WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.639
It's WEHM All Access as we get to know the performers at this year's Harbor American Music Festival.
00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:11.839
Uh the uh festival welcomes the Daniel Garvin group of featuring Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.599
And joining us is Daniel Garvin.
00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:14.480
Daniel, how are you?
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:15.439
Good, thank you.
00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:15.919
How are you?
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:16.640
Very good.
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:18.559
Thank you for uh for doing this and sitting down.
00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:22.719
It's a chance to get to know the artists that are performing at this year's festival.
00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:29.120
And I kind of want to kind of go back a little bit and learn where you came from and what you're involved in these days.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.479
And uh I I did read that you grew up in Romania.
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:33.439
Uh is is that true?
00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:37.759
And and how where did you kind of start to uh to grow up and learn about music?
00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:43.520
Well, uh first of all, I want to thank you for uh giving me the opportunity to um have this interview.
00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.320
Our pleasure.
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:44.560
Thank you.
00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:49.200
It's uh great a pleasure, and uh also I'm very honored to participate in the festival.
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:57.520
Um and also a great honor to uh participate uh not only with my group but to have uh a special guest, uh Maestro Randy Brecker.
00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:58.960
That'll be that'll be great.
00:00:59.039 --> 00:00:59.840
He's terrific.
00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:01.200
Yeah, of course.
00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:19.359
So I grew up in Romania, um um very close to uh the border with Ukraine where the conflict's happening in Hungary, and so there are many influences there from various cultures, uh musically, culinarily, uh culturally.
00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:21.760
So that um that helped.
00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:34.640
Um then later on um I uh joined uh in high school I joined a kind of like a jazz, jazz rock fusion band um with some of the peers from the um high school of music.
00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:40.640
And then uh first year of college, I joined the uh jazz big band.
00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:54.400
I was going to study economics, uh finances, and banking, but um it wasn't really something I really liked too, but it was something that a lot of people were doing, um, especially you know after the fall of the communism in Romania.
00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:00.959
So it was um uh kind of like a crowd decision to go where everybody else goes.
00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:05.599
Um but I was my interests were were were in mathematics and were in music.
00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.040
That's that's very interesting.
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:15.840
You've described in some interviews I I've looked at and read being fascinated early on by musicians that were around you in your hometown that kind of move fluidly between genres.
00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:20.800
And uh I'm curious when you think about your own work, do you feel that you're still kind of moving between those genres?
00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:22.560
I'd imagine you kind of are.
00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.479
Yes, uh, of course.
00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:28.560
I mean, um music it's something that speaks to you.
00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:32.639
So uh for me that's the most important thing.
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:43.759
Rather than being uh, I don't want to say stuck, but but rather than sticking with a single genre, I stick with the melody that uh and the music that resonates to me.
00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:55.680
So that's why I mean uh in in in my music, um I I blend together uh elements of jazz with elements of Indian classical music, Romanian folklore, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian music.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:56.080
Wow.
00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:59.599
And who knows what else the future will bring.
00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:00.400
That's that's fun.
00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:01.919
When did you come over to the States?
00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.560
Oh, it was um in 1998.
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:04.879
Okay.
00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:06.159
So 28 years ago.
00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:10.879
Now, how long have you been a uh you're a press professor of mathematics at Queensborough Community College?
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:11.840
How long have you been there?
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.199
I've been there since uh 2012.
00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:19.280
Um so oh yeah, that's some years.
00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:25.280
Well, and I'm curious the the relationship, because there certainly is one, uh, but with music and mathematics.
00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:27.680
How how has that kind of helped you?
00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:34.000
Um how the way you compose, the way you improvise, I'd imagine that has an effect in kind of the way you see the world.
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:36.400
Um yeah, yes, it does.
00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:40.879
Um, of course, there are um there are so many connections between mathematics and music.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.560
I mean, we would need a lot of time to go over those.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:59.280
Uh and but at as far as for me, um so um when you do um when you compose a song, you know, sometimes you have some inspiration, it comes to you, you have some idea, but sometimes you get stuck.
