A Tale of Two Roads: The Gravel, The Oil and 9 Things I Learned Talking to My Childhood Hero.

It was a clear day that day… One lazy arm on the open driver’s window, and my other hand slapping on the twelve of an oversized station wagon wheel. The scent of gravel dust and fresh South Dakota air mixed the perfect aura of teenage-afternoon living. Flipping the hand up in a wave as I pass a farmer here, and waving to another non-amused hay-eating cow there…this was my scene growing up in Eastern South Dakota.?

And then, a song came on the radio. It was a solo piano song. It was like something I had never heard before. In a hurried curiosity I hand rolled the window up, and turned the volume dial to the right, and listened. It was George Winston’s ‘Thanksgiving'. To this day, I consider it the greatest solo piano song ever written.

Per Wikipedia… ‘George Winston is an?American pianist, guitarist, harmonicist, and record producer. He was born in Michigan and raised mainly in Montana (Miles City and Billings), as well as Mississippi and Florida. He is best known for his solo piano recordings. Each of several of his albums from the early 1980s have sold millions of copies.?He has sold over 15 million albums.’

Per Me…In boxing, there’s Muhammad Ali. In basketball, there’s Michael Jordan. In Solo Piano Performance, there’s George Winston. It is almost impossible when talking about solo piano music to not bring up the name, George Winston.

For me, George Winston (with a dose of Jerry Lee Lewis), is what I wanted to be. I wanted to play the piano with reckless ballad abandonment...and my life’s road trip would start with years listening to his music, and the journey of writing my own…..finding my voice in the process.

Life’s journey of a million miles takes us many places. After years of listening, following, traveling, and relationships, the day came where I would finally get a chance to call George Winston, as he drove a Southbound Minnesota Oil Road from Brainerd, Minnesota, to Sioux Falls South Dakota for his next performance.?

As I sit in my interview chair (with a matching pair of socks this time - please refer prior article for the socks saga)…I take a deep nervous breath and start dialing Winston's phone number.

Ring........ ring.......“Hello?”….

“Hello, Mr. Winston?!” I ask with a caffeinated zeal.

“You can call me, George,” he says…..and so the conversation begins.

Though it's impossible to transcribe our entire interview..Here are just 9 (of the many) things that highlighted for me, in speaking to the great, George Winston

1) The “Greats” Have Mentors Too. They Study Them. Mentors are Important.?

George had people he looked up to. It was first The Doors in 1967. It then became Fats Waller in 1971. Followed by James Booker in 1982, in which he tells me “I think of the piano in terms of James Booker’s Language.” He added, “When listening to Booker, I said to myself, that’s the way to play the piano…and it still is. I learned how to play piano and use techniques from these records. I told myself I want this in my vocabulary”

George told me something else on the importance of having Mentors.?Specifically: A Mentor shows you it is possible. That it can be done.

2) Categories & Definitions Can Be Dangerous

Winston would say, categories can many times be more effective in telling you what something is NOT. Not necessarily what something is.?

For example. Genetics….When chatting with Winston he said that genetics aren’t going to tell him what he will be able to do. They can tell him what he won’t do. In his example, he jokes that his genetics will tell him he won’t be an NBA players.?

According to George “Definitions can be prisons.” Everybody has different perspectives and experiences. In paraphrasing our conversation, suppose you know something called a C chord as playing the notes C-E-G. The C Chord (as defined) only exists in your context. Now suppose you tell someone playing in the Key of E Flat to play a C chord. They might look at you funny. However, tell that same person to play an Eflat6 with a flat 9. That would give you C-E-G (maybe in a different root position, but this isn't music theory). You just explained the same outcome in the “context” of their Key.?

This was eye-opening for me. Specifically, when talking to someone else do I explain things in my “key” only, or am I helping to explain it in their key too??Knowing what “key” that person is living in can alter a definition (and the understanding of that definition) entirely.?

To take it one gnarly step further....just because I “know” something, and someone else doesn’t, that does NOT mean they don’t know the same thing….I’ll repeat that:)….Just because I know something, and someone else doesn’t, does NOT mean they don’t know it.?This tripped me out a bit (sans any psilocybin you crazy cats) They actually may know it, but just in different terminology, or in a different context (key). It challenges me on how to explain something to someone in “their” terms.?

