Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Sutton.
Frank, before we jump into specific questions about your music, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I got my start in music at the age of six, where my first musical passion was realized and expressed through the drums. At the age of 8, I was accepted to the Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts, ironically as an Art major student. It wasn’t long before my director of music realized I had a rare talent, and I double majored in both music and art. As my gift continued to come into fruition, I began to pursue music. By age sixteen, I had already recorded on album projects with various local Jazz and Gospel Artist. Although my main instrument of choice is the piano/keyboard, I’m somewhat a jack of all trades (master of a few lol) and play bass, drums/percussion, and Trombone. I’m also at home in the studio, behind the console writing or producing for various artists as well as himself.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth ride. You deal with so many things. The quest to become the best musician you can while maintaining a sense of your own musical identity can be a challenge. Music is a discipline that requires lots of dedication. It requires a lot of focus, time and consistency. A lot of people appreciate how easy we make this appear, but don’t understand a lifetime of dedication when into what we do. Its labor or love but can become a weight if not balanced. It can cause strain on relationships friendships and can, in some ways, be lonely, so it requires balance.
Its a grind, you have to work very hard to open so few doors of opportunity, and its competitive, if you don’t have a somewhat competitive nature to strive to be the best at what you do, you can get quickly crushed under the weight of the constant grind.
The life of a Musician can be very complicated. We think and see the world differently and if not careful, can lose who we ARE behind what we DO. Music is What I DO, not who I am! The question I pose to a lot of musicians is this, If you couldn’t play anymore, then WHO are you, sadly a lot cant answer that because they are lost in their whole identity being music. So the obstacles can be many.
Please tell us about your music.
I’m a professional musician (Keyboard Piano) and Recording Artist (Jazz, smooth jazz and fusion). I’m also the director of my performance band, The Frank Sutton Experience, and a session studio musician and touring musician for various jazz artists. What I’m most proud of is the accomplishment of making the smooth jazz billboard charts to #24 for my first fully released album and single. A lot of time and dedication from my band to make this project happen, and we are proud that the hard work paid off. What sets me a part from others is, I don’t want to be the second coming of another, but the first coming of my unique self. I desire to be no one but myself, and I strive to find my own voice and sound as a musician. I have tons of influences but want to be my own voice.
What also sets me apart is my writing, I write to touch someone’s heart with my music NOT to impress fellow musician. I find beauty in the simplicity of melody not always in the complexity of theory. Every song I write was giving to me from a place of life experiences and things happening, and hopefully, I can translate what’s in my heart and mind to a Melody that reaches and touches someone else, and they too can identify with what it.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think essential qualities important to my or any success is, Authenticity, Integrity, Drive, Determination, Evolution and a willingness to grow, (anything not Growing is dead). Learning from failure and not to be taken down by it. Also, the ability to overcome and preserver, tough times don’t last, but tough people, do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
franksuttonexperience.com - Email: senergymusicgroup@
gmail.com - Facebook: www.facebook.com/
thefranksuttonexperience - Other: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/ UCmi4HR2yGKpj6MYcdeM4IOg?
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