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Purple live motion backgrounds church1/31/2024 ![]() ![]() I love that Otis is all about, again, feeling. So I think those are two and then of course, if you're going with males, Otis Redding all day long, Sam Cooke all day long. I'm playing whatever can accompany me the best and fit the best with what I'm doing. ![]() You know, like, what she's playing is part of what she's doing. Again, I love the gospel background, because that's my background is, you know, church music and stuff, and I love gospel, and I love her piano playing, and I love how she uses the piano as part of her. Joyann Parker: Well, you know, the same as most every blues lady singer: Etta James, just because again, communication, right? She just communicates so well what she's feeling. That was the only thing I was ever exposed to that was close. ![]() I always tell people my experience in blues is Eric Clapton and Deep Purple. Actually, the blues didn't come around till about 11 years ago I didn't really know anything about it. So it was all classical for me up until really late. I didn't know anything about jazz or blues or anything growing up. Mike Pengra: Did you ever play it? Of course, you played keyboards. Mike Pengra: Do you still listen to classical music? But anyway, I would have loved to have been a band director and do, you know, the field shows and all that stuff, but I still really enjoy all of that, watching all of that, listening to that stuff. So I went to church music after that, because I was able to take my kids with me and not have to worry about daycare. And then I finally got to teach sixth grade band my last year of teaching and then I got pregnant and decided to not go back to teaching. And I taught elementary music for a little bit. And it took me a while to get my first job in music. Because when I graduated, it was not a great time to get hired anywhere actually. And I only got to do that for a little bit. Mike Pengra: What was your intent when you graduated from college? You were going to be a band director? You went to college to study music, and you actually taught music after this. Mike Pengra: So speaking of that, you, like you said are classically trained. And that's why I really fell in love with her, was just her in general and how she communicates with her voice. I know I kind of got turned off early in my life - I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where we only had country music and classic rock - and so I went “Augh!” you know, "Classic country so boring," you know? And then later in life, when you understand the lyrics a little more, and you have been through some stuff, you get it. And that's why I connected with her, I think, to begin with. And to me, she channeled that soul, and when you read about her, people talk about how she made you feel more so even than the songs, and that everybody felt like she was singing directly to them, and that she moved them. Owen Bradley was pushing that envelope and making that Nashville sound, and he wanted her to sing differently, because she had that emotional, deep voice. You know, clearly it wasn't what country was at that time, you know. Joyann Parker: Well, she - it's not country. And so I think that is my biggest development, and I just think I go wherever I go. And I'm not worried about it any more about where to fit. You know, we have a little reggae, you got a little bluegrass, you got - I just write what I write. And so that's why you find all these different styles on this record. ![]() And over the years, I've just gotten more comfortable with who I am and not worrying about that so much. I felt like I was, I had to be - starting out in blues, I felt like I had to write a certain way, and I had to have a certain subject matter, maybe, or something like that. But over the years, I have just written the song to write the song, if that makes sense. And I don't, you know, I wouldn't not do those songs. Joyann Parker: You know, I think in the very beginning, I was trying to fit into a mold. How is it different? How has your style morphed over those three albums? This one has a little more of a bluesy tinge to it. Mike Pengra: So I've listened to your other albums, too. It came out in September, is that right? And this is album number three if I'm not mistaken. And I'm really excited because we're going to talk about your newest record, Roots. Mike Pengra: I'm in the studio with Joyann Parker. Josh Sauvageau | MPR Interview Transcript ![]()
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