3) Winston’s “Why” is Strong, and He Gives Back

Go to a George Winston concert and chances are you’ll not only see merchandise for sale, but you’ll also see cans of food. Yes, a piano concert with cans of food. For years, George Winston has teamed up with the local food banks of the communities in which he performs, and people are known to bring cans of food to the shows. The CD proceeds also go towards the local food bank.?

When I asked him why this way of giving is important to him he replied:?

“Hunger is the bottom line. If someone is down on their luck, you can sleep on the ground, you can get water from the rain, but where are you going to get food?” You never know if you are going to get laid off, or the weather or floods….anything can happen, and the food banks have been doing a great job for so many decades”.?

And then George said, “You know, I’ve been a recipient of that myself way back a couple times."

Not only knowing that the great George Winston also used the help of a food bank at some points in his life, but the pure humility and willingness to give back was striking.

4) Detachment is Important

In talking with Winston, he mentions that it’s ok if something doesn’t "work." According to George, a song has to have a “life of its own”. If it doesn’t, let it go. It could work out later, it may come back. I took this to also mean in life if something isn’t working out, it’s ok to let it go.?In our talk, George talks about having just a little “pinch” of “It doesn’t really matter.” That shouldn’t drive you, but in the end, having a dose of that helps keep things in perspective.?

5) Know Your Audience

You’ve heard the saying “Know your Customer.” According to Winston, it’s important to “Know Your Audience." Specifically, to play what the crowd wants to hear. If your playing in a Senior Center, play the Waltzes, if you are in a public park, play the Ragtime, if it’s in a concert setting, play the Ballads.?

6) Listen to your Subconscious

In one part of the conversation as I asked George about giving “One piece of advice” to any creative person starting out in any endeavor....his answer was:?

If it's in, music, learn the twelve major and minor chords.

In general, the subconscious is pretty smart….listen to it. It knows the answer

George spoke on the subconscious being like the hard drive of a computer, and the conscious is like a screen. The conscious can deal with one or two things at a time, yet the subconscious stores the information.?

7) Our Mind Chatter is Increasing. But when a thought is combined with an Emotion, Then You Have Something.?

According to George: The discipline used to be how to find the information and now the discipline is, how to turn it off.

George talked about mind chatter and its more linear approach. However when a “feeling or emotion” combines with a more clear thought, that’s when you know you are on the right track.?This taught me to let emotion play a "role" in discovery...not necessarily be the "lead" at times, but to use it as another tool.

8) When Nervous About a Task, Do it as Soon as You Can

In talking with Winston, I expressed with laughter the nerves I had in calling him. He replied in fun saying, “I remember back in 2001, I had to call Ray Manzarek from the Doors….I hung up the phone a couple of times!”?

Hence, if you find yourself nervous about something (like the dentist as Winston would says), or don’t really want to do something....Do it as soon as you can. Don’t wait. You are going to do it, so take action now.

9) Thanksgiving was to Me, What Linus and Lucy was to Winston.?

Winston told me and I quote “Everyone remembers where they were when they heard Kennedy was shot. They also remember where they were when they heard “Linus and Lucy”

Winston's reaction to hearing Linus and Lucy was nothing short of life changing for him as well.

When I asked George about Thanksgiving specifically, he said “It was actually an improv to start".

And in my mind.... it's funny how improv can lead to impact.

So, why stop at 9? Well, in taking Winston's advice, the Definition of a Top 10 doesn’t really exist. And the perception of finishing?....eh, “Doesn’t Really Matter:)"…so, I’ll let it go. And if a 10th is to be shared, it will be….when it’s meant to.?

The day after our conversation, I attend his show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota…and the myth is true. He comes out with no shoes (his socks are matching) and a shirt and jeans. Just him and a piano. A show of songs, and nothing more. It was what it was supposed to be. Only what a genius can create.?At the end of the show, I shook the hand of the man I was inspired by in my journey, and gave thanks.

When I first heard George Winston’s music, I was driving on a gravel road of inspiration. When I spoke to George Winston the man, he was driving on an oil road of actualization.?

In both cases, I give “Thanksgiving” for the 2 hours of when those roads crossed, and how it continues to inspire me on my road trip of life.....until then keep the windows down, and the radio up. You'll never know what will happen on your road trip.

You can hear my entire conversation with Winston at the following:

Apple: The Going Solo Podcast - You Can Call Me George

Spotify: The Going Solo Podcast - You Can Call Me George

i-Heart Radio: The Going Solo Podcast - You Can Call Me George