Podcast 141: Wade Matthews

Wade Matthews is passionate about improv. He focuses on what he calls "free improvisation", which is dependent on having great listening skills as well as great playing chops. In this chat, Wade explores how he got to the point of being improv-focused, how he thinks about different types of performance (including his concept of 'sonic portraits', which I found fascinating) and even his definition of free improv. Wade is also a trained musician who is now somewhat post-instrumental, focusing as much on processes and electronics as he does on the woodwinds where he started. This has also had an impact on both the music that he makes and his view on musical work, and we are lucky to have him share his ideas and experiences here. I really enjoy talks where we can get in-depth on a subject and explore some of the edge areas, and I felt like this happened here. Wade is a deep thinker who is also an eloquent speaker, and the discussion buzzed by much faster than I realized. Nevertheless, we do learn a lot about Wade's ideas on music-making, and I hope to continue the discussion soon. Enjoy!