00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:06.240
And um it takes time for you to you know to you have to ruminate and you have to not give up.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:16.079
And you know, it's maybe the the way out, the writing the whole thing head to toe will come in a day, maybe it will come in in a week, maybe in months.
00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:17.360
Um, who knows?
00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:25.759
And then maybe when you think it's finished, you may have some other ideas that will take you, maybe will take the song into a slightly different direction.
00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:32.800
Uh, like um, for instance, I had a song that I realized after we recorded, oh, we should have done this part using a hip-hop group.
00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:35.040
It's like, mmm, too bad.
00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:42.879
I mean, I wish I had the idea when before recording it, but nonetheless, now we're playing you know with this new idea, so things may evolve afterwards.
00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.399
In mathematics, uh things are very, very much similar.
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:52.800
Um, when you do math research, you may be uh you know, ruminating over problems for months and for years.
00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:57.439
So and you have to keep at it, and and you know, you don't have to be discouraged.
00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:07.759
It's just accept that something is difficult and just you know, leave that thought behind and uh work on the things that you have to work on, compose the things that you have to compose, and that's that.
00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.279
It teaches you patience, uh for for sure.
00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:12.399
Uh right.
00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:23.279
And then of course you have the connections, uh, you have all the structural connections, the geometry of music, the geometry of mathematics, um the the physics of sounds and and all those, you know.
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:26.560
I mean, that that's that could be uh at least one course.
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:28.000
I'm sure.
00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:28.720
Uh I'm cute.
00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:29.519
I'm curious.
00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:34.639
Uh I read that you you went to India and led you to the sitar and Indian classical music.
00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.360
Uh, what did that instrument do for you creatively?
00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:40.639
Uh, because it's uh it's certainly interesting how you you came about that.
00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:42.480
When did you first uh start?
00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:49.920
Um so I went to um the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Al Habad, it's a very famous research institute.
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:57.360
Uh, for a math conference, I was in my uh grad school uh pursuing my PhD in mathematics in 2006.
00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.079
And um at that point I was already in love with uh Indian culture.
00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:18.319
And uh I because of my uh I was living very close to Jackson Heights, um, so I was there in the Little India and I was really in awe of all the um uh the flavors and the spices and the food.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:25.040
And you know, I saw a sitar in in one of those uh shops and I said, Oh well, maybe one day I'll buy one.
00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:37.600
And a few years later, uh in 2006, I I said, okay, I'm definitely gonna buy one, and especially going to India, it's gonna uh allow me to get a much better musical instrument than I would buy here.
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:52.959
And I used the help of um one of my uh um PhD colleagues, uh candidate colleagues, so my uh my my friends from grad school, whose uh aunt uh lived in New Delhi, and she was a classical singer.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:59.759
And she took me to the store and she introduced me to the people, and you know that's how I got a pretty good deal on the guitar.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:00.639
Oh wow.
00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:06.800
So how long did it take for you to feel comfortable playing it in in front of people, so to speak, performing?
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:12.319
Oh, uh after that it took a while because I was finishing my PhD, so I put it on the back burner.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.920
But um, some years afterwards I started practicing.
00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:29.199
Um, I started watching um um and starting uh all kinds of um things about you know how to play the music, what a raga is, um, all these uh different technicalities.
00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:35.839
Um the transition wasn't that difficult given that I had um, you know, you know, I was a musician at that point.
00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:50.319
So uh but still, I mean, um the way you play and how you should play it, and and um the way you build a melody, you know, it's it's much, much different than you know, let's say in in Western music, you know.
00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:54.560
So in in jazz, you may have two minutes to build a solo.
00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:56.480
Maybe that's a long one.
00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:00.240
Uh in the classical music, it takes a long time to build that solo.
