on people. That’s a huge driving force for playing music, and one of many things I always love about getting to improvise and compose.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a full time musician and an adjunct professor of jazz guitar at Towson University. I recently started a jazz-americana-fusion project called “Jack Waugh’s Americanaland” that features my original music. The group consists of close friends of mine that I’ve known for years, we’re in the process of releasing singles off of our debut EP “Americanaland” and additionally we’ve been releasing videos from a recent live studio session. It’s been a lot of fun, and our audience has been growing quickly since we’ve started. We recently played at Nublu in East Village which was a highlight for us and have more upcoming shows around the East Coast.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Good ears – must have for musicians
2. Spiritual connection- knowing your purpose and being able bypass your ego both when you play and when you think about what you want to accomplish as a musician
3. Dedication- practicing consistently, tenaciously, but also with specific intention is important
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner and Forward Motion by Hal Galper
These two books contain a lot of wisdom about the purpose behind playing jazz but also music in general. The former is focused mostly on philosohpy the latter on mechanics of jazz harmony and lines. Would highly recommend them for any musicians!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jackwaughmusic.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jackwaughmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8eC0CGlFcVareW4EH4G3PA
- Other: https://linktr.ee/jackwaughmusic
Image Credits
Main photo – Joe Carabeo
Other photos- Dan Mears at Blue House Productions
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
