AARON SUMMERFIELD Unmatched Talent When did you first get into music? For as long as I can remember, probably from the first time I heard it. I always dreamed about writing songs and forming and playing in bands. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? My pursuit of a music career was a compulsion. I had sounds in my head that I needed to realize, and I needed the skills to make that happen. You can only learn so much from mainstream education, after a certain point I had to get out in the trenches and learn by doing. Also, I needed money to live, so I started hustling any paying music work I could find. Bar gigs, cruise ships, community theater and the like. How has your music evolved since you first began performing? My musical voice is in constant evolution. I am into developing unique forms and structures and forging a personal musical language. I’ve worked hard to be dynamic and versatile, so those are the ways I’ve probably grown the most over the years. But my creative impetus feels very much the same as it did in the beginning.
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If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I’m driven by curiosity. I am hungry to discover new sounds and bring them into realization. I allow all my emotions to freely color my art as I experience them.
Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas? In terms of the music industry and making money, my dynamicism has proven super valuable. I’ve worked hard to develop a skillset that can open the door to different gigs and opportunities. Examples include working on my ear, learning to read all types of music notation, improvising, becoming fluent in music technology, etc. These skills are valuable because they facilitate musical communication. Fluent communication is one of the strongest indicators of musicianship, in my opinion. What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? To me, artistic evolution is like the struggle of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The ordeal is messy, painful, yet weirdly beautiful and ma jestic, and at the end of it all you can fly. If you take any shortcuts though, the whole thing is compromised. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? I believe that suffering is integral to the human experience. Suffering has also inspired so much amazing art throughout history. That being said, to truly “suffer” is an extremely unfortunate experience that I wish upon no living thing, even though it definitely happens to everyone.