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:08.879
So now you have to um to sort of like marry the two, you know, not too long, uh, but not too short.
00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:11.680
So, you know, it's that's that's the philosophy.
00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:17.600
And and since I play guitar, it also helped, it helped with the transition towards sitar.
00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.480
But again, it's not uh it's not the same thing.
00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:25.199
It's uh there's different finger rings, there's different ways of playing.
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:31.360
There's a lot of pulling strings, a lot of pulling strings, and um a lot of practicing on those.
00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.639
And uh yeah.
00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:34.639
I'm I'm sure.
00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:45.519
Uh I'm curious what your your composing and your writing sessions are are like and how often and are you working on what are you working on now as far as um different different songs and different albums?
00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:58.320
Yeah, so right now, um well while we're finishing uh tracking the sitar dances, so this is an album that we tracked um uh last summer, and there's still a few things to do.
00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:01.759
Um, but at the same time, I'm working on the next uh project.
00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:08.559
Uh um and I've I have some I have a good amount of material, so to say.
00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:17.440
Um two new compositions I've already tried on on live, um, because that's where uh the test is.
00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:29.919
Um you know, I want to try it live, I want to see how it is, and give the musicians uh an opportunity to um you know go over the parts, uh experiment um with different ideas.
00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.840
So that's um my love for you.
00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:40.159
There's one, I mean, if it matters, my love for you is one of them, and uh A Story of Longing uh is another one.
00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.639
So those we've already played.
00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:49.919
Um and I had some other material that I composed together with my uh wife, producer and producer Simona Pop.
00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:56.399
Um, those we haven't touched yet, those are you know ready or not, uh it depends.
00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:03.919
And um just uh as of last month, I wrote um um a new piece.
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:09.519
Um as far as the writing process, um, I I like the inspiration to come to me.
00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:15.679
Um it's not like a nine to five job where you go there and say then inspiration will come through emails or something.
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.360
So I let the inspiration come to me.
00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:23.519
But once it does, the first thing I do, I record myself um uh using my phone.
00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:32.480
Uh maybe I have the main ideas, and then uh if there's uh if I think that it has potential, then I go start charting using uh worst and classical notation.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.440
So you mentioned your wife uh helps her um play a role in producing.
00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:40.080
How does that collaboration work with someone so close to you?
00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:43.120
How does that um how does that affect the creative process?
00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:54.720
It helps because you know uh uh we know each other really well, so we know what we want, uh and we can communicate ideas very uh very easily between us.
00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:04.879
Um when it comes to um doing the production, you know, there's many aspects that you know people say, oh, you're a musician, so you're having fun only.
00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:05.600
Not true.
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.039
You have to go all through do all these uh you know other things.
00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:14.799
Uh you know, uh make sure um you have the musicians for that particular gig.
00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:25.519
Or um when you go into a studio, um make sure that everybody has their parts and has their charts, and uh um there's a um there's a lot of uh logistic that goes to it.
00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:33.120
And you know, just and and of course, social media is another very time-consuming thing.
00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:34.480
So that's that.
00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:39.279
And when it comes to composing together, we've we wrote a few songs together.
00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:53.759
Um, it may happen that uh sometimes she may write a melody and I might I may put the chords over it, or um that kind of uh splitting the tasks into two, and then we can consult, we can debate, oh, does this work?
00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:55.039
Uh should we do this?
00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:56.240
Should we leave this out?
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:57.600
You know, things like this.
00:11:57.759 --> 00:11:58.080
Yeah.
00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:04.320
So you're involved in a lot of different projects, and then you're you're busy in the city with uh the jazz community uh as well.
00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:08.639
And I'm curious what what because you've been all over uh into various places.
00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.799
How does the the New York jazz community compare to different places in the world you've been?
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.480
Um I'm just curious how uh how different it is, how similar.
00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.720
Uh what's your what's your perspective on it is?
00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:24.399
Oh, it's I mean, uh for jazz, New York is the place to be.
