Bryan Sayles, Molly Sayles, and Emma Sayles Sayles

00:02 Hi, my name is Brian sales and I'm the father of Molly sayles and Emma sayles.

00:10 And I live in Quaker Hill, Connecticut.

00:13 Hello, my name is Molly sayles and [email protected]. A sales is my twin sister. I'm 28 and I live in Connecticut.

00:23 Hi, my name is Emma sayles. I am 28. I live in Connecticut and Brian and Brian tells my dad and my sales is my twin sister.

00:36 So we'll start off with the first question and this questions for my dad. How has my involvement and music affected you and Mom over the years?

00:47 All right. So that's an easy one to answer, both. Mom and I were real happy. When you and your sister came home from school one day asking about joining Elementary School band because you know personally I tried it when I was a kid, my own parents are very supportive, but I didn't stick with it. That was my fault. But when the opportunity came along, I was hoping that you would show interest because learning to play an instrument could be an enjoyable lifelong activity.

01:25 Once you get started, your mom and I were both very supportive and we felt we work and we tried to support all of your musical Endeavors as parents. We felt that was just part of our responsibility. Sometimes life got a little bit hectic, but we felt that together. There wasn't anything that we couldn't handle. How would you kids? But of course things to get a little crazy at times and as, you know, we had to move and during your senior year school high school and

02:04 We hit the skids a little bit and we shared a car, your mother and I for about 28 months and most to put on her in 50,000 miles on that car driving back and forth to work and driving. You and Emma rehearsals and lessons and whatever else we had you going in, but it was all worth it. And it actually it provided an escape for your mom and I from some of the things that we were going through as a family. So yeah, it was a great thing.

02:40 And you know, when you actually went on to Waterford High School during your senior year, the fact that you were around other band kids and of course Tim for your auntie. Mr. F was helpful that actually he's our minds so that made her life a lot easier that you were involved in music.

03:04 No matter how difficult it was your dedication to practice performing and your sheer. Joy and music kind of rubbed off on us and help hold us together into this day, were closer for it. I think and you know course in German we get out of your performance is priceless and right now makes a cheap date night for us.

03:29 I like that. So who would like to ask a question? Next? Maybe I can ask you a question who are some of your teachers growing and I bet I know it was he is now seeing some plans and how did they impact you?

03:48 Great question. There's too many to count and I wish that there was enough time for me to stay all the teachers that impacted me, but I guess I would say there were two who really stuck out in my mind, the first being Hank Schaefer and he was my private lesson percussion teacher. I think when I was in about starting and 6th grade, I started playing percussion in fourth grade with Paul Coyle, and he was also a great instrumental, music teacher and at the elementary level, but Hank. Schaefer taught me the fundamentals of playing percussion. He taught me traditional grip which was which is a grip that I use now and it's less. It's become less common over the years. He taught me foundational rudiments. He taught me how to read music. He taught me how to play drum set, and he was inspiring and encouraging.

04:48 I remember doing recitals at Tracy's Tunes. This was a local music shop in Connecticut. And that's where he taught out of, and we would do these recitals. And I would play along with John, Riley's, Bebop drawing book, or even the Beach Boys, and it was just exciting for me. So I really owe Hank, Schaefer a lot, because he, he developed my foundation for dumbing and then the other was Art, hubby. And so, I joined this use band, there's an ad in the paper that my parents found. And they were saying the great Connecticut, traditional jazz festival, is seeking some youth. Musicians, to join us youth band that would perform there. And so, I think it's in sixth grade. We went to the first rehearsal at this community center in North Branford, and I brought my Yamaha stage custom there. And I remember

05:48 Going to play.

05:50 And right off the bat are hubby was directing me and saying, okay. Try it simpler or this is how you use the brushes. It's like stirring, soup. And for me was kind of

06:02 It change it, change my way of of Performing, and it made me take a step back and simplify things. And because it was playing traditional jazz music which was earlier than Bebop and it's simplified and it's a particular style. But he was huge. He brought us to the great traditional jazz festival. He brought us to the hot seem jazz festival, Bill's Seafood, and I did that from sixth grade through high school. And one of my favorite things is he he was kind enough to give me a his Gretsch broadkaster. Drums, that which I still play on to this day. And even a few days ago, he came to see me perform and I use that drum set and I am forever in debt to him. So those were the two teachers who just really impacted me because

07:02 We should have for barbecue at Arts One Summer and I had all the band members are and you didn't bring your drumset to some of the other kids brought their their instruments and said hi, but he went into his garage and pulled out this really dusty drum set that had the rap falling off of it. It might have been missing a couple of Parts, but it was it had it had good bones. I'd say so that you could drag it out and play it well.

