Musicians from John ‘JR’ Robinson to Alex Isley Share Stories, Influences, and Unexpected Answers
Berklee Online’s 4/4 interview series pairs thoughtful conversation with a playful format: each guest answers four reverent questions and four less-than-reverent ones. The result is a mix of musical insight and unexpected stories that reveal something even longtime fans might not know. Guests in the series range from chart-topping session players to rising independent artists. The interviews were recorded over Zoom during the era of pandemic-era social distancing.
John ‘JR’ Robinson on Recording with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
Of course we’ll kick off this collection from the 4/4 series with a man who added a 4/4 beat to thousands of tracks you know. Drummer John “JR” Robinson discusses the 10,000-plus songs he has played on, including seven Whitney Houston singles and more than a dozen for Michael Jackson and the Jacksons. He shares behind-the-scenes studio stories about working with legends like Quincy Jones, Steve Lukather, Bruce Swedien, Hans Zimmer, Abe Laboriel Jr., and Vinnie Colaiuta. Robinson also weighs in on the compensation model for sampled drum sounds—including Roger Linn’s LM-1—and reflects on the “deconstructive criticism” he received from Quincy Jones early in his career.
From one of the most recorded drummers in history, we move to a singer who grew up surrounded by musical legacy.
Alex Isley on Marigold, Synesthesia, and Growing Up in the Isley Family
In this episode of 4/4, singer Alex Isley discusses songwriting, her 2022 album, Marigold, and why she thinks this album could result in her finally getting to realize her dream of meeting Stevie Wonder. She also speaks about what it was like to grow up in a household full of music, where her father, Ernie Isley, was writing songs not just for his band, the legendary Isley Brothers, but also writing songs that were performed and/or sampled by Aaliyah, Justin Bieber, Destiny’s Child, and Notorious B.I.G., among others. Alex shares what it’s like to have synesthesia—being able to “see” music—and what song she wishes Marvin Gaye was singing about her.
Next up: a Berklee Online instructor who has arguably spent more time talking to musicians than any of the people in this collection.
Steve Morse: Boston Globe Music Critic, Berklee Online Rock History Writer, and All-Around Cool Dude
Steve Morse discusses his 30-year career as the senior rock music critic for the Boston Globe, and numerous anecdotes about interviews with people like Madonna, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, David Bowie, Neil Young, Roy Orbison, Stevie Nicks, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and more. He discusses a high-five he exchanged with Jim Morrison and what he did to get AC/DC into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Steve also shares what he has learned in the past decade as the author and instructor of the Rock History course for Berklee Online. Spoiler alert: Billy Joel and U2 seem to have traded coolness credentials, as far as the students are concerned.
Up next, an artist equally comfortable onstage and onscreen.
Lola Kirke on Reviving ’80s Country and the Lady for Sale Album
Lola Kirke discusses her Lady for Sale album, and how she and producer Austin Jenkins tapped into a 1980s country music sound that not many contemporary musicians have had the nerve to bring back. She says that although she didn’t necessarily like Nashville country as a kid, she grew to appreciate the songwriting involved in songs like “Seven Year Ache” by Rosanne Cash and “Pour Me Another Tequila” by Eddie Rabbitt. “I began to really fall in love with this era of country,” she says. “It’s so fun and so witty and so sad in a way that I can really understand.” Lola Kirke also discusses whether she feels more like herself when singing or acting, what it was like to grow up in a household where everyone else had British accents—her sister is Jemima Kirke, and her dad is drummer Simon Kirke—and which band of her father’s she likes better, Free or Bad Company.
Behind every great artist is often a songwriter, and in this case, one who has written hits for some of pop’s biggest names.