00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:27.360
Um it's just uh it's enormous, you know.
00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:37.679
Many years ago, I was thinking like, uh, how come you know, I was just going to the um um Montreal Jazz Festival, and I was like, how come Montreal has a jazz festival and New York City doesn't?
00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.320
It's like, well, I was naive, of course.
00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:54.240
There's you can see jazz every day, like literally every day of the cal of every calendar there you can go to some club and see jazz, and it's not just one club, there's there's many clubs that you can see.
00:12:54.399 --> 00:13:12.159
So I mean there is a New York City Jazz Festival, but it's you know it's not as I guess advertised as or as big as it's as the Montreal Jazz Festival, but still, New York City has so much to offer that you know it's uh um you know it's it's something else, it's it's unique.
00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:19.360
You know, other places like Montreal, Toronto, um uh they have um uh a jazz scene, but it's way, way smaller.
00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:25.200
Paris has a jazz scene, but it's you know it's uh pretty small compared to compared to New York.
00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:31.039
And and the caliber of of musicians here uh it's just uh it's just amazing.
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.759
So you know that's yeah.
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.120
I'm curious, have you ever have you gotten back to Romania recently?
00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:39.279
Oh um no, no.
00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:42.639
Last time I was there it was uh seven years ago.
00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.080
So yes, we've been thinking to go there, but um it just uh didn't materialize.
00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.720
So maybe next year, but who knows?
00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.679
You know, with the recordings and with all these things, it's very difficult to get there, you know.
00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:56.799
I I would imagine.
00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:06.080
Uh you are performing on that Sunday, the 27th, at the Sank Harbor American Music Festival uh with uh Grammy winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, and I'm curious uh your relationship with Randy.
00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:07.360
How long have you guys known each other?
00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:13.759
Um well uh I was a very great fan of Randy Brecker and uh the Brecker Brothers.
00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:23.759
Um and I really loved um that uh you know the the style of music that that they play, they I mean they they were fluent in so many genres.
00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:35.919
Yeah um including some folklore, you know, um added towards the um the end Michael Brecker was studying Bulgarian folklore, and I was surprised to find that out.
00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:56.080
But nonetheless, so um being such a great fan of Randy, um and um we thought actually my wife proposed that you know maybe we should let's contact him, let's see if he'd be interested into tracking um into doing a couple of tracks for uh uh the sitar dances.
00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.399
This is the recording that I play sitar only.
00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.399
I didn't play guitar, so it's just sitar.
00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:13.120
Um so we uh we have sitar, piano, drums, tabla, bass, uh, and saxophone, but um the saxophone parts um you know didn't quite resonate.
00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:22.000
So we um we thought that a more mellower sound would would complement the um the tone of the sitar.
00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.639
So then we thought um I was very nervous.
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.519
We thought, okay, let's contact uh uh Mr.
00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:30.159
Breaker.
00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:34.240
I thought, oh maybe he'll say no, and I'm like, oh okay.
00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:40.879
But then to my surprise, um he said yes, and I was uh really excited.
00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:45.759
He's like, uh give me the tracks, tell me what I have to do, and give me the charts.
00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:46.960
Uh that's right.
00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:50.320
And then the the rest was history.
00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.080
Well, I can't wait to see it.
00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.320
It's happening this Sunday, the twenty seventh, two o'clock.
00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:58.879
Daniel Garbin Group featuring Randy Brecker at the Sag Harbor American Music Festival.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:00.240
Daniel, thank you so much for your time.
00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:04.879
I appreciate it getting to know you a bit and uh wish you the best and can't wait to see you out there in Sag Harbor.
00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:06.080
Thank you, thank you.
00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:06.639
Thank you so much.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:06.639
It's WEHM All Access as we get to know the performers at this year's Harbor American Music Festival.
00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:11.839
Uh the uh festival welcomes the Daniel Garvin group of featuring Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.599
And joining us is Daniel Garvin.
