We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Guilhem Fourty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Guilhem below.

Alright, Guilhem thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve known deeply inside me that I would be playing drums professionally since my earliest age. After watching my first jazz concert at the age of 3, the drums became an obvious choice. I started by playing African percussion and began formal drum lessons at 7. By 11, I was performing at local concerts around Toulouse (France). I never really questioned why I wanted to pursue this career, but I did (and still do) wonder about the paths to reach my artistic goals. I didn’t grow up in a musical family which was a real challenge to be my own motivation in pursuing my musical path, but I’m very grateful for the support I had that helped me to strive, and become the musician I am today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Guilhem Fourty, I’m a professional drummer, composer, producer, and educator from Toulouse, France. Currently based in Boston, I’ve worked and played with various artists such as Miguel Zenón, Peter Eldridge, Mayu Calumbi, Bill Pierce, Ian Coury, Audrey Bussanich, Zach Santos, Kieran Brown, Shynia Lin, Theo Ribeiro, the MIT Jazz Festival, and performed in many venues around the world (France, United States, Brazil). I’ve performed in festivals such as the J.E.N in Orlando, Reno Jazz Fest, Jazz à Vienne, Jazz in Marciac, Start where we are Earth Music festival, …

I’m currently working on my first release as a band leader (2024), playing as a sideman in different groups, recording as a studio drummer for artists of different genres, and teaching drum lessons privately. I also work at the Nashua Street Jail (Boston) with the Harvard Radcliffe Institute giving weekly music and justice workshops, as well as working in the humanitarian TATS orchestra with upcoming tours in Papua NG and in Germany.

With all these projects in mind, I want to promote music as a universal language and inspire other people to pursue their creative path.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is that there is no end. There’s no time that you’ll look back and tell yourself “I’ve learned it all”, there’s always something you can learn from, something that you can improve. You keep searching and improving throughout your whole life, with a lot of failures and successes, and that’s the point of it. Enjoying the process and having the courage to never give up. It is not an easy path, but it makes you grow unlike any other path by allowing you to move beyond criticism and gain new perspectives on the world. It’s a lifelong process, and there’s no boundaries to it.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’m very interested in finding a common tone in people’s ways of communication. This might be why I chose drums as my main way of expression. Rhythms speak to anyone, regardless of your background, ethnicity, financial situation, gender, etc. I believe in creating bridges rather than putting people into boxes or categories that lead to conflicts and dissolution.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://guilhemfourty.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guilhemfourty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guilhemfourtymusic
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guilhem-fourty-69ab3719b
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbak3wCrmawToTWlqBn7b8w
• Other: https://linktr.ee/guilhemfourty

Image Credits
Malik Lassoued : https://www.instagram.com/malik_lsd/ Rosaura Sandoval : https://rosaurastudios.com