The Brass Junkies Episode 181: Kevin Newton of Imani Winds
Andrew Hitz
Since I am the person who books the guests on The Brass Junkies, I always like who we speak to. I wouldn’t book them if I didn’t!
But sometimes we interview someone who leaves me feeling energized and ready to tackle anything. This conversation with the incredible Kevin Newton did exactly that.
This was one where as soon as hung up, Lance and I both were muttering to each other how incredible it was.
Kevin is the horn player for Imani Winds and is a rising star in the music world. His outlook on making music and on life is so refreshing.
You are going to love this one. I promise.
You can watch the episode on YouTube below or head over to Pedal Note Media for all of the links to where to find it.
Enjoy!
On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:
Growing up in the small town of South Boston, VA (where the joke is they have a Walmart and a high school)
The benefit of having your first teacher being your mother
Long car rides with his mother which comprised of 10% NPR and 90% making him do things like sing the alto part along with the radio
Going to the movies twice a week as a kid and listening intently to the music and falling in love with the horn (and not even knowing which instrument he was hearing)
The incredible mentors he has had from the very beginning of his musical journey including his high school band director, Reginald Pervis
Having only two lessons in his life before college and how that helped him to shape his perspective
Taking two years off between undergrad and graduate school to take lessons with different people and get some “data”
His recognition at the beginning of graduate school that he had two years to figure out how to make a career out of this and he got to work
Deciding early on that he wanted to study with David Jolley
The large portion of his lessons with Jolley that were “career building” and intentionally building the specific skills needed to thrive to get Kevin where he wanted to go
What it was like getting to audition for Imani Winds after looking up to them as kid
His mental approach to auditions which involves thinking of it as actually doing the job rather than asking for it
The belief that you should always look for the good in people that was instilled in him by his family
His horn quartet, Metropolitan Horn Authority, and their quest to have as much fun as possible and to bring the horn to the world in a new light