07:32 You kind of saw that it was kind of a neat, little old drum set and then probably want to say maybe year year-and-a-half, two years later you a start about that. Trump said, if you still had it and well, yeah, I still have it marked. Molly said, well, can I can I buy it from you? In art art said, well, I'll tell you what. Molly. I found it at Excel 1972 and I paid $75 for it. So if you want to give me $75, then you can have it in my wife and I, okay. Well, nothing's free in the world. So save your allowance and if someone gives you any tips, anything like that, when you're when you're sitting in for any other drummers, and she was fairly young at the time, I wasn't high school or middle school. High school early in high school and Somali. Did she save 75 bucks. Pay dark for the drum set?

08:29 And I was lucky enough to spend my entire winter down in the basement with Molly taking that thing apart polishing, the parts and cleaning up and we ordered some parts of missing parts on eBay. And we took a trip to New York state to find some rap that could match it fast. And I really enjoyed it. It was a great opportunity to spend time with one of my daughters. And yeah, that's how that drumset came about in Tuesday. She plays it and it went from sitting in the corner of the garage and now it's insured. So that's the story that drum set.

09:10 All right, so Mo I'll ask you a question. Cool.

09:15 What inspires you when you create and I have to say personally that you inspire me when some of the things that you've composed and I listened back to it, and

09:29 It inspires me. And I I sometimes and envious. I wish I had that kind of like, thinking that you have. I think you. And I, we were similar in a lot of ways, but in other ways we differ, and I think you really understand just the creative aspect and how to turn a little idea into something really elaborate. So I'm wondering what inspires you and when you create. Yeah, I think that it is, we are very different and I think with you

10:06 For summer, I do I read it somewhere that the second child tends to be the second born child. I was second by set only 17 minutes, but still if you're a second child and you tend to be more

10:24 I think a little more laid back and little more.

10:29 I don't want to say, I guess I think with you Molly. I think there's a reason why you play drowns. I think that you tend to be more you're the firstborn. So you're a little more like physical and more motivated and that way and I think with me, I tend to be more like a bookworm and I like to

10:49 Just kind of diving deep to something. And and so I've had,

10:55 I said different kinds of my life where I spent a lot of time on trombone and where are learning how to improvise, and then after I graduated college, or as a time, when I thought writing music was really interesting. And then I started, I started buying like synthesizers and I just there different times in my life were spent just a. Of time focused on something in particular in general. He's been with music but I think over the last couple years I have my thought process is just a little, a little bed and

11:36 And to be honest, I mean, covid kind of changed.

11:41 Changed the way that I look at life a lot. And I think what used to inspire me, where my interests, and my goals and I guess my sort of like, I don't know, fantasies. I think that living in the world that we live in today where we look at, you know, people that are famous and we do. I want to, I want to do that and but then within the last year, so I just started paying attention that kind of what was going on around me and what was going on in the world and looking over the horizon. And I just, I started becoming a little less preoccupied with like my, my goals and my projects and like my interests and I guess I've been taking more stuff. I've been taking more stocking, my life work taking stock in my of my life. And I guess now, that now when I create, I'm sort of inspired by

12:40 The world that we live in, and

12:44 And the time that were in right now, which is you know, there's there's a lot going on globally and there's a lot in regards to climate change and everything. So I think when I create I am inspired by helping the world and

13:02 Yeah, so I think my, my thoughts have shifted from, okay. What are my personal goals? What do I want to create into more of just taking a look at the bigger picture and going? Okay. I'm taking stock of my life and I'm looking at what's going on around me and how can I help the world? So I just my thought process halves has shifted from I just more of more from myself to the world. I guess, I'd say that if that's kind of right now. What inspires me when I create now.

13:40 Alright, so alright.

13:51 Okay, what's the next question? So forward for you Bryan, dad?

14:01 Let me ask you. Do you have a favorite performance of mine and why I can't pick up one performance. Can I pick up a couple of different? Because I'd like to talk about you, you know, a little bit just instead of just in one form site, you know, in in all of these musical Adventures. There's there been different different parts of it. There's a public school part where you learned instrumentation or learn music. And and you had performances in elementary school, middle school, high school. And then into college, there's that educational aspects and those performances have been great. And then traveling, along with that, you had these extracurricular activities, that your mom and I did our best to support.

