Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Giuseppe Cucchiara. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Giuseppe , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Music is always been part of my life and as a child I used to spend a lot of time listening to my father’s record collection.
Since I can remember I felt a special connection with music and in particular with the act of listening, somehow I couldn’t rationally explain it. Not even to myself.
I remember trying to understand why I liked it and why I liked jazz in particular but I was never able to reach a conclusion and that made me feel kind of insecure.
I was not sure I liked it, I felt that maybe I was just impressed by the thought of loving something so deep.
However I had other plans in my mind for my future. In fact, after high school I wanted to study history and philosophy.
At the age of fifteen years old I switched from piano to upright bass and in that moment I said “That’s what I will do for a living.”
I was willing to respect the kind of discipline you need and to take the ups and downs that at that point I had already started experiencing through learning an instrument and meditating about music.
Giuseppe , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Giuseppe Cucchiara and I’m a jazz bassist, a composer and an educator.
Music is always been part of my life since my father is a musician as well.
I grew up in Villarosa a very small town in Sicily, Italy and after winning a scholarship for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston I moved to the United States.
Now I live in New York City where I work as a freelance musician. I play concerts almost every night and I mentor young musicians who are trying to explore this discipline.
My main project is my “Unsung Tales” quartet which features some of the best musicians in the jazz scene of today. Ben Solomon on tenor sax, Chris McCarthy on piano and Adam Arruda on drums.
The goal with this band, that just recorded a new album, is to explore a concept presented in a composition and bring it to life through a manipulation of the primary theme.
My composition are the product of my reflections about life and the search of something that many times you can’t describe with words.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
First of all I don’t like to apply the term “rewarding” when we are talking about art or being an artist.
When you are an artist you spend your time contemplating and creating something that comes from within, sometimes you might like it but then you move on to the next thing.
However, to answer this question I could say that the most “rewarding” aspect of being an artist is experiencing occasional emotional detachment. That happens in a state of deep focus and trance while involved in your craft which in my case is practicing my instrument, composing and performing. Sometimes it’s hard to reach such moments in New York City where life is frenetic.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Educate people from the early stages of their lives.
Art is something that needs to be studied, understood and passed from generation to generation and most of all experienced at a concert, performance, museum.
It deals with a lot of human matters and events and it’s one way to reflect about yourself and what surrounds you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gcbassist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gcbassist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giuseppecucchiaramusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_tRQSOcT-mCG37Ly1NT76g
Image Credits
Michelle Sierra Laffitte – photographer Giuseppe Cucchiara Upright Bass Ben Solomon Tenor Saxophone Simon Moullier : Vibes Chris McCarthy Piano Adam Arruda Drums