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

Isaac, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

It’s interesting, I used to tell people my training started at age 11 in my middle school orchestra class. This is when I began to read music, understand basic theory and acquire “proper technique” as a string player. That simply isn’t true though, I really started when I was nine with some beat up guitar my family had lying around. I would learn songs by ear, write my own music and play with friends. A few years ago I believed that this time could have been better spent if I had just found some form of formal training. However I now realize how important those years were because I had all the room in the world to exercise my creativity without any bounds. I believe creativity is the most essential aspect of my playing today. Music oftentimes is executed solely in attempt to mimic other players. I think there is importance in this, but it should always be second in creating…isn’t that what makes it art? To be honest that would have to be my biggest challenge, I have again and again been shut down in the world of music education for not playing things just like the original or what my is traditional and it kills me. This has been very apparent in jazz and classical music for me and is part of the reason I have stepped more into the contemporary side of music.

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?

I started gigging as a musician in high school in a four-piece jazz combo by the name ‘Witness This’. To be honest I’m in disbelief that’s the name we settled on, we must of really thought we were something worth witnessing! Those shows were always such a great time and we managed to make a little money doing it. Through high school into college I found myself starting to make decent money playing in rock groups, churches, jazz combos and country bands. Now I live off the money I make in music and I get to do it my way. In fact that’s what I’m most proud of, in all of these groups I’ve been apart of I have never felt like the bass player or vocalist rather I was Isaac Ford. There’s a lot of job security in that I’ve found because it becomes more than finding another bass player to fill my place.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

To be honest supporting artists really means supporting the arts. We live in a world with lots of ways to pass the time (most of which include technology). However, I deeply believe that the arts have more to offer than just passing the time. It’s a wholesome thing that really brings life meaning while also being more than a means for survival. I think if more people had this kind of appreciation for the arts, there would be a dramatic increase in support.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

There is and there isn’t. There are seasons I find myself driven to make it in the big leagues in music and there are seasons it’s just about the enjoyment. I feel the balance is what keeps me going, I mean even when I’m discouraged I still can’t help but think about music. Specifically I guess I’d hope to be a touring bass player for some major act, I wouldn’t have to be the name on the marquee but it’d be cool to be grooving away behind the person with the big name.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @isaacfordmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remedyrxmusic
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/-Hcv-kX2AXY

Image Credits
David Cottle, Amber Eden