Ohh the emails you find when rummaging through your account!! I reached out to this brotha in August…and I’m so sorry I just now realized the email was there, waiting to be posted on my site, offering men inspiration!! *tisk tisk* Shame on me.
I was listening to SoundCloud today and his song popped up which reminded me of my request to feature his music and story on my site. My sincerest apologies, Diggs Duke!
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcUz8MS8pZY&feature=relmfu’]
Fly right!? I know, I know…I love to hip my readers to music of substance. Here’s another:
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbFubKbp-0Y&feature=youtu.be’]
Now, on to the musical artistry of Diggs Duke…
I would say that there are two things that make my music unique. I write lyrics that are poetic and could stand alone without the song. I write songs that are musical and could stand without the lyrics. I recently wrote something called “Patiently, We Bloom” characterizing Spring as the season of action, encouraging us all to make our lives mean something. I’ve written songs about sleep deprivation and the joy and expression in sounds. Of course, I also write about love and family from time to time because that’s a part of all of our lives.
The music is also unique because I write from the standpoint of a jazz musician. I do a lot of arranging for horns and strings and I play all of the instruments on the recordings myself. Many of the chord and song structures are more complex than what you might hear from other singers. On the most basic level, I really just want to create something that’s progressive and enhances the general feeling people have in their lives. My sincerity comes across in the music and people connect with it. I believe that music is not only to entertain, but also to share, learn and educate in an intellectual and spiritual way.
My advice to people headed on a similar path would be to learn as much as you can about creating music first. It takes years and years of practice to get to the point where you can convey your feelings through music successfully. Study it like you would any field in science because composition and songwriting certainly is a science, in addition to being an art. You wouldn’t just put on a lab coat and decide you’re a doctor. So, you can’t expect to just start singing, rapping, playing or writing and be good at it. Be dedicated and you’ll get a lot of joy out of it.