15:01 Getting around with whether it was a community Orchestra in Colchester, it was

15:10 What was the outcome of? The great traditional jazz festival in the sugar for youth jazz band. And then, modern riffs was another band that you were in, that boy, the list goes on and on. So I'd like to just talk about a couple of different things there and I think right off the top I think about back when you were in public school and your mom and I were at 8, at a concert in the auditorium and your little band there with mr. Heart. And he was your first year of middle school play. Hey, Jude. And there was a mushy. Up. We didn't know this got up and

15:53 Got up there and did this so low that blew everyone away in the audience. It was phenomenal. There was also at the time, there was a delegation from China there standing off to the side of the stage watching and they were related. And that was such a great performance. And the reason why I like that was because you really broke out of your shell, you, you know, you have a lot of confidence you you learn to get up there and be confident and through music and and your practice everything. Showed. It was great performance which for Middle School, I mean, they're those are high now, so it's not. It's like the age where you think playing high is like you're good when there's nothing wrong.

16:53 I do remember that solo. Yeah, it was great in them.

17:00 The other one was you're you're you're a bit older and and in your involvement in the Sugarfoot jazz band, where are cubby had that band playing at the great traditional jazz festival. And then when that went away, was the Hudson Festival in Essex and on the weekends, there was a jam session at midnight that the musicians that came from really all parts of the country, came to perform and it all show up there at midnight in this 110, hang out and then they play together, right? And that was after the event was closed. I think it went on till like 10 at night 11 at night and then and then there was a midnight jam session, but there was one song particular that you play the midnight jam session that

17:52 That was just great. And you did Basin Street Blues and that is out there on YouTube and it was during the jam session. And the reason why I like it is that you know, your trombone just sounded so sweet the way you played it and and you were just really happy in that moment and being surrounded by a lot of the people that you played with that mentored you. I think Molly was on the drums in the background. I couldn't see her, but I'm pretty sure she's playing on the drums at the time. She was sitting in. So that was that was a great moment for me and you know, the crowd really, really enjoyed it. And then finally, I think the college he played one concert at wescon where

18:44 You're training for words with two other musicians in this once I can. You remember what it was? But you know, the house was packed and there was a lot of cheering and you sounded sounded great and you just look great. You look you look glowing and look like you're really enjoying yourself. As you know, his parents, you know, of course that that was worth. It is all worth it to us.

19:22 How do you sync the drumset? Reflects your personality? And why do you think he chose to Drums?

19:31 I think, I think there's some irony in.

19:36 We haven't chosen the drums. It's kind of like, you know how owners look like their dogs. Sometimes when owners choose certain dogs. If there's a little bit of irony there sometimes. Anyway continue. Yeah, I think.

19:59 I think I have moments where I can like anyone where I can be Brash and loud and rambunctious. I think I do have high energy. I've noticed lately to that when I go up a set of stairs. I never I'm never slow. I just kind of like run upstairs and I think the drums kind of fit my personality and that way that it's I have moments where I can be fast-paced and

20:25 Hitting them hard, but then I have the other side to me, the, the Yang yin and yang. We're Young and young, where I have a lighter side where I'm using brushes. And it's, so, I think drums, reflect reflect my personality and that there's kind of a feminine and masculine aspect to it. And I I have moments where again, I play Loud, another moments, rhyme gentle. So I would say that's reflective of my personality.

21:10 Tony asked question.

21:14 Female. Yeah, what are some of your favorite musical memories?

21:20 I would say.

21:22 Somewhat musically related are the memories that I have with you. In terms of fixing up, drums. I remember, you came home one day and you said you went to the junk store and you came across this Ludwig drum set and it was a silver Sparkle finish. It was a keystone badge, drum set and it dates back to the sixties and I was so excited. I mean, the thing I needed some work, just kind of, like the other drum set by. I was like, well, this is so cool. I think it was missing a floor time or business income. I was missing a floor time. And then I remember you had asked the junk store owner. Like what's the history behind this? Trump said he said, oh, this was

22:08 I don't know if it was just the high time but he said, oh, Doris Day had this drum set or something like that. I thought that was a cool piece of History too. And I love, I love Dwayne. Drum set. That was one of my favorite things and then ultimately, I had sold it to try to I think I had purchased name is on hartsford. We need a parts for the first part and then taking the trip to Steve Maxwell's music, shop in New York City to pick out. After my first job. I had saved up enough money to get my dream drum set and we went to see Maxwell's Drum Shop in New York City, which is this well-known Drum Shop with among jazz drummers and I picked out, I tried out this one from set. It was

