Diandra Interviews Te’von: Freedom In Formula
As artists, the lines between formal and freedom are blurred. We don’t always know how to distinguish between creative genius and being, plainly, too much or too minimal. For Te’von, his album, Grown, was his way of finding freedom in formula, which is something he learned growing up in the Church. Whether you believe in God or not, a lot of artist learned music through religion, and, in our interview, Te’von discusses how performing for God really does prepare you for performing to a 10PM crowd on a Tuesday night.
Diandra: Why “Grown” as a title? What did you learn about yourself from that record?
Te’von: Grown for me was huge because I had truly grown in so many ways. Part of the reason I called it “Grown” was because it was me embracing formulas and subverting them in a way. It was me taking on the expectation of formula and standard and flipping it on its head. I am a grown man. I have to find my way. There is a great quote that says, “Artists must make due with what is given.” We have to take in what is not natural about society, and make provisions for people to give them life. So there is an embracing of formula, but also we cannot deny ourselves. We can’t wear someone else’s shoes, if we wear a size 13. We have to buy our own.
I feel really blessed that I came into music from a freer place. I came from The Church, and approach music from a fresher, jazzier place. In Church, you have to repeat the same verse, so in embracing formula, I try to take it back to my church upbringing. I read an interview, with James Blake, and he was discussing how coming from a technical, classical training can be limiting. You start to think that things don’t belong there or you are not supposed to do that. You have a harder time getting to that freer place whereas I am coming from it and am trying to embrace formula.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEI37vxVfv4
Diandra: It feels like you are saying that the reason some of the best artists of our time have come from church is because there they teach you freedom in formula?
Te’von: Yeah! Exactly it! It is idiosyncratic. There is no record. It is all live. You learn how to sing by singing live and performing in front of people every Sunday. Every week is a new song and you have to do it well. Not only that, but after you sing your verse, we move into these swells where you are affecting the congregation and we have to adapt, in the moment, to how you are affecting them. I think that is why Church musicians are the best. You understand energy and the flows of it.
Diandra: And I think that there is a shared impetus between church Performances and concerts in that the goal is always to make someone bigger than you happier. In Church, it is God, and, in a concert, it is the audience.
Te’von: Yeah, I don’t think I ever though of it like that. That is a nice way of putting it, but the thing about a Church performance is that it is not just about performing, it is also about expressing. It is personal. In moving yourself, you move people. You go somewhere else when you are performing. You tap into a flow, which is like a concert. A lot of my riffs are not planned, but they just come out. It is like you wake up because you are outside of yourself during the performance. Church allows you to see yourself as a vessel for creativity, which is why when you bring performance, out of Church, it is easier to just flow.
Diandra: So if you are the vessel, what were you carrying in Grown.
Te’von: Good question! I think it carried frustration, righteous indignation, anger, and hope. It carried excitement, audacity, and a recognition that I took up space, and I felt entitled to my space. I felt comfort with myself and owning myself. You have a right to your expression outside the measurement of good or bad. You have a right to be. If you want to do a High C and twerk, then do THAT! You have a right to be, and let those who gravitate to you, gravitate to you. Put the effort it and stop measuring, especially because you enjoy it. There is an intrinsic joy to making music.
Diandra: So what was the joy of Grown as a process or experience?
Te’von: I discovered my resilience. I discovered I am not weak. The album was 5,000 dollars over-budget and 3 months late, but it came out. That communicated to me my strength. Moreover, I’m not just expressing my deep, intellectual thoughts on this album. I am expressing my fun.
