#408 – Tal Wilkenfeld: Music, Guitar, Bass, Jeff Beck, Prince, and Leonard Cohen
Jan 9, 2024
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Tal Wilkenfeld, a dynamic singer-songwriter and bassist who has shared the stage with legends like Jeff Beck and Prince, engages in a captivating discussion on her musical journey. She dives into the exhilarating experience of performing alongside iconic artists and how vulnerability intertwines with creativity. The conversation also explores grief, highlighting the healing power of music in navigating loss. Wilkenfeld shares insights on songwriting, personal growth, and the deeper meanings behind love songs, revealing the emotional alchemy that connects experiences through music.
Having a strong purpose and connection to music helps navigate the challenging aspects of a musician's life.
Visualizing practicing and taking breaks can enhance learning and retention.
Spending time alone and finding inspiration in silence can lead to creating songs with depth and meaning.
Deep dives
The Importance of Trusting Yourself and Finding Your Why
Tal Wilkenfeld emphasizes the importance of understanding why you are playing music and trusting yourself throughout the journey. She believes that having a strong purpose and connection to your expression or love for music can help navigate the challenging and uncertain aspects of a musician's life.
Learning Efficiently and Visualizing Practice
Tal Wilkenfeld shares her experience of only being allowed 30 minutes of practice per day as a young musician. To make the most of her limited practice time, she learned how to visualize practicing in her head, which she believes can enhance learning and retention. She also recommends practicing in short bursts and taking breaks to integrate the information, as research suggests that resting between brief practice sessions can enhance brain processing and learning speed.
The Power of Silence and Creating Meaningful Songs
Tal Wilkenfeld finds inspiration in silence. She values spending time alone in empty hotel rooms, meditating, and allowing songs to flow in her head. She believes that the words in a song hold great power and strives to create songs that are open to interpretation, rather than strictly about one particular thing. She encourages musicians to trust their own intuition and purpose and to create songs that have depth and meaning for themselves and their listeners.
The Journey of Mastery and Slowing Down
Tal Wilkenfeld acknowledges that every instrument has its own journey and learning curve. She emphasizes the importance of slowing down the learning process to pay attention to tone, technique, and overall expression. By practicing slowly and observing the micro-movements and intentions behind each note, musicians can enhance their playing and stay connected to the fullness of their sound, even when playing at faster tempos.
The Power of Music as a Spiritual Expression
Music is not just a sport, but a spiritual expression that goes beyond mere technical skill. The speaker emphasizes the importance of slowing down and truly listening to the music, just like how blues musicians spend their careers making a single note cry. The power lies in the art of taking it slow and truly immersing oneself in the emotions conveyed by the music.
Finding One's Sound and Musical Genre
The uniqueness of an artist's sound comes from the choices they make and the choices they don't make. Each musician has their own voice and aesthetic preferences that define their sound on an instrument. While different genres have their own established language, the priority lies in serving the song and the lyrics, finding ways to add a personal twist, and creating music that truly moves and connects with the audience.
Tal Wilkenfeld is a singer-songwriter, bassist, and guitarist. She has performed with legendary artists including Jeff Beck, Prince, Incubus, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and many more. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(06:51) – Jeff Beck
(15:44) – Confidence on stage
(32:23) – Leonard Cohen
(40:23) – Taxi Driver
(51:43) – Songwriting
(55:23) – How to learn and practice
(1:13:53) – Slap vs Fingerstyle
(1:20:16) – Davie504
(1:24:36) – Prince
(1:30:13) – Jimi Hendrix
(1:32:27) – Mentorship
(1:38:46) – Sad songs
(1:44:43) – Tal performs Under The Sun (live)
(1:50:00) – Tal performs Killing Me (live)
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