Neal Answers! Part II
Nathan Liscom
Dear Neal, your music is an inspiration to us all. Powerful stuff. However, my question is about something a bit more personal. What’s your ideal breakfast? And please specify how you like your eggs (if they are included in your perfect breakfast that is).
Wow! That’s the hardest question I’ve got here! I love English breakfast! I take my eggs medium, generally. I really like omelets and I also love Huevos Rancheros…man, I guess I’m not answering your question! But actually, a lot of times I eat oatmeal because it’s better for me. But my favorite breakfast would be English. I’d take the full English—2 eggs medium, 2 sausages (I’m not so crazy about the British bacon), potatoes, toast, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes.
James Johnston
Why do I keep dreaming you are my soccer coach?
Oh wow! I don’t know…I think maybe you should see a doctor about that. I’ve never played soccer in my life. I play a little bit of American football and baseball. I actively play tennis and a little bit of basketball, and I ski—but no soccer, unfortunately. So I have no idea. What does it mean? I’m not much of a dream interpreter, so I can’t help you there.
Rafael Morante
Neal, I’ve always admired how each and every project you’re in always have incredible vocal arrangements and amazing harmony!… Do you have any tips about your approach to counterpoint, voicings and harmonies that you’ve found to be versatile and useful over the years?
When I’m writing a complex vocal arrangement like “Author of Confusion” or “Thoughts Pt. 2,” invariably, I start with the melody (the first part), then I usually write the bass part and then I fill in the middle parts. But it gets a lot more complicated when you want the melody to move around from part to part as it goes, which is kind of the Bach thing. And so the next time around you might put the melody in the second part and then you have to make up a new melody for the first part. Basically, if I’m playing it in the computer, I play the melody over and over and over and I build the parts around that, usually from the bass and then filling in the others. With the more simpler things, generally, I’ll just hear the three parts pretty much when I write the song, like on “Mercy Street.” I’ll be singing the bottom part and put other people on the high part.
Dutcher Wright Snedeker
Neal Morse! I am enjoying how Flying Colors is shaping up in the YouTube videos, and I enjoy a lot of what you do musically on the keyboard. As a fellow keyboard player, I would just like to know how you go about composition in a prog metal setting for keys? I love to play over different styles on the keyboard, but for whatever reason, I can’t produce the sounds I’m trying to hear into metal based keyboard. Other than that, awesome stuff, awesome player, awesome group. Awesome human being, thank you and all involved in Flying Colors.
It can be a challenge to try and get what’s in your mind out into your hands. But keep trying and keep praying! I think the best advice I can give for musicians would be to seek God and his will and practice a lot—in that order. A lot of people have trouble realizing the visions or getting things from their heads into the actual music and on to the CD. And I do, too! A lot of times I’ll hear things in a particular way and it just doesn’t turn out that way, it turns out differently. Sometimes I’m disappointed, but a lot of times it turns out just different than I heard it and that’s OK. Try and hold it a little bit loosely and don’t get too attached to what you hear in your head. Surround yourself with good people and listen.
Ardeshir Sorabjee
Do you feel that you are constantly improving as a musician and keyboardist even today (considering you are already at that extremely high level of proficiency)? Are there things that you can play today which you could not play 10 years ago?
Yes, I think so! I’m constantly challenging myself on the piano and the guitar. For example, it was a great challenge to me to play the intro to “Seeds of Gold” on the piano, and all the bits on The Whirlwind were stretching out for me as far as how much I needed to practice them and truly get them in my hands. Also, I think I’ve grown as a guitar player largely due to touring with Roine and how much feeling and expression Roine puts in his playing and how he’s always improvising. That seemed to help me on the Testimony 2 tour to stretch out a little more and have more feeling in my playing, which is really cool!
Rob YtseRob Mallory
Any chance of seeing a fiction novel some day? I loved the autobiography and think you are a phenomenal writer.
No, I’ve never thought of that! It was actually quite a struggle for me to even write my autobiography. It took months and was very painstaking for me. So I haven’t thought about that. I wrote short stories when I was in my late teens, but that was really the extent of my literary career. But you never know—stay open for whatever God might want.
John Hartigan
Was it fun playing with Steve?
Oh yes! Steve is amazing, as you know! But writing with him was really a hoot. I remember when it was just he and I when I flew down to Florida to write with him almost a full year before we got together to record the Flying Colors album. He’s so amazing, he would just sit down and say, “Maybe we could use a better little instrumental section here.” And he would just improvise the most amazing classical guitar piece you’ve ever heard. It’s really stunning how his mind and fingers work. There’s a reason why he’s really famous! He’s an amazing player and has an amazing mind for music. And he has the driest sense of humor! He has a great, very dry, witty humor and I love his emails! Keep those emails coming, Steve!
Jim Sampson
Have you ever recorded with a real mellotron or just samples?
In the early days of Spock’s Beard we did use a real mellotron, up until maybe Day for Night or Kindness of Strangers, I’m not sure. I think we switched to samples right around there and I’ve been on samples ever since. I just think they sound killer, and you don’t have to deal with all the clicking and you don’t have to move the big giant thing around either. But there’s something cool about using a real one!
Nilton Cruz
Master Neal… The Light was released in 1995 when you were already 35 years old… at some point before that, did you think about quitting? Come to Brazil!!!!
I’d love to come to Brazil! You put the gig together, I’ll show up, haha! Yeah, I did think about quitting, but I didn’t have anything else that I could do. I had no skills. If you read my autobiography, you’ll see I intentionally closed every door that might have led to something else. I had to go on with no way to turn back.
Jeremy Clark
So many of these questions can be answered by reading Testimony. I don’t have a question, I’m just a big fan. Cheers, Neal.
Hey Jeremy! Cheers to you man, and God bless you all!
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