23:08 Gently used it was a great USA, custom Bebop drum set and I was like, this is the one and so I had purchased that and that was a great memory and then later on calling Clark had I guess you work there and I didn't realize at the time, she was a drummer who grew up in the same town as me. She was. I think, I think she's 6 years older, but she had sent me a message saying wait, Molly. Did you pick up a set of drums here? Cuz I noticed on the the tag said sold to Molly sayles and then we had a conversation. But anyways, she was always extremely supportive and glowing whenever whenever I would be onstage and always giving me encouraging comments and

24:08 My rock in that regard and also providing helpful feedback. So I think those are some of my favorite memories. Yeah, I do. Remember, I do remember my dad always.

24:23 I mean both my parents were super supportive. But I do remember my dad. Always having an instrument for me every couple few years because he would usually find off eBay. And you know, with eBay things only last a certain amount of time generally. So but I remember getting an old special trombone. It was silver and it lasts a couple years was great about 2 years and then it was another instrument off, eBay everything with

24:52 Would only last a certain amount of time but the time that I had with him was great. So yeah, I those are just fond memories are just fun and that old case. So, yeah, and then you you you bought me a cake. I think it was a king trombone and the case was nice. But then my dad my dad, it look like the interior of a cough and but he basically took like the spank material. I don't know what it's called. But you just you put it on the inside of the king case and it, it look like a beautiful coffin. I realized it, but your mom and I we did what we could to support you and oftentimes didn't mean a new instrument of brand new one. They were somewhere quite expensive. And so we always, we agreed that look like this.

25:52 Buy something, that was pretty good. And what you started out with was good enough in elementary school. And then when you play the, the, the slide off of that thing and it fell apart, we had to get another one. And, you know, I did a little bit of homework and found it a little bit better model. And so, you play that until I fell apart and not. Oh, and by the way, we would go this guy Bill coorstek in North Haven and he would fix them. And he's a great guy. Bill korczak. What a, what a guys, he knows what he's doing and trying to fix everything and he did it on the cheap for us. You knew our situation. So everything that this is a thing that important message, there. Was that every time you got a new trombone that each one was a little bit better, it put some wind in your sails and you would just be re-energized and you didn't care that it was a you know, vintage trombone and you know, you'd show up at your tryouts for region.

26:52 Those are wherever it was and why you would play the socks off of those things. And, you know, I enjoyed myself. I enjoyed finding these things and I'll sing for you Mali with the drum set scene. So, yeah, it was affordable is an affordable way to do it.

27:18 Can I ask you a question?

27:26 Molly, if you could play with, any band in the world, what would it be?

27:32 And this could be any band that maybe there's a band must not exist anymore, but was 4 years ago.

27:41 It kind of depends on. It depends on the day. Sometimes, I'm really into listening to Oscar Peterson. So the if I could go back in time, I would play with Oscar Peterson Trio, some days. It's listening to freeway of Love by Aretha Franklin. I enjoy some of her 80s hits, and if I could play at a high performance playing that song, that would be a lot of fun, other days. It's

28:10 Susan Tedeschi and her band if I could be, she normally has two drummers on tour with her. I think if I could be one of those rumors, that would be awesome. And then,

28:24 Another day, it could be playing in a Tito punch, a group, or something. When I was in 6th grade. I got a set of tamales and I was really excited to get those and I got rid of those, I'm sad about that. But you know what? I want to jump in here for a minute, and I'll just say that the whole thing with music and the end your mom and I said the support of your music on Devers, since you were a kid, you know, it's been enriching and you know, they're different ways that you've used music, maybe a little bit different than your sister and it all has been a great experience.

29:09 That you were teaching at one time and then decided that you wanted to focus more on writing music, was you? No big change for us, but, you know, we're supportive of it because, you know, you were young and, and still young and it's a great thing. And I and I think that, you know, you were successful and had been successful, it just that you have been discovered. I mean, seriously, there's some songs there that I think would be great, you know, when either movie tracks at the end of credits, you know, I mean, there's some themes there that, that could really work well, and, you know, just, I would just encourage you to continue to try and do those things that are an outlet for you, you know, of course, you know, all these other things will will come into play. As far as you know, career goes and everything else. But yeah, you know

30:10 Just keep doing it, you know, and keep trying to use a creative Outlet, like that. And I, I, like I said, there are a couple of songs that boy Jordan Peele could only hear one of them also, end up somewhere in a movie. But anyhow, I've been, I'm very, I'm very proud of you. I really am.

