GLENN SAWYER Living Out His Dream When did you first get into music? Please explain. I’ve been playing music since I was 5 but didn’t really get into it until I took a guitar class in high school. My mother had me playing classical piano from 5-14 and although I enjoyed it, I wasn’t passionate about it. I like classical music but it felt confining having to read off the page and only play what was there. The class I took on guitar gave me the tools to write my own music and that was what really appealed to me. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? The biggest inspiration that pushed me to pursue a career in music is the band Phish. I was introduced to them when I was 17 or 18 and I loved how they wrote and played a variety of styles and also how they took risks in their improvisations. The idea that you could do whatever you wanted with music really appealed to me and continues to do so to this day. There’s obviously a huge body of knowledge when it comes to music theory and what has worked in the past but I love the idea that you could ultimately do whatever you want as long as it appeals to you. How has your music evolved since you first began writing and producing music? My music has undergone massive changes over the years and continues to evolve to do so to this day.
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I’m a big believer in doing what excites you artistically and I think that has kept music fresh for me. I’ve never tried to limit myself to one style or genre and I incorporate new techniques and styles that appeal to me, into my work all the time. I’ve also been fortunate to be able to work with artists in a wide range of styles which has helped push me to develop new skills and refine old skills on the regular. When I first decided I wanted to do music I was all about live performance and improvisation, but the longer I do it I find I’m more interested in songwriting and distilling ideas into the best and most concise forms. Please tell us about your studio, The Spot Studios in Evergreen, Colorado? The Spot is myself and my production partner Rich Veltrop’s personal production studio. We are the only producers/engineers that use the studio and we’ve designed it to maximize our workflow. The Spot is unique in that we took a house and converted it into a studio. The main room is 30x30 with vaulted wood ceilings and has a warm focused sound. We also have two isolation booths and we also offer lodging for artists although we’ve limited that due to the pandemic.
