INTERVIEWS  with Calgary and area songwriters           <<< RETURN MAIN     |    CD REVIEW >>> BARRY HERTZ  *Tell us a story behind one of your songs*. In my 20’s, I was on the move, changing locations and perspectives every 6 months or so; from the prairies of South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming to the Twin Cities, Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Chicago and finally Alberta. From the open skies of the west I was inspired to write songs such as Buffalo, Hell Diver, Creation’s Dawn, and Where the Green Grass Grows. The seed to all of these came from the land and personal experience. In Chicago I worked in a bar on the South Side called the Sundial. This was a small local pub about the size and shape of a two lane bowling alley. The Sundial was near the University of Chicago in Hyde Park, an old Jewish community with ghetto on three sides and Lake Michigan just a stone’s throw away. I was a bartender there for 6 months and I loved it because I had never met so many fascinating people. There were blue collar steel mill workers, an eccentric university professor with his alcoholic pet tortoise named Tippy, a punchy ex-boxer who sold newspapers on the corner and an elderly gentleman, Harry King, who had worked Vaudeville with Harry Houdini. When I left Chicago and the Sundial, I knew I would eventually write a song about the place. That song took almost 30 years to materialize.  *What do you listen to when you are at home?* “I listen to everything from bluegrass to Celtic to jazz. I find that the more varied the music the more open I am with my own writing. My first CD included a lot of different styles though I tend to lean towards a strong acoustic sound and instrumentation.

*Who or what has influenced your writing significantly?* On the lyrical side of things, I would say I have been influenced considerably by the likes of Paul Simon, Kris Kristopherson, and John Prine. Musically, I have always had a strong affinity for the more melodic sounds of sonwriters such as James Taylor and Carol King.  *What have you learned that you could pass on about songwriting/performing experience? As it has often been said, write everything down. I have had one liners or song titles scratched on napkins or paper bags that didn’t surface as a complete song until years later. Secondly, study the classics—Gershwin and Dylan. One of the best books I’ve read on lyric writing is Sheila Davis, The Craft of Lyric Writing.  *Any tips or advice you could give to songwriters?* I do my best to write from the heart, to be as authentic as I can with what I am trying to express. I try not to worry about whether or not the audience likes the music—though this approach takes a huge dose of courage to follow through with. If you are like me and music is your creative outlet, then you need to feel the freedom to create the music as it comes to you.  *What plans or goals do you have for the next year?* A Cowboy’s Prayer, a special project of mine, was just released in February. My third CD of originals is nearly finished and I hope to have it out by sometime this summer. Meanwhile, I’ll be touring a bit, mostly in Alberta and the Midwestern U.S.  *Where can we buy your CD?* My CDs are available on CDbaby at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barryhertz as well as in Calgary at Megatunes on 17th Avenue.

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