We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rod Macdonald. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rod below.
Rod, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I’m a graduate of Columbia Law School. By the time I was in my third year I was playing clubs and coffeehouses around New York City, and when I graduated I blew off taking the bar and kept playing music. People say “Oh, it’s good to have something to fall back on.” I though that was wrong and ignored them; I thought, if I am going to succeed at it, I have to dedicate myself to it, not think about “falling back.” A couple years later I met Dave Van Ronk, a legendary folksinger from the 1960s. Dave asked me “Is there something else you could be doing?” I said no. He said “That’s good, because in my experience if you do have something else to do, you’ll end up doing that anyway, so you might as well start doing that now.”
I am happy to report that I never did fall back.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a singer-songwriter and guitarist who became a professional musician largely because I wanted to write and sing my own songs. I had some college experience as a working journalist–I covered the Pentagon Papers trial for Newsweek, for example–and came away convinced that the only way I could address what I saw in the world was to do so directly, through songs, rather than writing for someone else’s publication. Through the years I have become a better musician and singer as well, and today have the satisfaction of knowing I am good at my job. I front a rock and roll band, do 50 or so concerts a year of my own songs with acoustic guitar, and teach “Music Americana,” a lecture course in music history for the nation’s largest Lifelong Learning program at Florida Atlantic University. Several of my songs have been recorded by other artists, some well known, and my 14 cds on independent labels often make it onto the roots and folk music charts; in 2015 my cd Later That Night went to #1 on the national folk charts. It’s probably true that my independent attitude and late start as a performer did not make me of interest to the corporations that clog up popular music; but on the other hand, I am known for writing intelligent songs about social and political events, as well as personal and inspirational works. And I have published two novels.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
In my view, what is most missing in American society is the free exchange of ideas in popular music. This freedom is lacking precisely because the major outlets and performance venues are owned by hard-right Republicans who will not allow songs or artists with whom they disagree to reach the broad public. This condition came about because President George W Bush named people to the FCC to rewrite the laws governing media ownership so his supporters could own the national radio networks. Before 2002 it was illegal for one entity to own more than 35% of the media in a major market, whereas today they can own 100% of it, and often do. In my view, the United States should restore diverse ownership of media, so that one faction of the political spectrum does not have a monopoly of the marketplace. We are supposedly a free society; let our music reflect that.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think the non-creative public thinks art should merely be entertaining and never threaten anyone’s preconceived notions. Much of the public simply wants musicians to keep performing its favorite records without creating anything new, and admires people like the Governor of Florida for passing laws making it illegal to make anyone “uncomfortable.” Creative artists, on the other hand, think great art offers the public new ideas and the opportunity to question what it thinks it knows, and perhaps learn something in the process.
Contact Info:
- Website: rodmacdonald.com
- Instagram: @rodthefolksinger
- Facebook: facebook.com/rodmacdonaldmusic
- Youtube: @rodmacdonald
Image Credits
Boulevard by Tony Gleeson at Passim by Craig Harris