Thank You for Asking… Frequently Asked Questions for Lisa Hilton
Who are your favorite jazz pianists? LH: Brad Mehldau and Errol Garner. I also like Robert Glasper and Art Tatum. What piano do you record on? LH: I recorded my CDs “Playing by Heart”, “Cocktails at Eight…”, and “Feeling Good” on a 9’ Steinway D at Chick Corea’s Mad Hatter studio in Los Feliz California, (the studio has now been sold). The Steinway was signed inside the case by many great jazz pianists like Dave Brubeck and Oscar Peterson. The CD’s “Seduction”, “In the Mood for Jazz”, "Jazz After Hours" , and "My Favorite Things" were recorded on a 7’ Yamaha at Castle Oaks studio in Calabasas, California. "Midnight in Manhattan" was recorded on a Steinway at Capitol Studios, and "The New York Sessions" was recorded on a Hamburg Steinway provided by Steinway and Sons at Avatar Studios, NYC. How old were you when you started playing the piano? LH: I started piano lessons at the age of eight, but I taught myself to play and even composed a little before then. I always loved the piano as a child and begged for lessons. How much do you practice the piano? LH Never enough it seems! I don’t actually even call it practicing, (that sounds like work, doesn’t it?), but I enjoy playing 4 hour stretches, although I don’t always have that amount of time. I start with scales, then move on to classical. Next I’ll normally play jazz, and end up my session with my own music. Sometimes I'll spend time composing instead. I do not play every day. How do you get your ideas for your compositions? LH: It feels as though the music is just there, and all I need to do is listen to it, and work with it a bit to see where it develops. I do try to recreate certain moods, feelings or experiences that I have felt though. My music is like an emotional photo album in a way. When I play the music, I revisit that time when I wrote the song. Sometimes I just create music that’s fun to play on the piano too! Do you sing? LH: I’m asked that all the time!!! I compose, play the piano, arrange, produce, perform, and even dance a little, but I think singing should be left to the many people who have amazing voices and not to the back-up singer types like myself!
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