Behind the Synth showcases the people bringing you Yamaha synthesizers. In this episode Nate and Blake chat with Nicholas Semrad. Nick is a talented keyboardist and sound designer. He’s worked with Lauryn Hill, Donny McCaslin, Bootsy Collins, Louis Cole, Mark Guiliana and many others. He’s currently a member of Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles. Nick is a long time member of The Lesson GK, a legendary NYC improvisational electronic and R&B project.

Nick is also an educator and mentor for other keyboardists. He has a unique take on what it takes to be successful as a musician:

“There’s something about playing in bands where you have this unified experience. To be able to say something, to really be able to use my voice, sometimes it takes having something to respond to… Having a story that you can tell with your friends and use your voice to accentuate a part of it is magical. For where I’m at in my life it feels good to build a house and yell from it rather than stand out in the street and freak out. You and everyone else are creating this thing, and the deeper the thing is the more fun it is for me to respond”. Check out our chat with Nicholas Semrad below:

If you like what you hear make sure to check out Nick’s podcast “Grid Kids with Nicholas Semrad“.

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