Critically acclaimed as the "pre-eminent improvising violinist of his generation," Zach Brock is an American jazz violinist and Grammy Award-winning member of Snarky Puppy. He has toured with Stanley Clarke and Phil Markowitz, released seven solo albums, and was named "Rising Star Violinist" of 2013 by Downbeat Magazine. A passionate educator, Zach has coached hundreds of musicians from workshops to conservatories worldwide. Zach remains a perennial coffee fanatic and skateboard enthusiast, and currently lives with his wife and daughters in the NYC area.
Since this is a longer episode, here are some time stamps for our conversation:
1:00 Intro/Background
4:40: Higher education, Zach’s accident and how it shaped him as a musician
11:38: Zach’s teaching- “Dogmatic about not being dogmatic”
19:00 Improvising and how to be in the moment
30:00 Streaming industry and the why we as musicians are stuck on CD’s
48:00 Optimizing your digital reach and presence
54:00 Snarky Puppy- music for your brain and booty
60:10 Leadership in Snarky Puppy
87:30: Vacillating productivity on the corona coaster and staying mindful
85:20 “The Last Dance” and motivation