Grammy-nominated singer Josh Groban chatted with Digital Journal about his upcoming concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.
New York
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Grammy-nominated singer Josh Groban chatted with Digital Journal about his upcoming concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.
On November 18, Groban will be performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City, as part of his » Bridges » Tour with Tony winner Idina Menzel. «Any time you play Madison Square Garden you know you have to bring every bit of your soul to that stage. It is my third or fourth time playing that incredible, historic venue, and it is probably our favorite place to play,» Groban said. «This show is an amazing combination of newer songs from Bridges and songs that we have done over the last 20 years. It is a really high-energy show and we have a great band and incredible visuals.»
He praised his special musical guest Idina Menzel as «a thrill to tour with.» «Idina will be doing her set and we will be singing some duets as well, which will be a lot of fun. To be on the road together is a blast,» he said. «Any time you go on tour you want it to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the fans.»
Groban continued, «The fans in New York are second to none. They always show so much love, and there is no greater feeling. It’s the most fun for us to play Madison Square Garden. To play a venue that historic in a city that I love more than any other city is just such a special thing. It will be a really special show, and there may be a special guest or two that are unannounced. I would like for people to come and celebrate our live show on this leg with us.»
Motivations
On his daily motivations, Groban said, «You go through a number of life experiences that make you want to keep creating. You have a melody that pops in your head or a role and a script that really excites you and blows your mind. Ultimately, the main thing that keeps pushing me forward is the excitement of telling stories.»
Andrea Bocelli duet
In Bridges, Groban collaborated with one of his musical heroes, Andrea Bocelli on «We Will Meet Once Again.» «We wrote that song in New York, and we reached out to him, and we were so happy that he took to it,» Groban said. «My first experience in the business was standing in for him when I was 17 years old. My history with Andrea goes back a long way and runs so deep. One of my big breaks was because of him. This duet was 20 years in the making to be able to sing with him: to blend voices with a tenor such as his. Andrea is a lovely guy.»
The song «We Will Meet Once Again» is also featured on Andrea Bocelli’s new studio album, Si, which will be released tomorrow, on October 26.
From his catalog, Groban listed «Oceano» as his favorite song to perform live. «That’s a really fun one to sing,» he admitted. «On the new album, I love singing ‘River’ since it is a really personal song for me. I also love doing songs that I grew up with such as ‘Pure Imagination’. I love singing all of them. They are really fun to sing.»
Future plans
Regarding his plans for the future, Groban said, «I am endlessly surprised by unexpected opportunities. Doing this television show on Netflix has been an amazing experience, and doing Broadway was one of the best experiences of my life, and so was this album Bridges. In the future, I would love to do a film score someday, and a comedic play on Broadway.»
While Groban has yet to perform in Greece, he shared that he would love to play there someday. «Greece is beautiful and there is incredible music history and music culture there,» he said. «I have a lot of friends from Greece including Mario Frangoulis, who is a great singer. Mario is a wonderful guy, and I am a real big fan of his voice. He invited me to sing at the Acropolis sometime, and who knows, I would love to.»
Advice for hopefuls in music
For hopefuls who wish to pursue careers in music, Groban encouraged them to not pay attention to fads. «If you have a voice that is unique but not perfect, that is okay,» he said. «Focus on the thing that makes your voice special, and just write from the heart. Sometimes, writing is like cooking. If you write something that sounds good to you, then generally, other people will like those flavors too.»
Dream female duet choices
Groban listed Bjork, Adele, and Ariana Grande as his dream female duet choices in the music business. «Ariana Grande has one of the best voices out there,» he said, and complimented country queen Martina McBride as «unbelievable.»
Alternate career choice
If he were not in the music and entertainment business, Groban revealed that his alternate career choice would involve working with animals. «I would love to be a veterinarian, or have a farm. I love animals so much,» he said.
Digital transformation of the music industry
On the impact of technology on the music industry, Groban said, «It’s definitely a new world, and it’s going to be a transition for the fans to get into that world. It is the way it is right now. It is changing over and what you may lack in sound quality, you gain in convenience and the ways people can listen to music, and the amount of things that they can be introduced to. I am getting my fan-base over to streaming, but at the same time, a lot of people that haven’t heard of me are discovering me through streaming. It’s a give and take.»
Groban acknowledged that vinyl is making a resurgence and noted that his new album is available in vinyl as well. «I love vinyl. It has an amazing sound quality,» he admitted.
Success
«Success has constantly been defined and re-defined over the last 20 years,» he said. «Success is having a small number of people around you that you love and trust more than anything. It is holding something in your hand that you are proud of. Success, for me, is about balance. The more I have made time to balance my life, the more fulfilling my success has been in the professional realm.
