Denis Chang é um dos mais queridos músicos contemporâneos de Gypsy Jazz. A sua devoção à música e a sua espantosa ética de trabalho construíram uma reputação entre os maiores.
He’s been working on stage with some of the most prestigious Gypsy Jazz musicians, and his work extends off stage by providing some of the best instructional videos of the genre.
Recently his DC-Music School released exclusive videos and instructional content “In The Style Of” Bireli Lagrene and Frank Vignola. Other artists, such as Adrien Moignard, Hono Winterstein, Sebastien Giniaux or Tcha Limberg, are also listed at DC-MusicSchool.com
Here’s one of the most honest, complete, and detailed interviews I’ve managed to put together. Gratitude is the word, Mr. Chang!
1 – What has inspired you to start playing music? Tell us about your influences and what was going on around you at the time.
Comecei a levar a música a sério porque muitos dos meus colegas de escola já tocavam música.
I started with classical guitar, but did not study it for too long because I did not like having to maintain my nails. It’s too bad because I think it’s really wonderful music. I really regret stopping.
2 - Como é que está o movimento do Gypsy Jazz no Canadá?
É bastante pequena, mas ainda assim há pessoas interessadas nela. Eu diria que Montreal (Quebec), Vancouver (BC), Victoria (BC) e Toronto (Ontário) têm as maiores comunidades.
3 - O que o motivou a continuar a praticar?
Eu queria mesmo ter o som cigano. Estava muito obcecado com isso. No início, um amigo local disse-me que era impossível para os não ciganos aprenderem a tocar como os ciganos. Isso fez-me pensar porquê, e fiquei muito obcecado em tentar perceber qual era o som.
Fiquei muito feliz quando muitos músicos ciganos me disseram que eu tocava como um cigano. Claro que isso é apenas uma questão de som. Não é preciso ter um som cigano para ser um grande músico e, hoje em dia, já não estou obcecado por isso. Tento ser eu próprio, seja o que for que isso signifique.
4 – Your DC Music School offers lots of great instructional material featuring some of the greatest Gypsy Jazz players. How did it all start? Tell us about that experience, evolution and new projects.
Aprender música foi extremamente difícil para mim numa era anterior ao YouTube e longe de quaisquer comunidades musicais fortes. A Internet ainda estava a dar os primeiros passos e era extremamente difícil encontrar informações sobre quase tudo.
I struggled very hard, and I had to learn almost everything I know today on my own. Of course, I had lessons and some help, but for the most part, I had to rely on myself to figure out a lot of important things that I teach today.
Viajei muito pela Europa para compreender a forma como os ciganos tocavam a música de Django Reinhardt. Fiz amizade com muitos músicos ciganos.
In 2006 or so, I decided to share my knowledge, and I approached a Canadian publishing company that agreed to distribute a DVD on learning how to play Gypsy Jazz rhythm. Actually, I didn’t expect that it would be any success. This was a time when information was still hard to find for anyone who didn’t have the opportunity to travel to Western Europe, where most of the Gypsy players live.
I produced the DVD especially for people outside of Western Europe. The DVD ended up being a tremendous success. I think we sold all the copies that were made within one year. With that money, I decided to make more, which ended up being quite successful too. So I decided to approach other musicians such as Tim Kliphuis, Wawau Adler, and Stochelo Rosenberg. I produced instructional DVDs for them as well.
Por fim, decidi que queria ter mais controlo sobre a produção e a distribuição, pelo que decidi ser eu a fazer as coisas. Isto permitir-me-ia dar muito mais dinheiro aos artistas. Sinto que eles merecem ser generosamente compensados. Ouvi falar de muitas histórias horríveis de maus tratos a artistas por parte de editoras/empresas, e não queria fazer as coisas dessa forma.
I really want to share information with the world and also help the artists as much as I can. Word eventually spread around that I treated artists/customers fairly and with respect, and that opened a lot of doors for me.
