We recently connected with SEN – SEI and have shared our conversation below.
SEN-SEI, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
From a personal point of view, I guess it started with a few factors regarding how/when/where I grew up. First off, I’m a Gen-X, Italian, Puerto Rican Brooklynite. That’s a lot to take in right there. Now, add that I’m an only child from a blue-collar father & an immigrant mother who was in the beauty industry for over 30 years. Put all those little tidbits together & you get the foundation of who I am. You had to have your wits about you at a very early age, which led to my developing confidence in myself.
From a musician/live performer point of view, that started with getting conditioned very early in my education. I started learning to play classical piano at 5, and my teacher immediately made me participate in public recitals. First, it was 10 people (students and parents in her home music studio), then local performances at music events, and then competitions. Over the years, I got conditioned to play in front of more and more people, each time getting more comfortable with my skill level.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Who I Am:
Short and sweet. I’m a 45-year musician (all types of Keys) who’s been a live house music performer since 1991, with my first appearance on vinyl back in 1996. I’ve produced and composed all genres of house music with a focus on Deep, Jazzy, Soulful, and Nu Disco. My entire musical career is rooted in the West Coast house community with a focus on San Francisco/ Bay Area rave & nightclub culture. That expanded to playing globally.
What I Do:
When I’m playing “Live”, I perform alongside a DJ doing a 2- 3hr mix. From sound selection to creating live patterns & solos, I mix into a track that has “sonic space” for my live layer. Sound selection is through my laptop, where I run the music program “Logic” and then select from thousands of sounds using a variety of synth plug-ins. The formula is four parts: 1) finding the right track to play live on, 2) finding/creating the right sound that would complement that track, 3) mixing in with one hand while playing live with the other, then mix out before the track is done and the DJ the transition into the next track. and 4) knowing when “not” to play. Fun fact: No sequencers are ever used. I’m 100% free-hand.
Top Question:
I guess the first thing I get asked about the most is my name: Why Sen-Sei? Why that spelling? Do you know any martial arts? Let me break it down for you. So my last name is Sensei, the exact spelling for the teacher title in Japanese. Now, I’m no teacher, but I try to educate people in my craft, making and playing live house music. Anyway, back in 1991, I needed an artist’s name since I was starting to play out in the scene, and there were basically two choices: use your real name or an alias. So I stopped using my given first name and hyphenated my last name (there’s always a – between Sen & Sei), my attempt at showing some respect for people who did earn that title. Make sense?
The Long Game:
My focus is to continue to make house music with as many collaborators as possible. I LOVE collaborations.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
This is a great question. The most important thing someone could do is learn as much as possible and then PRACTICE!
Next, you must commit to networking within professional circles related to the craft; develop relationships with people you can not only learn from, but can also help you get the ball rolling in discovering opportunities. Most importantly, don’t get discouraged. Things take time (and a little luck), and you must keep believing in yourself.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
As a digital musician/producer in the house music community, my #1 challenge is knowing that no matter what I do, the music “business” is a rigged game—full stop. Digital music sites like Spotify rob artists of the most minuscule financial compensation. Now, let’s pivot to music sales/distribution sites like Traxsource & Beatport. Artists/producers get a fraction of what their music is sold for, regardless of the number of total downloads. This can be highly discouraging because of the financial & time investment an artist/producer makes in the creation process.
How do you overcome such a challenge? I’m not sure. Speaking for myself, I’ve accepted that it’s not financially lucrative. I do what I do because I love it. Having this mindset lets you focus on the creative process and enjoy sharing the finished product.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sen-sei.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/senseisf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/senseisf/
- Twitter: HELL NO! Musk is a racist & I don’t support his platform.
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sen-seicollabsprivate
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
