Philip Griffin
04/08/23 • 99 min
Philip Griffin is an amazingly versatile, creative, and generous musician. He plays, improvises, and composes in many styles on many different instruments. During this episode you’ll hear him play the rebab, the ukulele, and guitar in his duo with violinist Jude Iddison. He reflects on his work teaching children and people with disabilities, and reflects on some of his important mentors including Richard Gill, Linsey Pollak and Ross Daly. In the video version, I’ve included a slide show of some of his amazing nature photography, which is also on my website linked to this episode, and the link for Philip’s website and Facebook page are also included below. In this conversation with Philip, I was really happy to be able to talk about some of the themes I find most interesting as a musician: education, creativity, and mentorship. Philip was introduced to me by Linsey Pollak, and I hope if you missed his episode that you’ll check it out: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/linsey-pollak
Like all my episodes, this is available as a video, and the transcript is linked here as well as some of his amazing nature photographs: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/philip-griffin
Buy me a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
https://philipgriffin.bandcamp.com/album/banksia
https://www.philipgriffin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/philip.griffin.7106
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:30) Linsey Pollak
(06:02) talking about different instruments laouto, oud, rebab, banjo
(10:24) Ross Daly, studying Turkish music
(17:10) introduction to the rebab
(20:24) rebab improv
(23:26) Ross Daly, tours to Australia with Kelly Thoma
(25:43) Linsey Pollak, learning modal music
(29:23) Ricahrd Gill, learning conducting, singing
(41:13) Tutti Arts, Pat Rix, and working with musicians with disabilities
(53:25) music educator in schools
(57:45) ukulele, New Zealand music programs Mary Cornish Maria Winder Kiwilele
(01:07:38) Pat Megowan luthier
(01:11:25) Renaissance guitar music by Tourdion on ukulele
(01:12:46) Affetto Early Music ensemble
(01:16:27) Dominique Schwartz: why Philip moved around so much!
(01:18:59) Banksia album with Jude Iddison
(01:19:31) violin Jude Iddison: Planting the Garlic/Philip’s Wardrobe from album Banksia
(01:24:32) meeting Jude and making the album
(01:27:15) Frogs, birds, Barry Wilson, photography (with slide show), Glen Storr
(01:36:08) Philip’s advice
Philip Griffin is an amazingly versatile, creative, and generous musician. He plays, improvises, and composes in many styles on many different instruments. During this episode you’ll hear him play the rebab, the ukulele, and guitar in his duo with violinist Jude Iddison. He reflects on his work teaching children and people with disabilities, and reflects on some of his important mentors including Richard Gill, Linsey Pollak and Ross Daly. In the video version, I’ve included a slide show of some of his amazing nature photography, which is also on my website linked to this episode, and the link for Philip’s website and Facebook page are also included below. In this conversation with Philip, I was really happy to be able to talk about some of the themes I find most interesting as a musician: education, creativity, and mentorship. Philip was introduced to me by Linsey Pollak, and I hope if you missed his episode that you’ll check it out: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/linsey-pollak
Like all my episodes, this is available as a video, and the transcript is linked here as well as some of his amazing nature photographs: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/philip-griffin
Buy me a coffee? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
https://philipgriffin.bandcamp.com/album/banksia
https://www.philipgriffin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/philip.griffin.7106
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:30) Linsey Pollak
(06:02) talking about different instruments laouto, oud, rebab, banjo
(10:24) Ross Daly, studying Turkish music
(17:10) introduction to the rebab
(20:24) rebab improv
(23:26) Ross Daly, tours to Australia with Kelly Thoma
(25:43) Linsey Pollak, learning modal music
(29:23) Ricahrd Gill, learning conducting, singing
(41:13) Tutti Arts, Pat Rix, and working with musicians with disabilities
(53:25) music educator in schools
(57:45) ukulele, New Zealand music programs Mary Cornish Maria Winder Kiwilele
(01:07:38) Pat Megowan luthier
(01:11:25) Renaissance guitar music by Tourdion on ukulele
(01:12:46) Affetto Early Music ensemble
(01:16:27) Dominique Schwartz: why Philip moved around so much!