Bleu McAuley on Writing for Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, and Sync Licensing
Bleu McAuley discusses writing songs for other artists, such as Selena Gomez and the Jonas Brothers, and how over the years he’s gotten “less precious about it” when it comes to listening to their interpretations of his songs. He also discusses coming up in the 1990s, as the cultural opinion regarding songwriters and musicians licensing their music for movies and commercials (also known as sync) began to shift. In fact, he’s written a Berklee Online course about this very subject: Songwriting Sync Success: The Art and Craft of Licensing, Film/TV, Advertising, and Production Music. Bleu’s music has been featured by networks and brands all over the world, including eBay, Swarovski, Bose, and hit shows like Shameless, The Good Place, and Insecure. Bleu wrote and produced the songs for Disney’s Legend of the Neverbeast, including a duet with KT Tunstall.
Our next guest took a very different path into the industry.
Maiah Wynne on Joining Alex Lifeson’s Band and Writing Hunger Games Songs
In this episode of 4/4, Maiah Wynne discusses the unusual trajectory that led her to become the singer for Envy of None, a supergroup that also includes Alex Lifeson of Rush fame as well as bassist Andy Curran and guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini. She also discusses her role in the Powder Pup movie, and she and host Pat Healy share anecdotes about some of the work they’ve done as extras in other films. Which is better, getting rescued from zombies by a member of *NSYNC or getting killed by Leonardo DiCaprio? Maiah also talks about the songs she’s been writing for Hunger Games prequels, featuring a character named Lucy Gray Baird. Maiah, who has taken a number of Berklee Online courses, also discusses her Out of the Dark album, shares what posters she had on her wall as a kid, and why the things she does in her sleep could land her in jail.
From a rising artist to another voice pushing boundaries.
Brittany Davis on I Choose to Live and Joining a Band with Pearl Jam Members
Brittany Davis talks about their I Choose to Live EP, which was released on Loosegroove Records, a label co-founded by Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard. They also discuss what it’s like to join a band with two members of Pearl Jam, having not previously heard Pearl Jam! That band, by the way, is called Painted Shield. Brittany also shares how they are inspired by the divine, the inspiration for the EP’s title song, and which historical figure they would play a prank on for disturbing the peace.
Next we hear from a guitarist whose career started unusually early.
Patrick Droney on State of the Heart and His Warner Records Breakthrough
In this episode of 4/4, Patrick Droney talks about starting his career at such a young age, and how he hopes his recent signing with Warner Records will set him up to be a legacy artist at the label, like Prince was. He also discusses how his latest album, State of the Heart, draws inspiration from the late 1980s production choices of Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Steve Winwood, and more. What does Patrick Droney have to say about The Other Side, the debut he recorded at the age of 14? What Cher song does Patrick Droney have in his head every single day? Why does Patrick Droney associate the Kentucky Derby with Bette Midler? The only way to find out is to watch.
But songwriting doesn’t stop at the artist—sometimes it begins with the producer.
Rodney Alejandro on Toplining, Pop Songwriting, and Working with The Script
Rodney Alejandro is a producer, songwriter, and musical director. He teaches the Berklee Online course Topline and Vocal Production. In this video, he explains exactly what toplining is, and how this type of songwriting works in the world of pop music, citing specific examples from Beyoncé and other artists he has worked with. Rodney was the musical director for The Script for several years, and his work includes songwriting/producing chart-topping songs in the English, Latin, and Asian music markets. He has collaborated with artists such as Quincy Jones, Sting, the Temptations, and Ray Charles. Rodney has also performed with many artists from around the world, including Roger Daltrey, Babyface, Sofia Carson, and Stevie Wonder, among many others. Of these artists, he shares who has the strongest handshake.
We close this post with the very first episode of the 4/4 series.
TRISHES on Spoken Word, Social Media, and the Psychology Behind Her Art
In the very first episode of 4/4, TRISHES—which is the moniker of Trinidadian-American conceptual alt-pop spoken word artist Trish Hosein—discusses her karaoke go-to, her thoughts on a world without social media, and how she uses Freud’s constructs of self (the primal, conscious, and spiritual) in her art. Plus, in the rapid-fire round, Trish discusses her favorite thing about Austria, the kalimba, and the lyrical brilliance of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!”
