By Ray West
“Who is your greatest musical influence?” It’s one of the most common questions asked of a famous artist. We’ve all heard the myriad responses, but let’s dig a little deeper.
Influences often are strikingly obvious, from appearance and wardrobe to hairstyles and onstage moves, from the material they perform, down to the gear they use. At times we can close our eyes and recognize another musician’s sounds and technique embedded in our favorite player’s styles, leaving us with an extra sense of accessibility or even nostalgia.
At other times, off-stage behaviors and attitudes are emulated. Those outcomes are better left for more experienced minds than my own to expound upon, but I think we can agree we have all seen it to some extent.
There is another layer of influence, more subtle, but it affects player and listener equally. Sometimes it can be simply in the tone of someone’s voice or the way they slur their vowels when they sing. It can be the way a horn blower emphasizes a certain part of a note or where they might choose to put that note.
In the case of local songwriter, guitarist and comedian Zack Seemiller, it can be as simple as a single well-written line.
“Harry Chapin – his music has always been a part of my life and still is now, probably more than any other musician, and his activism for social justice has always been inspiring. His one lyric changed the way I write songs, ‘Strum your guitar, sing it, kid. Just write about your feelings, not the things you never did,’” Seemiller said.
Influence can be seen in the way a player actually holds their instrument. When I first saw Ian Anderson play the flute, I noticed which flute he used and how he held it slightly forward of traditional teaching, which aided in his style. Before long, it was also part of my style.
Long time Key West songstress and professional recording artist Adrienne Z. describes it this way: “I went to a James Taylor concert when I was 18, with fifth-row seats. I was able to watch his hands. He used all five fingers to fingerpick and I just had to try it. From that point I was hooked. I had to do it like James.”
There is yet another influence, one that often has little to do with music and more to do with life. My father inspired me to read. Not because he spoke about it, but because he did it, and he loved it.
When we are out living this life, who’s to say who is watching or how they interpret what they see. But rest assured, at any moment, you could be inspiring someone else.
