Q&A with Dave Wilson, Lecturer in Music Studies
We thought we'd start a regular Q&A series as a way of getting to know some of the staff and students at NZSM. Who better to profile first than Dave Wilson, our newest member of staff?
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to and why?
There are too many to name, but two come to mind right now (and neither one was technically a 'concert'). First was the halftime show at the 2007 Super Bowl performed by Prince in Miami––standing under the pouring down rain and seeing lightning strike in the distance as he performed 'Purple Rain' with thousands of people singing along has proven to be unforgettable. Second was last year at a small tavern where I was about to play with my good friend John Isaac Watters. I walked in and Brian Eno (producer of U2's album Joshua Tree among many other projects) happened to show up and was playing an unaccompanied solo on pedal steel guitar for an audience of about 20 people. That was some of the most awe-inspiring and moving music I had heard in a long time, or maybe I was just in the right mood to hear it.
What are your non-musical hobbies?
I enjoy my musical work too much to have many 'hobbies' that don't involve music, but I enjoy running (did one marathon many years ago), hiking, yoga from time to time, and consuming (and making) good food and coffee.
Who is your favourite musician and why?
How can I pick only one? I'll shift the question to my favourite musician to play with––there are still too many––and go with just one of my favourites, classical pianist and new music specialist Richard Valitutto, with whom I recently recorded a duo album that should come out later this year or early next.
At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
I can't really think of one, but I think the only time I maxed mine out was to purchase a bass clarinet at RDG Woodwinds in Los Angeles!
What instruments can you play?
I'm a woodwind specialist, and saxophones and clarinets are my most frequent go-to horns currently. I've done a lot work on flute, and also play a number of wind instruments common in musical traditions of Europe and the Near East including the kaval, the nay, the kawala, and the zurla. I'm also a pianist with most of my experience there performing popular music, musicals, and related genres.
What was the last thing you ate?
Does coffee count? Filter coffee sourced in Ethiopia from Coffee Supreme at Customs.
Do you have any strange phobias?
I don't get claustrophobic exactly, but if there is a crowd next to an empty space, I'll head for the edge of the crowd.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I'm determined to pick up a new hobby now that I'm in New Zealand –– maybe windsurfing?
What songs/ pieces would be on the soundtrack to your life?
Music made by my close friends and colleagues with whom I've shared not only the stage, the studio, and the classroom, but also many coffees, drinks, meals, dreams, joys, and sorrows during the times our paths have intersected.
Where are your favourite places to spend time at in Wellington?
Still working on finding some, but there have been a handful of cafés that have been quite nice. Other suggestions are welcome!