30:33 Meow.

30:40 Or Molly. Do you have a question? I don't have a question. But I think I would just like to say, I have a moment of gratitude and say thank you to my parents and you and my for always being supportive of me as a musician. I think after performances. It's always and during performances. It's always been nice. Seeing your face is in a crowd and knowing that you're there to support me and smiles on your faces. And those are things that I'll always remember.

31:15 And I got a little bit emotional thinking about it, but,

31:21 Just, I think.

31:25 Why do you enter another stage in life?

31:31 Nothing.

31:33 See you on the audiences, but I have those memories and now that you always be there.

31:40 Well, I mean Cinco's for me it was.

31:45 Yeah, you enter different stages of life and you don't realize just how important those things are to you and your relationships and that's that's something that that you take away from you when you leave the world is, you don't have the things with you, but you have these relationships and

32:05 The memories that you've built with certain people and certain animals, but

32:13 Yeah, I mean you've always been there for me and my mom and dad have always been there for me. And I just I appreciate all of you. I'm we have music to bring us all together because it's

32:29 It is something that that we're just lucky to have. I mean if you think about it, other places in the world, they don't.

32:38 Are they don't have the freedom and the creativity that we have that we are so lucky that we have that.

32:55 Yeah, I am. Yeah, I appreciate the sentiment girls. It's yeah, it's been great, you know, your mom and I've really enjoyed it and we would continue enjoy it. And, you know, I'll always be there and you know, there's never a time when I don't think of my own parents. So yeah. Anyway.

33:24 Is that all she wrote? No, I think there's a little more.

33:31 SA.

33:37 Let's say.

33:42 Molly, you don't have any questions for me.

33:50 What would what would 110 year old Emma? And I'm sure I'm sure that's going to be a useful number. I'm sure you're going to live forever. But what would 110 year old, I dare you to do now in your lifetime music. Musically year old me would be much wiser, and she probably

34:18 She probably say something similar to what I said earlier. So just

34:24 Make sure you are aware of the world around you. There's a greater reality than just me and and do whatever I can musically and whatever with whatever gifts that I have outside music to and use that to to help in whatever way I can. And something kind of realize recently. It's just that there's greatness in very small things. And

34:52 And I think that yeah, was whatever. If I can do this weather is just a small performance just to help people.

35:06 Yeah, I think that, you know, is a reflecting all this is apparent, you know, from my perspective, the music and I mentioned it before. It has been really helpful to our family to my wife and I and into the kids. Now, we've had some rough spots like any family and but we stuck it out and lot of it's been through music through their support at school. Some of the teachers were so supportive of our girls in and the band kids, you know, had when I was growing up. It wasn't such a cool thing to be in band, but I'll tell you what, looking looking at it, it.

35:45 You know, it's a great thing. The kids were all really, really just nice kids, good people. And, and then the girls also we're getting a lot of support from some of the adults. And some of the, some of the bands that they sat in with, you know, I bring them into a place in Providence called roots and you know, these band. These professional musician to be up there jamming in the day to let the girls get up there with him and play with. It was there are black-eyed Sally's in Hartford or, you know, remember one time Molly had asked if she could go to this place called Smoke and Harlem, and one of her professors, ask her to show up there. And so, I drove over there. And we started back at 3 in the morning and the sun was Rising back in Waterford by time. I got home, but boy, I wouldn't want to have to do that again. It was awfully tiring. But all this is going on, you know, when when you know that

36:45 Trials and tribulations of being a family and you know, making things work, you know, paying bills and making sure, you know, the one car we had was running, right? So that we could just carry on and we my wife and I just got so much enjoyment out of the kids, the kids music that into this day and going forward. I recommend it to any family, you know, get your kids involved in something, get him involved in music and supporter and you can do it, you can do it. Afforded, Lee doesn't have to be that nice, new shiny instrument. You can be something with a beat-up case. And, you know, if you encourage your kids, the kids will show up and do, you know, they can play circles around other people with new instruments, if they, if they really, are, is a really enjoy themselves.

37:41 Anything else? I think I'm

37:45 I think I'm going, I think we're good.