00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:14.480
Daniel, how are you?
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:15.439
Good, thank you.
00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:15.919
How are you?
00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:16.640
Very good.
00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:18.559
Thank you for uh for doing this and sitting down.
00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:22.719
It's a chance to get to know the artists that are performing at this year's festival.
00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:29.120
And I kind of want to kind of go back a little bit and learn where you came from and what you're involved in these days.
00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.479
And uh I I did read that you grew up in Romania.
00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:33.439
Uh is is that true?
00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:37.759
And and how where did you kind of start to uh to grow up and learn about music?
00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:43.520
Well, uh first of all, I want to thank you for uh giving me the opportunity to um have this interview.
00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.320
Our pleasure.
00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:44.560
Thank you.
00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:49.200
It's uh great a pleasure, and uh also I'm very honored to participate in the festival.
00:00:49.359 --> 00:00:57.520
Um and also a great honor to uh participate uh not only with my group but to have uh a special guest, uh Maestro Randy Brecker.
00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:58.960
That'll be that'll be great.
00:00:59.039 --> 00:00:59.840
He's terrific.
00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:01.200
Yeah, of course.
00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:19.359
So I grew up in Romania, um um very close to uh the border with Ukraine where the conflict's happening in Hungary, and so there are many influences there from various cultures, uh musically, culinarily, uh culturally.
00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:21.760
So that um that helped.
00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:34.640
Um then later on um I uh joined uh in high school I joined a kind of like a jazz, jazz rock fusion band um with some of the peers from the um high school of music.
00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:40.640
And then uh first year of college, I joined the uh jazz big band.
00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:54.400
I was going to study economics, uh finances, and banking, but um it wasn't really something I really liked too, but it was something that a lot of people were doing, um, especially you know after the fall of the communism in Romania.
00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:00.959
So it was um uh kind of like a crowd decision to go where everybody else goes.
00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:05.599
Um but I was my interests were were were in mathematics and were in music.
00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.040
That's that's very interesting.
00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:15.840
You've described in some interviews I I've looked at and read being fascinated early on by musicians that were around you in your hometown that kind of move fluidly between genres.
00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:20.800
And uh I'm curious when you think about your own work, do you feel that you're still kind of moving between those genres?
00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:22.560
I'd imagine you kind of are.
00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:24.479
Yes, uh, of course.
00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:28.560
I mean, um music it's something that speaks to you.
00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:32.639
So uh for me that's the most important thing.
00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:43.759
Rather than being uh, I don't want to say stuck, but but rather than sticking with a single genre, I stick with the melody that uh and the music that resonates to me.
00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:55.680
So that's why I mean uh in in in my music, um I I blend together uh elements of jazz with elements of Indian classical music, Romanian folklore, Afro-Cuban, and Brazilian music.
00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:56.080
Wow.
00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:59.599
And who knows what else the future will bring.
00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:00.400
That's that's fun.
00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:01.919
When did you come over to the States?
00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.560
Oh, it was um in 1998.
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:04.879
Okay.
00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:06.159
So 28 years ago.
00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:10.879
Now, how long have you been a uh you're a press professor of mathematics at Queensborough Community College?
00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:11.840
How long have you been there?
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:15.199
I've been there since uh 2012.
00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:19.280
Um so oh yeah, that's some years.
00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:25.280
Well, and I'm curious the the relationship, because there certainly is one, uh, but with music and mathematics.
00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:27.680
How how has that kind of helped you?
00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:34.000
Um how the way you compose, the way you improvise, I'd imagine that has an effect in kind of the way you see the world.
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:36.400
Um yeah, yes, it does.
00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:40.879
Um, of course, there are um there are so many connections between mathematics and music.
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.560
I mean, we would need a lot of time to go over those.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:59.280
Uh and but at as far as for me, um so um when you do um when you compose a song, you know, sometimes you have some inspiration, it comes to you, you have some idea, but sometimes you get stuck.
