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July – September 2013
www.deltalivingmagazine.com
What a treat for those kids!
Some of my past students I’ve
hired to go play with the Four
Tops and The Temptations! It’s
such a huge incentive for them. I
make sure they get a well-round-
ed education. They don’t have to
like it, just learn it. Jazz is really
forgiving; just don’t step in the
holes! Bill Champlin, from the
Sons of Champlin says “Music is
only as fine as the silence it’s com-
pared to.” He also played for Chi-
cago – that silence is so important.
It personalizes the music for the
listener.
Do you support any charities?
Yes, Music In the Schools.
We’re in the process of forming a
non-profit.
What high schools do you do hold
your clinics?
I work with teachers and band
directors all over the country and
one of my favorites (and there
are several) is with George Chil-
cott at Freedom High School in
Oakley, CA. He is initiating and
installing outside tutors and in-
structors from the ranks of top
local professional musicians. He
maintains a strong discipline
with a soft voice and subtle sug-
gestions instead of with an iron
fist and threats. The response to
him by his students is both uni-
versal and amazing. He is highly
regarded by both faculty and
students alike. My hat’s off to
George!
What exactly do you teach high
school students?
I inspire kids by teaching them
to always play every note the very
best they can, EVERY time you
play. Stop practicing; it’s a waste
of time.You get better by playing
a lot. Don’t practice, because that’s
like trying. Yoda says “Do or do
not, there is no try.” I don’t call it
practicing, I call it performing.
Tell me about some memorable
tidbits.
Bill Graham became our man-
ager in 1969. Because of him we
worked with Jimmy Hendrix two
weeks before he died. He also put
our horn section onstage with the
Rolling Stones in 1981.
What is it you love about playing?
Talking the talk - music is its
own language. When you start
speaking to someone musically,
they get it. They may not under-
stand music, but they understand
what the music is saying.
You had a major heart attack a
month before 9-11. If you could turn
back time, what would you change?
My eating habits, I wish I were
in better shape. Rock & Roll
takes its toll.
Was a diet change involved?
What changed was … stay
away from saturated fats, sodium,
too much red meat, trans-fats,
know when not to eat, which
is not before I go to bed. My
cholesterol needed to come way
down. Julia and I grow most of
our own foods; she did her Mas-
ter’s thesis on Environmental
Policy and Management. Her
Doctorate dissertation is on
GMO foods.
Julia is your manager right, so
what’s it like working together?
We don’t always agree on ev-
erything. I’ll give away the rent, so
she does the negotiating. I’m basi-
cally here to help raise money, not
spend it! This December we will
be married for 30 years – she’s my
best friend.
What’s your purpose in life?
I’m a door opener. It’s one of
the best gifts I have been given.
I can’t walk them (students)
through the doors.When oppor-
tunity knocks, don’t answer the
phone, GET THE DOOR! Take
those chances. I get kids scholar-
ships all over the place – Berkeley,
UCLA, NYU, Stanford, all over
this country – that’s my mission
in life.
continued from page 33
Coliseum Day On the Green in Oakland (L-R) Mic Gillette, Edward McGee,
Emilio Castillo, Lenny Pickett.
Mic Gillette Band (MGB) Moondoggy recording session, 2012 in Lodi, CA, where Mic was the only musician, and
played all those horns.
Visit his website at
www.micgillette.com.