Mike Garson is an incredibly accomplished pianist and composer who is known for his work with David Bowie,  Nine Inch Nails, Free Flight, Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins, as well as an impressive solo career in both the jazz and classical realms.

He recently premiered a twelve movement work entitled Symphonic Suite for Healing where he partnered with brain surgeon Dr. Christopher Duma and collaborated with patients to use music as an aid in the healing of various disorders, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Mike is a lifelong learner who has studied with Leonard Eisner of Juilliard, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock,  Lennie Tristano and more. He is also someone who shares his knowledge of music through teaching master classes and private instruction, as well as through guest lectures on university campuses worldwide.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Mike at his home studio in Los Angeles and talk about his path as a musician and as a human being.
I am really excited to have  Mike on the Podcast for two reasons.

1. He is truly someone who is a master of his craft and yet claims to know less about music now than he did in his 20′s.
2. He has demonstrated over and over a deep passion for music as an art and for using his talents and gifts to give back and inspire others.

   IN THIS EPISODE:

   • Growing up in Brooklyn
   • Why he enlisted in the Army
   • What he has learned by devoting 160,000 hours of practice to the piano
   • How he manages to “spiritually juggle’ his marriage of 46 years, 2 daughters, and 6 grandchildren
   • Why he has a gratitude practice

   DISCOVERY QUOTE:

   “The prerequisite for any kind of new understanding requires you to realize you don’t know it all”  - click to tweet!

   CONNECT WITH MIKE:

   TWITTER | MIKEGARSON.COM | YOUTUBE

   Mike Garson – Searching on Resonance Records via Soundcloud

   Wikipedia

   Article in the Los Angeles Times about the Symphonic Suite For Healing

   All Music