Interview with Grammy Winner Doc Wiley Part 2

Part 2. The q&a continues...

This is what I asked Doc next:

"How much work did it take you to get to your level of music (eg, how much time practiced a day)? 

What are some daily habits that set you apart?

What is the first instrument you have ever played and is bass the one you picked because you enjoyed it or because you were good at it?

What are some crazy experiences you have had as a musician/producer?

How many artists have you collabed with?

What is your favorite part of making music (eg, lyrics, bass, audio engineering, producing)?"

This is what he told me in a great, indepth reply:

"Ben, these are great questions. I’ll answer them as honestly as I can.

"How much work did it take to get to my level of music?
A lot. More than I can probably measure. There were seasons where I practiced for hours every day, and there were also seasons where the “practice” looked like rehearsals, recording sessions, writing, listening, studying arrangements, learning technology, or simply being around great musicians and paying attention.

"The real answer is consistency. It is not just practicing eight hours one day. It is showing up over and over again for years, especially when nobody is clapping yet.

"What are some daily habits that set you apart?
Listening is one of the biggest ones. I try to listen deeply — not just to music, but to people, rooms, ideas, and what a song is asking for.

It would also behoove you to become a music genre geek. That is something Louis Armstrong told my dad, and it is something I used to tell my university students when I taught music production.

"If you like a certain artist or band, find out who influenced them. Then listen to those influences and see what you can hear in the artist you already like. Once you do that, go back another generation and find out who influenced those people.

"That kind of listening opens up your ears and your imagination. In the ’80s, I started with Led Zeppelin, traced their influences backward, and somehow ended up at Irish sea shanty songs. That is the beauty of music history — every sound has roots, and those roots lead somewhere.

Other habits that matter are preparation, being on time, staying teachable, taking care of relationships, and doing the small things well. Talent may get you in the room, but character and consistency keep you there.

"What was the first instrument I ever played? Was bass the one I picked because I enjoyed it or because I was good at it?
Bass was part of my family lineage. My dad was a bass player, and I come from three generations of musicians. He was a learned musician who taught jazz at the university level, and he also played three to four times a week until he passed.

"I learned the fundamentals from him and from being around his students, but I would say I learned most of what I know about music, performance, entertainment, and the music business by actually doing it — playing in bands, being part of projects, making mistakes, and figuring things out in real time.

"In the ’80s, I joined a couple of Top 40 bands, and learning those songs taught me a lot about arrangement, collaboration, and how music works in front of an audience. Those lessons still apply to how I perform, produce, entertain, and administer my own projects today.

For anyone interested in production, I think you should pick up an instrument and play with other people. Make music with others — great music and terrible music. You will have a good time most of the time, and more importantly, it will give you empathy.

"When you are in the studio or working on a live show and you ask someone to do something, you will understand how hard it can be because you have been on that side of the glass too.

And every now and then, you come across a unicorn — someone you get to perform with, record, collaborate with, or simply become a fan of. Those moments are part of the reward.

There is a saying I love: the gardener appreciates the rose differently than the person simply passing by. I think musicians are like that. When you have done the work, you hear and appreciate the beauty in a deeper way.

"How many artists have I collaborated with?
I don’t know the exact number, but it has been a lot over the years. I used to be an executive producer of a public radio house-concert show, and over eight years we had about 450 artists walk through the door to perform and record.

One of the biggest things I learned from that experience is that great collaborators are not just talented. Their talent has to fit the project, but they also need to be a good hang. They need to be lovely people.

"That matters more than some people realize. The spirit of the people in the room affects the performance, the recording, and even the time off stage. You can work with the greatest musical genius in the world, but if they are difficult, disrespectful, or impossible to be around, it can drain the life out of the work.

Music is collaborative by nature. The best projects usually happen when the talent is strong, the respect is mutual, and the people genuinely enjoy creating together.

"What is my favorite part of making music?
I love the whole process, but my favorite part is when all the pieces start to become one thing — the song, the groove, the production, the emotion, the engineering, the performance. That moment when the music starts breathing on its own is special.

"Whether I’m playing bass, producing, arranging, or helping shape the sound, I enjoy serving the song. At the end of the day, that is the job: make the song better.

Hope this helps, Ben. Keep asking good questions, keep studying, and keep doing the work. That curiosity will serve you well."

By the way, Mr. Wiley has gone out of his way to be super nice. An example is the way he closed the conversation:

" I hope you find this useful. I think that is all I can provide for right now, but if I can be of service down the road, and I’m not plate-spinning at the time, I’m open to future inquiries.

All the best to you and your path forward."