(01:18:59) Banksia album with Jude Iddison
(01:19:31) violin Jude Iddison: Planting the Garlic/Philip’s Wardrobe from album Banksia
(01:24:32) meeting Jude and making the album
(01:27:15) Frogs, birds, Barry Wilson, photography (with slide show), Glen Storr
(01:36:08) Philip’s advice
Previous Episode
Milind Date: Bansuri player
1 RecommendationsI’m delighted to feature the master bansuri player Milind Date, who joined me from his home in Pune, India, and played his flutes as well as shared his perspectives from his life in music. As always, check the timestamps below for both the music and the many topics we covered. Milind spoke to me about his studies with the legendary Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, of his fusion projects especially in South Korea, he had a great story about a memorable concert he played in Toronto, he talked about his extensive travels in India and internationally. He has a large and varied discography, and has composed music for many films: https://www.milind.date/
Like all my episodes, this is available both as a podcast and video, with a transcript all linked to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/milind-date-bansuri-player
Please help me continue this series! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:46) bansuri flute
(03:28) Sunand Bhairav
(04:50) early rock music influences, fusion music Hariprasad Chaurasia
(11:01) Korean tours and collaborations
(17:59) solo 6 month trip in India 2021
(26:11) folk tune from Uttarakhand region
(30:01) different folk traditions in India
(32:18) Milind’s collection of flutes in different keys
(35:01) differences between Hindustani and Carnatic music
(38:09) system of gharanas, studies with Hariprasad Chaurasia
(55:49) Zakir Hussain
(01:05:31) writing film music, notation, Western classical musicians
(01:11:31) around the world tour 2013
(01:12:58) performances in Canada
(01:20:00) music as meditation
(01:23:14) teaching and learning
(01:29:56) flute performance
Next Episode
Colin Aguiar: Composer
Colin Aguiar is an award-winning Indian-Candian composer based in Los Angeles who specializes in film scoring. In this conversation we talked about his youth, growing up across parts of India, the Middle East, Europe and Canada and studying the music of various cultures, learning different instruments with a start on drums as a toddler, as well as his love for the music of Arvo Pärt and other great composers. Colins spoke about some of his mentors including Mychael Danna. This episode with Colin is the first release of several film composers I have interviewed recently, and I find it fascinating how diverse their musical backgrounds are and what a challenging and little-understood part of the music world this is. During the episode you’ll hear some clips from Colin’s compositions, used with permission. Like all my episodes, this is available on your favourite podcast player as well as a video, and the transcript is linked as well to my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/colin-aguiar
Help me keep this podcast going!! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:18) toddler drum set, Dad’s band
(05:47) Parents’ travels and emigration from India, different cultures
(09:17) intro to music from Fly
(12:41) music from Fly
(16:01) intro to music from Torn from her Arms, Arvo Pärt
(17:59) music from Torn from her Arms
(19:42) synthesizers, working with session musicians who play by ear
(22:51) immigration stories
(25:15) arrangement of El Salvadorian anthem
(26:25) learning drums and cultures through music
(30:52) practicing 5 hours a day, learning different instruments
(33:32) starting to compose and arrange
(35:41) composition studio gear
(38:46) intro to music from film “Construct”, use of dubstep
(39:45) music from “Construct”
(40:43) Mychael Danna and learning the job of film scoring
(48:14) Lou Natale, challenges of time pressure for composers
(51:29) intro to palindrome
(52:18) clip from palindrome written for Construct
(54:23) learning from other composers
(56:55) composition Roman Toi
(58:29) mentors Lou Natale, John Welsman, glenn Morley, Mychael Danna, Robert Dunca, Christopher Young
(01:00:10) internal music soundtrack, being able to remember music with precision
(01:02:41) Kathakali, other parallels with film music
(01:06:00) different styles of film scoring, decision making, time crunches
(01:13:16) use of temp tracks
(01:16:27) Canadian film industry
(01:17:46) pandemic shutdowns
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