Smooth Artist Interviews

Kim Scott - Livin' It Up 1
Kim Scott - Livin' It Up 2
Kim Scott - Livin' It Up 3
Kim Scott - Livin' It Up 4
Kim Scott - Livin' It Up 5
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Kim Scott
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of recording?

To me the most challenging aspect of recording is trying not to be a perfectionist.  Because of my classical music background, I was conditioned to playing the music as perfectly as possible, i.e. all the right notes, all the right dynamics, all the right rhythms, etc. In jazz, it's okay to not play all the "right" notes all the time.  I've learned that some of those "wrong" notes or rhythms/articulations were some of the best moments on a record. So now I have learned to embrace the beautiful blemishes that color a recording. Those are some of the coolest moments to me now!

What are you most proud of at this point in your life and career?

I'm most proud of my journey and growth. As a late jazz bloomer, I've managed to fine tune my skills in the genre while also finding my voice in it. At this point I'm extremely comfortable with my musical voice and its uniqueness, and I'm proud to have built a jazz career rooted in transparency and authenticity.  I'm not your traditional jazz player, and that's ok. I'm Kim Scott and that's pretty darn good for me!

What aspect of the creative process, from concept to market, do you personally find to be the most rewarding?

I love every aspect of the creative process so it's hard to pick one facet of it.  I love when a musical idea is conceived and many times I will sing it into my voice recorder on my phone before developing it fully. When the piece is finished and has been recorded, I often go back to see what it sounded like in its infancy. It always blows my mind to listen back and see how far it developed.  I also love the recording process because I'm full of raw emotion and energy for the sessions and I'm completely captivated by the moment of music-making. It's like an out-of-body experience where God takes over and the most spiritual, magical things happen in the booth. Lastly, I love going back to listen to the finished product because I'm always in awe of what took place.  I'll often think to myself, "How the heck did I come up with that cool lick/cool phrase, etc."

If you were asked (and we are asking now!) for your advice as to what the Smooth jazz format could do moving forward to insure it relevance and growth, what would your suggestion(s) be?

My advice would be for the Smooth Jazz format to keep evolving with innovative sounds and styles.  Artists should not create music based on what music sounds like on the radio right now. They should be brave enough to venture out and find their sound and style, and radio should be more open to embracing new sounds/styles. Otherwise, the sounds on the airwaves become saturated and stale. Also, if we're going to grow the jazz audience and acquire younger listeners we've got to embrace those new sounds and styles even more.

Outside of your musical career, what else in your life gets you excited and fulfilled?

Outside of my musical career, I get excited about traveling with my family and game night with them as well.  We have a great time together and its nice to have the down time to love on each other.

Going back in your life as far as you can remember, what song or performance is the first you recall hearing and being affected by?

The first song I can remember hearing and being affected by was Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky and it was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  My mother was a music educator by profession, so she had a huge library of vinyl records that included symphonic works.  The power of the brass entrance in that piece stuck with me and it is still one of my favorite pieces to this day.  When I was advanced enough to play parts of the song, I found the first flute parts for the piece and I would play along with the recordings at home. Those were the good old days!!