00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:06.240
And um it takes time for you to you know to you have to ruminate and you have to not give up.
00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:16.079
And you know, it's maybe the the way out, the writing the whole thing head to toe will come in a day, maybe it will come in in a week, maybe in months.
00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:17.360
Um, who knows?
00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:25.759
And then maybe when you think it's finished, you may have some other ideas that will take you, maybe will take the song into a slightly different direction.
00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:32.800
Uh, like um, for instance, I had a song that I realized after we recorded, oh, we should have done this part using a hip-hop group.
00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:35.040
It's like, mmm, too bad.
00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:42.879
I mean, I wish I had the idea when before recording it, but nonetheless, now we're playing you know with this new idea, so things may evolve afterwards.
00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.399
In mathematics, uh things are very, very much similar.
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:52.800
Um, when you do math research, you may be uh you know, ruminating over problems for months and for years.
00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:57.439
So and you have to keep at it, and and you know, you don't have to be discouraged.
00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:07.759
It's just accept that something is difficult and just you know, leave that thought behind and uh work on the things that you have to work on, compose the things that you have to compose, and that's that.
00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:11.279
It teaches you patience, uh for for sure.
00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:12.399
Uh right.
00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:23.279
And then of course you have the connections, uh, you have all the structural connections, the geometry of music, the geometry of mathematics, um the the physics of sounds and and all those, you know.
00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:26.560
I mean, that that's that could be uh at least one course.
00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:28.000
I'm sure.
00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:28.720
Uh I'm cute.
00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:29.519
I'm curious.
00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:34.639
Uh I read that you you went to India and led you to the sitar and Indian classical music.
00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.360
Uh, what did that instrument do for you creatively?
00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:40.639
Uh, because it's uh it's certainly interesting how you you came about that.
00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:42.480
When did you first uh start?
00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:49.920
Um so I went to um the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Al Habad, it's a very famous research institute.
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:57.360
Uh, for a math conference, I was in my uh grad school uh pursuing my PhD in mathematics in 2006.
00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.079
And um at that point I was already in love with uh Indian culture.
00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:18.319
And uh I because of my uh I was living very close to Jackson Heights, um, so I was there in the Little India and I was really in awe of all the um uh the flavors and the spices and the food.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:25.040
And you know, I saw a sitar in in one of those uh shops and I said, Oh well, maybe one day I'll buy one.
00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:37.600
And a few years later, uh in 2006, I I said, okay, I'm definitely gonna buy one, and especially going to India, it's gonna uh allow me to get a much better musical instrument than I would buy here.
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:52.959
And I used the help of um one of my uh um PhD colleagues, uh candidate colleagues, so my uh my my friends from grad school, whose uh aunt uh lived in New Delhi, and she was a classical singer.
00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:59.759
And she took me to the store and she introduced me to the people, and you know that's how I got a pretty good deal on the guitar.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:00.639
Oh wow.
00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:06.800
So how long did it take for you to feel comfortable playing it in in front of people, so to speak, performing?
00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:12.319
Oh, uh after that it took a while because I was finishing my PhD, so I put it on the back burner.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:15.920
But um, some years afterwards I started practicing.
00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:29.199
Um, I started watching um um and starting uh all kinds of um things about you know how to play the music, what a raga is, um, all these uh different technicalities.
00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:35.839
Um the transition wasn't that difficult given that I had um, you know, you know, I was a musician at that point.
00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:50.319
So uh but still, I mean, um the way you play and how you should play it, and and um the way you build a melody, you know, it's it's much, much different than you know, let's say in in Western music, you know.
00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:54.560
So in in jazz, you may have two minutes to build a solo.
00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:56.480
Maybe that's a long one.
00:07:56.639 --> 00:08:00.240
Uh in the classical music, it takes a long time to build that solo.
