We recently connected with Claude McCan and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Claude, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

When I first left Texas to attend Tulane University I had a firm plan to study and become a psychotherapist because I had been helped a lot by a psychologist my parents sent me to when I was having problems in high school. As I stared to play music professionally that plan fell by the way side. After many years of being a bandleader, sideman and producer however, I have found that , other than purely musical skills, you really need the skillset of a psychotherapist to perform these jobs correctly. For instance, when I am producing another vocalist I need to be able to give them critical feedback without making them feel put down or frustrated. You have to choose your words very carefully. As a bandleader I try keep in mind the needs of the other musicians as well as the band as a whole, and as a sideman I have to be able to offer my own creative ideas with undermining the authority of the bandleader. These are all very delicate areas and you have to engage your empathy to deal with them. I don’t really ever think about missing out on the regimentation of a regular job. That never really appealed to me even though there is more stability. I feel that I get to have most of the satisfaction of being a psychologist by working in the music industry.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When I first came to Austin Texas to attend UT I was checking out a message board and I saw note that said :You can be Black, you can be white, just make sure you can play it right! Looking for musicians to start a Reggae band” . I had played piano and sang since I was child but had never really played in a working band. I auditioned as a keyboard player/singer and started playing right away. Once I got that feeling of playing for an audience that was it for me- that was all I wanted to do. This was in late 1976 and while I took some music theory courses at the time there were no courses in music production or performance outside of classical so I finished college with a BA in English Literature. I branched out into playing other kinds of music like New Wave Rock, Funk, R & B and Latin. As portable synthesizers began to be available I found myself drawn to their sonic possibilities and then to electronic music itself. This eventually became my specialty as a musician although I also use other keyboards like piano and organ as well when I do recording sessions or play live. In the 90s I began using the name Claude 9 and formed the company Claude 9 Productions and Claude 9 Studios. I have had many recordings released in House music, Hip Hop, Dub and Reggae and done remixes as well. Most of these were recorded and mixed by myself in my own studio.
I started with electronic music when the technology was quite different and have learned about all the advances in programming as recording as this grew. I feel this gives me a very unique outlook and a vast “bag of tricks” when it comes to recording and mixing. My style is to mix analog and digital techniques and equipment and a plethora of genres and musical eras. Even when I am working on modern electronic styles I always throw in some Reggae and Dub elements to give things some spice.
At this point in my career I am mostly focused on my own musical projects but I still do quite a few recording and mixing sessions for other artists. During Covid lockdown I was already prepared to work remotely with other artists because Its generally better for me to work in my own studio because of my unique collection of instruments and effects. Claude 9 Studios is sort of a “Mad Scientist’s Laboratory”. I still do a lot of live performances with my own bands and others as well. At this time I am preparing to release an Ambient album entitled ” Chords of Love” which I completed during Lockdown. This album was mixed remotely with Charles Reeves of Sublime Studios and features saxophone from Jorja Chalmers of the Bryan Ferry Band.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal In my musical journey is to create work that can help people get through the stress and strain of life, help them process their hardship, put a smile on their face or make them dance. Of course I strive to express myself but I think of a musician’s purpose as more of a “soul plumber”. That may sound weird but when your pipes are clogged a plumber is a necessity. When your soul or spirit is clogged you need the right music to make things flow!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

As a young musician I felt the every time I faced rejection- was not selected for a certain band, was not hired for a gig, had a submission rejected by a certain record label – I thought it was because I had done something wrong or my work was lacking in some way. That may have been true in some instances, but I have learned that most of the time it was because my skills were not the best fit for that particular job. Every artist is different and there’s no way you can be the best at every aspect of your industry. For example, in Austin I get a lot of calls to work on country music. I can play country music, but I know lots of musicians that do it better than I do. When I get these calls I feel it’s best for me to refer other musicians who can do that particular job better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.claude9.com/
• Instagram: claude956
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Claude9Studios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=969I_2u5mkc
• Other: email- [email protected]

Image Credits
Photos by Mark Guerra and Charles Wright