Dream Theater, Keyfest, and Beyond: Jordan Rudess

Date:2020/2/18 21:29:04 Hits:

Jordan Rudess is one of the most respected keyboard and piano players in the world today. His mind-twisting work with prog metal juggernaut Dream Theater helped earn him a prestigious spot on the Best Keyboardist of All Time list from MusicRadar. But to only consider his work on the ivories is to do Rudess a disservice. As owner of the music software and app company Wizdom Music, he is also continually pushing the boundaries of how musicians interact with their instruments and the music they’re creating. And as an educator, Rudess’s Keyfest retreats offer him a way of sharing his years of knowledge, technique, and technological insight with players from around the world.

On top of all that, Rudess is a great friend and loyal customer of Sweetwater, which is why we jumped at the chance to host Keyfest 2018 right here in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 26–28, 2018. And he’s just as excited as we are. “There’s no doubt that Sweetwater is one of the coolest places for musicians on the planet,” he said. “It’s like going to Disney World for musicians. So I’m super excited to do this at Sweetwater.” And he’ll also be bringing along a couple of heavy hitters from the world of keys and synths, promising a weekend full of learning, playing, and building community.

Recently, we managed to catch up with impossibly busy Rudess on his way to yet another performance. He was gracious enough to tell us more about bringing his highly successful Keyfest event to Sweetwater, what keeps him so inspired about music technology, and of course, a bit about the mighty Dream Theater.

We’re really looking forward to hosting Keyfest 2018. Can you tell us a little about why you started the event and what attendees can expect?
It’s something I wanted to start because I wanted to get more of a community vibe going in the keyboard world. The whole Keyfest idea is about the spirit of engagement and being interactive. So when people come to Keyfest, they have full access to everyone that is there to teach. I’ll be there to really talk to people, to answer questions, to be with them, to hang with them, and to get to know them. To me, the social interaction and the chance to be with other players and meet people from around the world, I really enjoy that.

This year, we also have Bill Laurence from Snarky Puppy and Tom Brislin from Yes and Renaissance being the teachers. Each person has unique things to share and comes into it with their own background. We do jams every night, and each of the artists has a chance to perform. It’s like a real camp vibe. Over the course of a few days, you really make friends for life.

You guys teach a wide variety of courses throughout the weekend as well. What sort of things do you cover?
We do everything from improvisation to harmony, a lot of technique, learning things like finger independence and hand strength. I’m going to talk a lot about performance and how to prepare for a performance. Even things like performance anxiety and how to practice techniques. There’s a range of topics between the three of us that we can offer to all the students. The art of soloing is something that I personally love to talk about. Also, there’s a lot of time to get some one-on-one attention if they have particular questions or concerns. It’s a great opportunity to really pick our brains.

Keyfest is on its third year. What’s bringing you to Sweetwater this time around?
The first two Keyfests were held way out in the country in a resort environment. It was really nice. But logistically it was not easy. And you guys are awesome and have all the facilities and everything a keyboard player or any musician would ever want to put their hands on. Not only that, but Sweetwater has the staffing to make this thing so smooth. And everybody there is notorious for being super helpful and well informed on all the gear. So in my opinion, doing this kind of thing at Sweetwater is an amazing thing.

You also stay busy on the gear side of the industry. Tell me about some of the tech-based projects you’re involved in.
I have a company called Wizdom Music. We’re the maker of cutting-edge music software. Our latest product is called GeoShred. Also, I have a great interest in expressive touch controllers like ROLI keyboards or the [Roger Linn Design] LinnStrument. All the instruments that are paving the way toward the next generation of musical instruments. At the same time, I’ve been a big endorser of Korg instruments for many years. I take the Korg Kronos all over the world with me, on the road with Dream Theater. So yeah. I have a real passion for musical instruments and really want to see the future of musical hardware make the right kind of instruments for the time that we’re in.

You said you take the Kronos out live with Dream Theater. What else do you take on the road with you?
The Kronos is the centerpiece of it. Over 90% of what you hear is coming out of the Kronos. I also have a [ROLI] Seaboard Rise, which is connected to an Apple computer. And I use a software that ROLI makes called Equator. But I also use their audio modeling software for some sounds, like their amazing saxophone, which I feature in a song called “Another Day,” off Images and Words. And in addition to that, I use my iPad, because that’s what I run GeoShred on.

