What Am I Making Podcast #007 - Jon Carroll is a musician and modern day philosopher

What Am I Making Podcast

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What Am I Making Podcast #007 - Jon Carroll is a musician and modern day philosopher

Jon and I talk about being in love with the process, the power of perspective, and those moments when we just need someone to tell us it doesn't have to be as bad as it is right now.

Matty C

Apr 03, 2023

The first time I told my bandmates in The Stick Arounds about my blossoming online friendship with Jon Carroll, the other dudes seemed to think it was cool that I had made pals with a veteran who had spent his life working in the music industry.

The second time I told them about it, they were somewhat shocked when they finally realized that I had made a genuine connection with somebody that we all saw as “famous” and having “made it”.

You see, Jon Carroll is most widely known for being an original member of The Starland Vocal Band. Yeah, you know, that band that did Afternoon Delight. When that record hit #1, Jon was barely 19 years old.

*Ahh, the bliss and beauty of youth. Starland Vocal Band, 1976.*

When I mentioned my newfound relationship with Jon, I did not lead with The Starland Vocal Band info. For one thing, I didn’t want to sound like a name dropper. Secondly, I had been interacting with Jon for weeks before the connection had been made clear to me between him and his number one hit.

At the time, I knew very little about Jon in terms of his career and credentials, but everything I was lucky enough to catch in conversation or texts with him was far more interesting to me than talking about a song from nearly fifty years ago. What I knew without a doubt was that he was a wildly talented musician, singer, songwriter, and a fascinating dude who seemed too nice to be real.

In the years since Starland, Jon has had a vibrant solo career releasing his own albums and singles as well as an impressive catalog of scoring and soundtrack work. He’s been touring with Mary Capin Carpenter, often as her band leader, for more than 30 years. They’ll be back out on the road this summer together again. He also owns and runs a studio in Easthampton, Massachusetts where he produces his own work as well other producing and recording with other artists.

Without intending to begin in any specific spot, Jon and I jumped right into a thread about what a poor substitute livestream performances were for conventional live shows after the first year of the pandemic. We agreed that it was a wonderful temporary fix in a confusing and awful time, but now that they are no longer required for our safety, they should be used to supplement live performance viewing options, not replace them.

That springboard sent us into a pool of discussion on the cheapening of art, an issue that I have talked about here from day one. The lesson from this bit is superb.

Have the proper perspective for your worth and give proper worth to your perspective.

Deep shit, right?

Please be sure to also listen closely for a beautiful story that Jon tells about how in a store, he barely heard a Van Morrison track, but his musical antennae was smarter than his conscious mind and it took him a while to catch up. Jon also shared a difficult, but important anecdote about his sister telling him what’s what when he needed it most.

I consider myself a conversational heavyweight. That is not to say I am a great thinker, orator or debater. I simply have a ton of interest, a gift of the gab and an unending curiosity. It’s part of what makes me so very well suited for the work that I am doing here.

These inherent skills can often overwhelm casual conversation. Jon Carroll is a man who can more than keep up with me.

He is a conversational master. Sure, the man can play a piano like a sumbitch, but listen to him weave in and out of topic and always return to stick the landing like some weirdo linguistic lovechild of Mark Twain and Mary Lou Retton. It’s also just a treat to listen to him talk.

*Jon in his natural environment. Photo by Paul Mangano*

Jon’s natural ability for storytelling, his fascinating life story and more than forty years on the road in rock and roll make for hours and hours of wonderful tales. Here is roughly one of those hours that I got to spend with my friend, and now yours, Jon Carroll.

Below, you can find some links for Jon Carroll as well as a bit more info on the spot where Jon and I connected. If you have been enjoying my stuff here, there is likely to be some stuff over there that hits you in the sweet spot as well.

Thanks so much again to all of you for your kindness, generosity, and support. Be well.

Cheers,
Matty C

Jon Carroll Online
Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

Schultze Gets The Blues (The film Jon discusses near the end of our chat)

Jon and I got to know each other through the community involved at Stand Up With Pete Dominick. Pete has been a guest on this very show - the first guest, in fact - and he has been instrumental in helping me get this endeavor off the ground and build an audience.

If you like the work I do here, I think there is a great chance you’ll enjoy the work that Pete puts out on his podcast every weekday. He talks to some of the very smartest people in politics, journalism, climate science, podcasting, comedy and more. It’s great stuff on a wide variety of issues. And he does it every damned weekday.

Please go give it a listen wherever you get your pods and subscribe.

2 Comments

What Am I Making Podcast

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson.

I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century.

It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to.

What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years?

Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting.

I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities.

All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster.

This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind.

If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture.

Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support.

https://whatamimaking.substack.com

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com

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