Who is a musician with whom you’d love to collaborate?
– Hojo
Hi Hojo –
I’ll admit, it’s not something I’ve thought much about. But immediately Randy Newman and Paul Simon come to mind. I’m certainly influenced by both, but it would be amazing to be in a room with them to learn as much as possible (and flood the internet with selfies).
Newman is so quirky but still melodic and accessible. He crafts great stories and makes me think differently about the world. Simon obviously is a master. The way he phrases lyrics and chooses metaphors—downright flabbergasting.
But to tell you the truth, collaborating with them—or the thought of what that would be like—is hardly what may or may not happen. In my experience, some of the most rewarding collaborations were not necessarily the ones I was excited to be a part of. The opposite is true as well. Some collaborations I’ve been thrilled to have on the schedule turned out to be lackluster.
So my thought with this question is a little ambivalent. My hope would be both Randy Newman and Paul Simon would be great hangs and we’d enjoy each other‘s company and I’d learn a ton and they wouldn’t feel like they were donating to charity. But it might turn out that we don’t mesh well. It might be an extremely awkward day.
Randy Newman and Paul Simon aside—and this might not have been what you meant by your question, but something I think about often is working with my aunt and uncles. I grew up listening to them sing in church. Sometimes I think about getting them all in a room to sing together, and I would record them. It would be a nice thing to have. Not for any commercial reason. Just personal.
Love,
Aaron
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