Estou muito grato às pessoas que apoiam a minha atividade. Embora 100% do meu rendimento provenha de actividades musicais, o dinheiro nunca foi uma prioridade para mim. A sinceridade está sempre em primeiro lugar, pelo que ponho o meu coração e a minha alma em tudo o que faço. Se sentisse que um produto não estava à altura dos meus padrões, não o lançaria. Isto já aconteceu no passado e perdi muito dinheiro por causa disso, mas em vez de lançar um produto que não estava à minha altura, prefiro perder dinheiro mas manter a minha reputação.
Preocupo-me com os artistas e os clientes que apoiam o meu negócio.
5 – What were the biggest challenges you have faced to progress in your practice, performance, and musical career?
As I mentioned, learning music was extremely difficult for me because I had almost no guidance, so it took me many years to figure out things that my students can now learn in just a few years, if not months.
I don’t regret anything, though, because it really sharpened my sense of observation. Today, I am able to notice things that most people don’t notice. It’s the little details that make up the big picture, and I understand these details now.
Otherwise, time and money are always something to worry about when you are an adult. I love DC Music School, but in order to pay my artists the money I can pay them, I have to do a lot of work on my own. I’m starting to be able to delegate some work to other people, which helps, but for the most part, I still do a lot on my own.
This obviously takes away from my practice time. I go through different phases, and it is never consistent. Sometimes I’m working on videos, other times I’m practicing, and sometimes I do concerts or go on tour.
O negócio da música é extremamente difícil e, infelizmente, não está organizado de forma a favorecer os músicos. Por isso, a DC Music School é uma grande ajuda financeira para mim. Não fico rico com ela, mas permite-me comer!
Também tenho muitos familiares em todo o mundo e não é fácil vê-los, pelo que os voos se tornam caros. Também trabalho muito e poupo dinheiro, para o caso de ter de cuidar de uma família no futuro.
Infelizmente, tudo isto consome o meu tempo de treino. É assim a vida. Recentemente, li uma entrevista com Bireli Lagrene e ele falou sobre a razão pela qual se tornou tão bom. Disse simplesmente que era mais novo do que todos os outros e que tinha mais tempo para praticar porque todos os outros iam para a escola ou para o trabalho.
Life is like that; there is always a trade for whatever you do. I know amazing artists who continue to practice today, but I know that they struggle financially; it’s simply not easy. You have to find the right balance.
6 – You’ve already studied, played, and worked with lots of Manouche legends. Tell us about those travels, experiences, and insights you’ve been gathering over these years. Any particular memory, meeting, or person you could share with us?
Bem, somos todos seres humanos. Quando era mais novo, idolatrava certamente muitos dos jogadores com quem tive a oportunidade de trabalhar.
Hoje, embora ainda os respeite e admire, são para mim seres humanos semelhantes e não os vejo necessariamente com olhos de estrela.
I am thankful for having had the opportunities that I’ve had, but some of my favorite moments were with people who are not famous at all. In the end, I care more about the human side of a person than the achievements.
When I was starting my music career, I went to see a famous player once. After his concert, I asked him if he would be interested in coming to my cafe show close by to jam a bit. He rejected me. Many years later, that same person ran into me and said, “I know you, you are Denis Chang, would you like to join me on stage?”
It was kind of funny, but at the same time, it made me wonder about lots of things in life. No matter how known I am, none of that matters to me; I don’t want it to affect how I deal with others. If anyone is nice and wants to jam with me, I’m happy to jam with them. Some people abuse my generosity, but that’s OK I just cut them off from my life.
For the most part, most people are quite nice, and I’m happy to have met these people. Not that I’m famous or anything, but if I rejected everyone who talked to me, I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends today. That said, I do get tremendous amounts of messages on Facebook, and I really can’t chat with everyone. I do feel bad, but if I had to chat with every single person, I would have no time to do anything else.
7 - Lembras-te do teu processo de prática quando começaste a tocar? Quanto é que mudou ao longo dos anos?