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:08.879
So now you have to um to sort of like marry the two, you know, not too long, uh, but not too short.
00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:11.680
So, you know, it's that's that's the philosophy.
00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:17.600
And and since I play guitar, it also helped, it helped with the transition towards sitar.
00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.480
But again, it's not uh it's not the same thing.
00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:25.199
It's uh there's different finger rings, there's different ways of playing.
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:31.360
There's a lot of pulling strings, a lot of pulling strings, and um a lot of practicing on those.
00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:32.639
And uh yeah.
00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:34.639
I'm I'm sure.
00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:45.519
Uh I'm curious what your your composing and your writing sessions are are like and how often and are you working on what are you working on now as far as um different different songs and different albums?
00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:58.320
Yeah, so right now, um well while we're finishing uh tracking the sitar dances, so this is an album that we tracked um uh last summer, and there's still a few things to do.
00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:01.759
Um, but at the same time, I'm working on the next uh project.
00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:08.559
Uh um and I've I have some I have a good amount of material, so to say.
00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:17.440
Um two new compositions I've already tried on on live, um, because that's where uh the test is.
00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:29.919
Um you know, I want to try it live, I want to see how it is, and give the musicians uh an opportunity to um you know go over the parts, uh experiment um with different ideas.
00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.840
So that's um my love for you.
00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:40.159
There's one, I mean, if it matters, my love for you is one of them, and uh A Story of Longing uh is another one.
00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:42.639
So those we've already played.
00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:49.919
Um and I had some other material that I composed together with my uh wife, producer and producer Simona Pop.
00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:56.399
Um, those we haven't touched yet, those are you know ready or not, uh it depends.
00:09:56.639 --> 00:10:03.919
And um just uh as of last month, I wrote um um a new piece.
00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:09.519
Um as far as the writing process, um, I I like the inspiration to come to me.
00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:15.679
Um it's not like a nine to five job where you go there and say then inspiration will come through emails or something.
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.360
So I let the inspiration come to me.
00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:23.519
But once it does, the first thing I do, I record myself um uh using my phone.
00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:32.480
Uh maybe I have the main ideas, and then uh if there's uh if I think that it has potential, then I go start charting using uh worst and classical notation.
00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:37.440
So you mentioned your wife uh helps her um play a role in producing.
00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:40.080
How does that collaboration work with someone so close to you?
00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:43.120
How does that um how does that affect the creative process?
00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:54.720
It helps because you know uh uh we know each other really well, so we know what we want, uh and we can communicate ideas very uh very easily between us.
00:10:55.039 --> 00:11:04.879
Um when it comes to um doing the production, you know, there's many aspects that you know people say, oh, you're a musician, so you're having fun only.
00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:05.600
Not true.
00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.039
You have to go all through do all these uh you know other things.
00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:14.799
Uh you know, uh make sure um you have the musicians for that particular gig.
00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:25.519
Or um when you go into a studio, um make sure that everybody has their parts and has their charts, and uh um there's a um there's a lot of uh logistic that goes to it.
00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:33.120
And you know, just and and of course, social media is another very time-consuming thing.
00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:34.480
So that's that.
00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:39.279
And when it comes to composing together, we've we wrote a few songs together.
00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:53.759
Um, it may happen that uh sometimes she may write a melody and I might I may put the chords over it, or um that kind of uh splitting the tasks into two, and then we can consult, we can debate, oh, does this work?
00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:55.039
Uh should we do this?
00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:56.240
Should we leave this out?
00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:57.600
You know, things like this.
00:11:57.759 --> 00:11:58.080
Yeah.
00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:04.320
So you're involved in a lot of different projects, and then you're you're busy in the city with uh the jazz community uh as well.
00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:08.639
And I'm curious what what because you've been all over uh into various places.
00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.799
How does the the New York jazz community compare to different places in the world you've been?
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.480
Um I'm just curious how uh how different it is, how similar.
00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.720
Uh what's your what's your perspective on it is?
