When it comes to Seattle-based guitarist, composer, and producer Ari Joshua, I find myself at a loss for where to start. Having followed his eclectic musical journey throughout last year and continuing into 2024, it’s his fearless exploration of sonic landscapes that continues to captivate me.
Desperate to get to know the musician better, I was over the moon when Ari agreed to an interview! Chatting with us about his early introduction to music in Cape Town (my hometown!), what he’d love to change about the music industry, and the importance of having good teachers in one’s life, please give a big warm welcome to our friend Ari Joshua!
Hey Ari, how are you? I’m so excited to re-introduce you to our ever-growing audience! Let’s kick things off with an easy one…Who is Ari Joshua and when did your love affair with music begin?
Hi there, I was first introduced to music, as I was told, by my grandmother when I was barely able to walk. I would run to the record player and say ‘mimic,’ trying to say ‘music’. She had a record collection there. I loved her flat in Cape Town. The journey that my family went on both before I was born and after I was a few years older is a big part of who I am. Later, and on the other side of the planet, my main introductions to music came from the record player at our house and my parents’ collection. I could write a book about these times.
Trying to keep up with your musical output is like running after a whirlwind of musical innovation. Does the entire “song-making process” come naturally to you and feel like an innate talent you possess?
In a way, I had to work really hard to study all the stuff that moved me growing up. Initially, the work did not come naturally; it was a slow, steady process that I heavily invested in from the start. There wasn’t a method so to speak, I just spent a lot of time absorbing things and playing along by ear. Having said that, now, overall yes, it is a very natural thing, it feels innate, and the only reason I don’t do more is because I have to balance that part of life with so many other things. I wish at times I was just owned by someone, or rather I could work for someone or some entity that took care of all the logistics that go into all this music making so I could jump from studio to studio, gig to gig, and just turn on the faucet and create. Between family and making art, I could be a really happy person if that was all I had to do, and a company could take care of the business. I love to create and especially love to do that with other people.
This has been a question that I’ve honestly been dying to ask you…Who would you put down as some of your biggest musical influences? Who did you grow up listening to? And would you say that your talents as a musician have changed or evolved over the years?
My influences are as many as the plants in a rainforest, or the fish in the sea. It started with classical music and devotional music when I was a toddler, but as a teen, it was all about the early blues, and Stevie Ray, Hendrix, Clapton, BB King, and anything that sounded like that. This took a natural turn to rock n roll which led to grunge in the 90’s. I was just at that age where everything sincere and real just impacted me so heavily. I would go see Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and all those bands and learn their songs right from the radio when they came on. Each of these eras had a huge impact. When I got to High School I joined the Jazz Band, we played a lot of 1930’s – 1950’s jazz and then I got into the jam band thing after seeing The Grateful Dead, and a PHISH tour a few times. As for my talents, yes I think I have changed a lot over time. Mostly in ways that I can’t see or feel. I still feel the same as I was when I was 16 years old. I feel like I just want to connect and express my feelings and be a part of the bigger thing. Music is a great way to explore that, cause the universe is sort of made up of vibrations and so are all of us.
When you’re not creating music, what keeps you busy and happy? Walk us through a non-music day in the life of Ari Joshua.
I am focused on my music school The Music Factory and my label of the same name Music Factory Records. For a while, it was all about the music, but then you start to realize there needs to be a business component to the dream to make it all happen. I spend a good deal of time consulting people and trying to make teams to help move the needle forward. I do a lot of the work myself out of necessity, there just isn’t a lot of room for hiring help when you start a company. I learned a lot of the skills and did a lot of the work on my own for a long time. Now also when I am not doing music or business I am with my mom, my sister, my partner, and family stuff. Love is where it’s at.
If you were allowed to “steal” one song in the world and claim it as your own, what would it be and why?
Right off the bat, ‘All Things Reconsidered’ by Trey Anastasio. I learned it and wrote out all the parts in college, and it took me a year of doing a little every week. I wrote out the chart and gave it to someone to give to Trey when I was in my early 20s…not sure if he got it. It’s like a Salvador Dali painting in sound. It’s pretty great. I enjoyed picking it apart. I was hoping I could write something similar for a project, maybe someday.
What is one thing about the music industry that you would change if you had the power to?
The financial model is something I would change. I think the government should step in and say enough is enough. We live in a world that has normalized one of the most important things we have as a resource, something that really improves the quality of life and makes it very hard for creative people to do their thing and thrive. For those that make it work, I salute you, you’re like a hero.
How do you navigate the balance between staying true to your artistic vision and adapting to changing trends in the music industry?
I had a period where I was putting time into the new stuff I heard. My feeling is if you are influenced by the good stuff from the past and present, and you are tuned in to what is really going on here in the moment, and you can express that with the backbone of the masters, then you can’t help but make new things happen. Artistic vision is not something that comes in the future, it is something all artists can tap into by being genuine.
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Ari! It’s been a real treat! Do you have any words of wisdom that you’d like to leave us with?
I do. Find a teacher. Whatever you are doing. You can learn from books, videos, and numbers on paper, but there is no substitute for putting the time in yourself and a good teacher can see where you are at and help you identify ways to best approach your next steps. As much as this is amazing for the student, it also allows the teacher to use their wisdom to help others. This works bottom up – if you have kids, find teachers who are kind and patient and have them stick with it for years. It is so much better than so many things people invest and indulge in. Also selfishly I must add that if you want music lessons, sign up with my school, we can teach online anywhere, and a lot of the funds are going to the teachers, and the rest are going back into the music one way or another. Search The Music Factory, our website is www.musicfactorynw.com. Also, you can find my music by searching my name on any platform, and learn more at www.arijoshua.com.
Oh, also I want to just add I have lost a few friends and some close acquaintances over the years to mental health. Stay positive, If you are struggling, call the 988 hotline. If you are battling addiction, it’s been proven there is a way out, if you know anyone having a hard time, I would encourage them or you to just hold out for another day, another week, another year, even if it takes 2-5 years to get through whatever it is you are going through. I have faith that you can find the light you need in time.