Sim, eu lembro-me, porque era muito difícil para mim saber como praticar. Sem uma orientação adequada, estamos por nossa conta.
Passei a maior parte dos meus primeiros anos a descobrir o som cigano. Via VHS piratas de músicos como Stochelo Rosenberg, Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, etc. Passava horas a ouvir Django Reinhardt e todos os artistas ciganos de que gostava.
I worked a lot on the rhythm sound. I noticed a lot of differences between non-Gypsy players and Gypsy players, and I wanted to understand how to get that sound.
Mais uma vez, é um tópico demasiado grande para resumir aqui, mas era esse o tipo de coisas que eu praticava. Hoje, os meus objectivos são diferentes, agora que tenho mais conhecimentos e experiência.
Today, my priority is all about the basics. I have noticed one thing that every great player has, regardless of genre: a mastery of the basics. The basics are: good ears, sound, and good rhythm. Those are the only things that matter above all else. Anything fancy is great, but without these basics, all the fancy stuff will sound fake.
If you have good ears, you will know what to play. If you have good sound, you can color the music with dynamics, ornaments, and various tonal colors. If you have good rhythm, you can make the most basic melody groove so hard. These are things that you can work on for the rest of your life, and that is the stuff that interests me the most.
Many people are trying to copy players such as Adrien Moignard, Sebastien Giniaux, Bireli Lagrene, etc. Many manage to copy the ideas and licks, but without wanting to sound negative, I can sometimes hear things that are lacking. Those things are what I mentioned. It does not matter if you know Adrien’s lines if you play them with a weak tone and weak timing.
What I admire in Bireli Lagrene is the same thing that I admire in a player like BB King, to give a huge contrast. They have great ears to play the music that they play. Therefore, the music is extremely sincere.
A música não vem da memória muscular, mas dos seus ouvidos e, portanto, de si próprios. Eles tocam a sua música com diferentes cores, curvas, vibrato, ornamentos, dinâmicas, etc. Isso torna a música viva. Tocam a sua música com o timing certo, de modo a que esta fale realmente a qualquer público!
8 – Tell us about your routines. How does a regular day in your life look like?
My routines constantly change. When I don’t have any projects for DC Music School or something like that, I am usually practicing, but when I have projects, then most of my time is spent working on them. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have projects lined up until 2017.
9 – You’ve been able to manage a professional musical career, create a GJ School, edit videos and transcriptions of great players, write articles for blogs, compose and perform, and spread the word about the new GJ scene. How do you manage and prioritize your activities and stay extremely productive?
I don’t think I manage to balance things the way I want to, but thanks. I suffer from insomnia, and a mind that has a lot of trouble shutting itself off.
I’m always thinking, and its effect on my health is not very good, to be honest. But I’m not complaining about it; this is the way I am, and I accept it.
Para vos dar uma ideia de como é mau, quando estou a descer uma rua e vejo um carro a querer virar para a minha rua, calculo imediatamente todos os cenários possíveis na minha cabeça. Se eu atravessar a rua agora, o carro não vai conseguir passar e há pessoas atrás de mim. O carro vai ter de esperar muito tempo. Se eu deixar o carro passar, perco 3 segundos, mas poupo ao carro um minuto ou dois e, por isso, deixo-o passar. Este é um exemplo muito estúpido, mas é assim que o meu cérebro está sempre ativo! Suponho que é uma bênção e uma maldição.
10 - Como é que equilibra o trabalho e o descanso? Qual a duração das suas sessões de trabalho e das suas pausas?
Sou muito extremista no meu processo de trabalho, o que pode não ser muito bom para a minha saúde; tenho dificuldade em corrigi-lo. Quando trabalho, sou como uma máquina 🙂
Some people have seen my work, and that’s always what they say. I’m literally like a computer. I’m actually a very lazy person, so I work hard to find the fastest and most efficient way to work without sacrificing quality. I know it’s ironic, but it’s true.
