Interview with Laura Sullivan–a Grammy Award winner and a gem of a person

It’s rare when I read an email interview and come to find such a touching statement at the end of it: ‘I intend to always keep my family as top priority.‘

I have almost never seen an internationally acclaimed artist being so gracefully declaring their preference–family is often something that is ignored if you are pursuing your career or craft zealously. With success comes the hard reality of having lesser time for your family. But here’s somebody whom I found uniquely careful about choosing their priorities.

Yes, my dear readers, I am talking about one of the finest piano players on earth, Laura Sullivan. Her pleasant demeanor will draw you to her. Let’s read what she has to say about some questions that I asked from her:

Q1. Tell us how music found you?

I was blessed to grow up in a family where music was appreciated and created with playful energy. Our instruments at home were used like toys and playing them was done with joy, rather than as a chore or as a requirement or demand.

Q2. What’s the most essential thing a musician should do to become an expert in the art?

Become obsessed with your craft. Tap in to your passion to the point where you never want to put your instrument down and crave to pick it up again when you do set it down. It’s also important to understand our genre and to be focused. It’s hard to do every style well and so better to focus on a style of music and develop or our own unique sound.

Q3. Do you feel music should be taught to kids as a must-have subject in school?

Yes. I believe all people to be naturally musical. It is a privilege to learn to create music and one I feel that every child deserves.

Q4. What are the options available to a young musician to sustain his living?

Teaching is a viable and honorable option, and one that can be a supplement to performing and selling or licensing one’s own compositions and recordings. Music for games and other media is a growing market and one I would recommend young people explore.

Q5. How do you feel music can bring people of the world together?

Music is our common language, and upon hearing it emotions are elicited that are common to all humanity. Music can open our hearts like nothing else can. Through this, we can understand and feel in our hearts, bodies and minds our connection as people.

Q6. Apart from music, what else you like to do?

Spend time with my family. I intend to always keep my family as top priority.

Q7. Share a message with our audience.

Let us lift each other up with love, compassion and music.