00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:24.399
Oh, it's I mean, uh for jazz, New York is the place to be.
00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:27.360
Um it's just uh it's enormous, you know.
00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:37.679
Many years ago, I was thinking like, uh, how come you know, I was just going to the um um Montreal Jazz Festival, and I was like, how come Montreal has a jazz festival and New York City doesn't?
00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:40.320
It's like, well, I was naive, of course.
00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:54.240
There's you can see jazz every day, like literally every day of the cal of every calendar there you can go to some club and see jazz, and it's not just one club, there's there's many clubs that you can see.
00:12:54.399 --> 00:13:12.159
So I mean there is a New York City Jazz Festival, but it's you know it's not as I guess advertised as or as big as it's as the Montreal Jazz Festival, but still, New York City has so much to offer that you know it's uh um you know it's it's something else, it's it's unique.
00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:19.360
You know, other places like Montreal, Toronto, um uh they have um uh a jazz scene, but it's way, way smaller.
00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:25.200
Paris has a jazz scene, but it's you know it's uh pretty small compared to compared to New York.
00:13:25.279 --> 00:13:31.039
And and the caliber of of musicians here uh it's just uh it's just amazing.
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.759
So you know that's yeah.
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:37.120
I'm curious, have you ever have you gotten back to Romania recently?
00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:39.279
Oh um no, no.
00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:42.639
Last time I was there it was uh seven years ago.
00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.080
So yes, we've been thinking to go there, but um it just uh didn't materialize.
00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.720
So maybe next year, but who knows?
00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.679
You know, with the recordings and with all these things, it's very difficult to get there, you know.
00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:56.799
I I would imagine.
00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:06.080
Uh you are performing on that Sunday, the 27th, at the Sank Harbor American Music Festival uh with uh Grammy winning trumpeter Randy Brecker, and I'm curious uh your relationship with Randy.
00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:07.360
How long have you guys known each other?
00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:13.759
Um well uh I was a very great fan of Randy Brecker and uh the Brecker Brothers.
00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:23.759
Um and I really loved um that uh you know the the style of music that that they play, they I mean they they were fluent in so many genres.
00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:35.919
Yeah um including some folklore, you know, um added towards the um the end Michael Brecker was studying Bulgarian folklore, and I was surprised to find that out.
00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:56.080
But nonetheless, so um being such a great fan of Randy, um and um we thought actually my wife proposed that you know maybe we should let's contact him, let's see if he'd be interested into tracking um into doing a couple of tracks for uh uh the sitar dances.
00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.399
This is the recording that I play sitar only.
00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.399
I didn't play guitar, so it's just sitar.
00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:13.120
Um so we uh we have sitar, piano, drums, tabla, bass, uh, and saxophone, but um the saxophone parts um you know didn't quite resonate.
00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:22.000
So we um we thought that a more mellower sound would would complement the um the tone of the sitar.
00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.639
So then we thought um I was very nervous.
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.519
We thought, okay, let's contact uh uh Mr.
00:15:29.679 --> 00:15:30.159
Breaker.
00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:34.240
I thought, oh maybe he'll say no, and I'm like, oh okay.
00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:40.879
But then to my surprise, um he said yes, and I was uh really excited.
00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:45.759
He's like, uh give me the tracks, tell me what I have to do, and give me the charts.
00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:46.960
Uh that's right.
00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:50.320
And then the the rest was history.
00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:52.080
Well, I can't wait to see it.
00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.320
It's happening this Sunday, the twenty seventh, two o'clock.
00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:58.879
Daniel Garbin Group featuring Randy Brecker at the Sag Harbor American Music Festival.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:00.240
Daniel, thank you so much for your time.
00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:04.879
I appreciate it getting to know you a bit and uh wish you the best and can't wait to see you out there in Sag Harbor.
00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:06.080
Thank you, thank you.
00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:06.639
Thank you so much.