So if I’m working with software like Logic (audio recording program), I have managed to memorize all the keyboard shortcuts, so I barely use my mouse; I can work extremely quickly this way. That’s also how I can transcribe extremely quickly. Otherwise, when I don’t have too much work, I can be quite lazy and spend the entire day watching movies and practicing.
11 - Quais são os seus planos e objectivos futuros?
Quero mesmo expandir a DC Music School com outros estilos. Já existem outros estilos na escola, e eu quero levar isso ainda mais longe.
I’m also focusing on my personal music career. I hope to somehow revive it, even if the performance industry works against the artists.
Acabei de relançar o meu sítio Web pessoal www.denischang.com, where I hope to maintain an active blog with lots of lessons, music, videos, etc.
12 – What do you value the most in the music/musicians you love to listen to? What key ingredients do you love to hear when listening to a new album, musician, or student?
It’s all about musical sincerity. I listen for things like rhythm and sound. It doesn’t matter whether the music is complicated or not; if it’s well-played, then I love it. Nonetheless, I find myself listening to a lot of Django Reinhardt recently. This Gypsy Jazz style comes from him, and he truly is an endless source of inspiration and educational material.
13 – Do you meditate? Do you perform any kind of practice or activity that pulls you towards a more focused, clear, or mindful state?
Não, apenas tento fazer exercício e comer de forma saudável (mas nem sempre consigo).
14 – What would you consider to be the most important advice, quote, or reference someone ever gave to you?
When I was quite young, a guitar teacher told me that it was important to train my ears. For some reason, that stuck, and even though I do know a lot of theory, most of what I know was learned by using my ears and training my memory. The more you train your ears, the faster you will get better. It’s guaranteed.
Nem precisa de saber muita teoria, porque se continuar a treinar o seu ouvido, acabará por começar a ouvir música na sua cabeça e saberá o que tocar mesmo que não saiba a teoria por detrás disso. Notei isso em músicos como Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg, etc.
Nonetheless, you still have to spend many hours practicing your instrument, and that’s unfortunately where it is difficult for me. You can train your ear anywhere at any time. In your head right now, you can try to sing Happy Birthday and try to identify each note and the intervals. So if you’re in the key of C, you should know that the first note is G, etc.
So many people are afraid to train their ears because they are afraid of making mistakes when figuring out music by ear. That is nonsense to me! That’s the point! You have to make these mistakes! It’s like not wanting to learn to ride a bike because you’re afraid you’ll fall! These mistakes are normal, and if you keep training your ears, you will eventually hear things right! It’s guaranteed. It can be done by anyone at any time!
15 - E o “Sr. Urso”, o seu fiel companheiro, é uma mascote ou a sua própria marca registada?
Mr. Bear is my son and travel companion; he’s quite a talented guitarist.
16 - Por que é que gostaria de ser reconhecido? Qual é o aspeto mais importante do seu percurso de vida que gostaria que as pessoas recordassem?
Honestly, I really just try to do my own thing. If I could give anyone any advice, though, it’s to try not to be too influenced by conventional wisdom and not to judge too quickly and assume things.
Questiona tudo o que ouves e vês. Tenta investigar profundamente tudo o que te interessa. Tenta observar os dois lados dos argumentos e forma a tua opinião a partir daí, não a partir do que te dizem. Aprende sobre a história do tema que te interessa. Penso realmente que se as pessoas fizessem isto, o mundo seria um lugar muito melhor e a paz seria alcançável.
17 – What would you say to Django if you had the chance to meet him? What would be the record, the musician, or the song that you would always refer to in a conversation with Django?
Não sei bem o que lhe diria. Adoraria que ele aceitasse que eu produzisse um vídeo de instruções para ele!
FOLLOW NUNO AT:
Website Book Store: https://www.nunomarinho.com/store
Video Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NunoMarinho
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NunoMarinho
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nunomarinhoguitar/
Facebook: /https://www.facebook.com/NunoMarinhoGuitar/