Linda
Waterfall
Interview
Linda was interviewed by
Cornish College of the Arts, January 2007
"In a hunter/ gatherer society, everyone is an artist, integrated with
the work of daily life."
Which courses do you teach?
Songwriting.
Why do you teach?
I teach with the idea that I'm passing along the inspiration and
guidance that made it possible for me to become an artist. In a
hunter/gatherer society, everyone is an artist, integrated with the
work of daily life. That's in our DNA. We'd have a better society if
that was still going on.
What brought you to Cornish?
Chuck Deardorf called me. I'm grateful.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I'm inspired by spending time out in the wilderness. I like to read
about science, especially cosmology and quantum theory. I'm inspired
when I perceive excellence, in all artistic disciplines. Excellence is
hard to pin down, but for me, it would include both a satisfying level
of complexity and some kind of emotional impact and coherence. I also
have a meditation practice which is very important to me.
What drew you to your field?
I grew up in a musical family. I've been breathing it all my life.
Tell us about your creative process:
First and foremost, it's a mystery. Beyond that, I can say that I
experience it as a ping-pong-ing back and forth been logic and
intuition. Also, that a musical piece feels to me like an entity of
some sort. The form I choose for it needs to honor "what the entity is
asking for". If I try to "paste something on it" that it doesn't like,
it will just fall off, sooner or later. Sometimes that can be a stuck
place --preconceived ideas.
What projects are you currently working on?
In September '06, I am releasing a new recording -- 13 tracks, 6
originals, 6 traditional songs that I have arranged, and one Beatles
tune that I arranged rather differently from the original. So right
now, I'm paying alot of attention to the process of releasing a
recording. I have some fledgling compositions "in the nest", which I'm
noodling around with.
What do you do for fun?
I love hiking. I do watercolors. (I have a degree in visual art) I like
to read. I enjoy cooking. Renting dvd's of standup comics.
What do you like most about Cornish?
I'm totally thrilled by the inspiration of being in the Cornish
community. When I accepted the position here, I assumed that I would
find the students' work interesting, but it has truly surpassed any
expectations I had. Interaction with the other faculty members is also
fascinating, and the special events.....I guess "wow" kind of covers it.
Anything else you would like to share?
My hopes for the spiritual evolution of our species.
Copyright 2007
Linda Waterfall.
All rights reserved.