photo credits: Jude Morris
Congratulations on the upcoming release of "Running!" What was the inspiration behind this song?
TJ VIola: Thank you! Running is a song about the addictive obsession that develops when you have feelings for someone. It was inspired by a girl I liked at the time, and also by a couple of friends who were in similar situations. When the energies of you and the other person just match and it's nothing compared to anything you've ever felt before, it will seem as if the other person is "Running through your mind."
I read on your Spotify bio that you've mastered many instruments. If you could only play one instrument for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?
TJ Viola: That's a tough question since I like most of them! I don't consider myself to be a master of any instrument, but if I had to pick one or two to play forever, I would pick either the piano or the french horn. Those are the two that I've been playing the longest and have had the most memorable experiences with.
What was your favorite aspect about creating "Running"?
TJ Viola: My favorite aspect was probably how naturally the song came out of me. It just felt super easy to write the lyrics because it was such a genuine feeling that I had. The music itself spawned from me just messing around with techno-synths on my Juno keyboard, and I had also been listening to a lot of Dirty Loops lately so that had served as inspiration for the sound and melodic structure of the song itself.
What are you most excited about when this song is released?
TJ Viola: I am most excited about everyone hearing the song when it's out. People will finally be able to hear all the time and hard work that everyone put into this track, and I couldn't be more grateful to share my art with not just the people who enjoy it, but also the people who create it as well.
photo credits: Jude Morris
What was your first music teacher like and what lessons did you learn from them that you still use today?
TJ Viola: My first piano teacher, Chuck Speicher, was a huge influence on the fundamental aspect of my musicianship. He taught me essentially everything I needed to know about theory, introduced me to my first musical influences, and while I had only taken lessons with him until I was twelve years old, he had given me every piece of training that I needed to continue my piano and keyboard studies on my own
What is the one thing about music that makes you so passionate about it?
TJ Viola: Music has the power to do many things. It can make you feel emotions physically and mentally. It can make you dance, cry, laugh. Music influences crowds, builds core memories, and helps people work out among other things. It is an everyday life force that is needed by the human race. My favorite part about music is being able to make people feel this strongly about everyday aspects of their life on such a strong, emotional level.
Interviewed By Tessa Brainard
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