Interview with Noah Brooks: The Making and Journey of a Jazz Musician

This interview with Noah Brooks, the founder and leader of the Noah Brooks Coalition, a young innovative jazz musician who blends jazz with pop and hip-hop influences. Noah shares his journey from starting his group during his freshman year of college to his current endeavors in music, including the decision to integrate pop and hip-hop samples into his compositions to make his music more appealing to a wider audience. He emphasizes how flexible and collaborative songwriting, along with incorporating various musical influences, has significantly enhanced their music and attracted a diverse audience. Noah also highlights his admiration for Kanye West and Chance the Rapper, and how they have greatly influenced his writing. Towards the end, he touches upon his music education and how it's shaped his perspective on self-taught versus studied music writing. The interview wraps up with details on where listeners can find Noah's music and hints at a new record release in 2022.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 00:30 Talking About the Guest's Current Projects
• 01:36 Discussing the Writing Process
• 02:41 The Struggles of Writing
• 03:15 Developing a Writing Methodology
• 03:37 Defining the Group's Sound
• 03:50 Incorporating Pop and Jazz
• 04:06 Influences from Other Genres
• 04:52 The Role of Jazz in the Guest's Music
• 05:38 The Appeal of Pop Music
• 07:33 Combining Jazz and Pop
• 08:47 The Guest's Influences
• 10:30 Influence from Kanye West
• 11:16 The Art of Sampling in Music
• 12:05 Examples of Sampling in the Guest's Music
• 15:07 The Guest's Philosophy on Music
• 17:07 The Impact of Sound on Writing
• 17:47 The Art of Simple Chord Progressions
• 18:27 The Role of Musicians in a Band
• 19:07 Adapting to Different Musical Styles
• 19:59 The Importance of Playing to the Style
• 20:19 The Role of Individual Musicians in a Band
• 21:29 The Process of Writing a Song
• 23:10 The Role of Collaboration in Songwriting
• 24:43 The Impact of Co-Writing
• 25:13 The Benefits of Being Open to Changes
• 26:20 The Power of Group Collaboration
• 26:34 The Value of Learning from Others
• 28:50 The Dream Collaborations
• 34:14 The Journey of Self-Improvement
• 34:46 The Regrets and Lessons Learned
• 35:30 Where to Find the Music
• 36:07 Future Plans for New Music
• 36:29 The Closing Remarks