I use GeoShred in a couple of ways. One is on my rotating stand. But I also have a keytar, which has the name of the Zen Riffer. Recently, my tech Keith Wexler put an iPad Pro in there. So there’s always a moment in the show where I’ll come out and I’ll play what we now call “The Eye Riffer,” so I can get in front of the audience and wail on GeoShred.

Tell me more about that keytar. It’s definitely a unique instrument.

A very talented friend of mine named Charles Tentindo was making these instruments called Zen Riffers. I met him and was really inspired by his design. And you know, playing keytar in a metal or a prog metal outfit is a little risky, because usually the rocker guitarists and drummers look down upon keytars. But when I came out and showed them this really ultra-cool-looking instrument with this amazing sound, they were all blown away.

Even with your focus on future technologies, you still have a passion for the piano. You’re even about to embark on a solo piano tour, From Bach to Rock.
Yes. From Bach to Rock is a total solo piano adventure where I basically take people on a journey through my musical life. From my beginnings when I was a Juilliard student learning classical music, through my improvisations that I used to have to run into a practice room at Juilliard and keep secret, to discovering synthesizers and rock music and leaving Juilliard to go my own way. Everywhere from literally playing Bach to improvising to playing some of my favorite cover tunes to Liquid Tension Experiment to Dream Theater to original material. And while I’m doing that, I tell the story of my journey.

With so many interests outside of the band, what is it about Dream Theater that has kept you such an active member for so long?
Great question. I’m very lucky to have joined a band of such high-caliber musicians. One of the great things about being a musician is being able to interact and play with other musicians. And I feel really lucky in my life that the musicians that I work with are so dedicated and are so inspiring. For example, I talk to Mike Mangini all the time about rhythm and how to really stay steady and grounded and locked, because that’s one of his masteries. John Petrucci and I will talk about playing riffs and really being able to play very cleanly and clearly. It’s a great environment for a musician to be in. I really appreciate it. And it’s fun to do what we do.

You guys recently completed a couple of massive tours and an album cycle. What’s next for the band?
We are going to get back into writing music and recording a new album around May or June. We’ve just been talking in the camp about all the logistics of that now. Everyone’s out doing their own thing for a while. Mike Mangini and Petrucci are out playing with G3. I think they have another tour in Europe coming up. I’ve been out at Stanford University at the CCRMA division as an artist in residence for three months. I’m having a wonderful time here in California. And of course, I have my month in Europe and coming out for Keyfest. And then after that, we’re going to get into the Dream Theater mode and make that happen.

Can you tell us a little more about what you’re doing with CCRMA?

For sure. CCRMA is what we call “The House that FM Built.” I was invited by a professor that’s actually one of my partners in my Wizdom Music business. I’ve been having an amazing time interacting with all of these very cool people, thinking about the future of music technology. I get together with them, and we talk about expression and where the technology is going, neural networks and machine learning, and turning them on to what I do with GeoShred and how I view musical expression.

They’re also really into spacial audio. So I’ve been working with and learning a lot about ambisonics and moving sound around the room. And CCRMA has some of the greatest facilities for spacial audio in the country.

I’m doing some concerts for them as well. One of the things I did recently was a completely improvised concert at the Stanford Memorial Church, which was a really, really great pleasure.

You definitely stay busy.

Yeah. I really enjoy what I do.

You’ve been a loyal friend and customer of Sweetwater’s for a long time. We’re lucky to have the relationship with you that we do. What is it about Sweetwater that makes it your choice for music and audio gear?
It’s a no-brainer. And I’m not just saying this to make anyone there feel good. Although it’s nice if it does. Every interaction you have with a Sweetwater sales rep is a positive one. Everybody really cares. They take the time to make sure they get you the right product, that you’re happy with it, and to see if you have questions. And the technical people are really smart. If they can’t answer something, they get the rep on the phone from the company and make sure that the customer gets what they want.

Sometimes, on the planet Earth, you find people you can work with or do business with that you know are the ones that really matter, that make things better. And I’ve got to say, I’ve known Chuck Surack for a long time, and he really started an amazing thing. And I’m grateful for it. So that’s why I shop at Sweetwater, and that’s why I’m also really excited to do Keyfest at Sweetwater.

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Dream Theater, Keyfest, and Beyond: Jordan Rudess

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