Chuck and Gap Mangione are two famous musical brothers from Rochester,
New York. Our students sent each of them questions. The questions and the
answers that Gap Mangione sent back are below.
GAP MANGIONE
Sheila asks Gap Mangione:
1. How many years have you been playing?
2. Why do you like to make music?
3. How do you write your songs?
4. Do you have to be in a certain mood to write them?
Gap writes to to Sheila:
1. I have been playing professionally for decades now, pretty much since
high school
2. Music is my life. It's what I do for a living and what I do for enjoyment.
3. That varies. Sometimes I find melodies while playing and develop them
gradually during performances. Other times I sit at the piano, consider
things and compose deliberately.
4. No. Sometimes the songs just come to me. Other times I really have to
make an effort to find what I want.
Errick asks Gap Mangione:
1. Do you like to play a lot?
2. Do you still get nervous when you have to play in front of people?
Gap writes to Errick:
1. Yes. I very much love playing music and the wonderful feeling that comes
from making others happy by playing for them.
2. Having played for large and small groups of people for so many years,
I
seldom get nervous while playing.
John asks Gap Mangione:
1. What is your favorite song?
2. What is your favorite hobby besides music?
3. Is it fun to play the horn?
Gap writes to John:
1. A single favorite song would be difficult to choose because there are
so many that I love. Some have to do with romance, some because of the positive
feeling of the lyrics. One of my favorite of my own songs is "My Favorite Dream",
which will be on our new album. I am sending you the
lyrics which I also wrote.
2. I know it sounds repetitive, but when I'm not playing, I'm usually
listening to music.
3. It's my brother, Chuck, not me who plays the horn. I play piano and other
keyboards.
Mianel asks Gap Mangione:
1. What is your favorite piece to play?
Gap writes to Mianel:
1. There is a piece which I wrote for my daughter's wedding called "Our
Wedding Day" which I particularly enjoy playing.
Toshman asks Gap Mangione:
1. Who are the people that gave you good advice (your mentors)?
2. What is your favorite instrument?
3. When is your next concert?
Gap writes to Toshman:
1. My role models were my parents. Their love for each other, their
enjoyment of life, and their willingness to work very, very hard to provide
for each other and for us were life's greatest lessons.
2. My favorite instrument to play and listen to is the piano.
3. I play quite regularly, so I am enclosing my
schedule for March.
Melissa asks Gap Mangione:
1. How many different instruments do you play?
2. What can you tell me about the Pythodd and the time that you spent
playing there?
3. How many songs have you written?
Gap writes to Melissa:
1. I play only keyboard instruments.
2. We were the "House Band" at the early part of our professional
careers.
As you know, the club was a place where many of the truly great players
in
jazz came to play. We therefore had the opportunity to hear them play, and
often, to sit in with them.
3. I have written 20 or 25 songs which we play or have recorded. Three of
them will appear on my new CD.
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST,
GAP MANGIONE
