Working with an abundance of sounds and styles in her adventurous and curious manner, Jacqueline Kroft‘s unique approach to lyrical soundscaping provides unusual, eclectic compositions for her audiences to embrace. Every song is born on the piano so that is why she is doing Piano Preludes at the moment. An investigation into the source of her sound. With a classical piano background at the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music from the age of 10, Jacqueline grew up exploring jazz, soul, and pop, appreciating the welcome company of great musicians. Born in Liverpool and growing up in Canada gave her the springboard to dive into her European tours and songwriting.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Jacqueline Kroft, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
My mother was a beautiful singer and studied opera. Her teacher introduced me to a friend of hers who was a Polish concert pianist and he started teaching me from the Royal Conservatory curriculum. We got along very well and after the lesson we would listen to classical composers and he would play some of their works and explain to me what processes they would use in their composition.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
It’s not for the faint hearted. I think what works for me is a personal discipline. or you could call it self discipline. I try to keep to a routine that may be interrupted but it’s my fall back and I know it’s there to keep creating. Family and home comes first, even when there are difficulties in maintaining family equilibrium I try to keep the love and forgiveness. I do my best to honour my commitments. I am only human and make mistakes like anyone but again I try to stay positive and do my best each day. I remind myself as much as possible that each day is a gift and try to make the most of it.
Your latest release is 'Piano Preludes Vol.02'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
One idyllic summer morning in the English countryside, my son finally home from school, I wrote Prelude 04 in its entirety in about 10 minutes. There was an immediate positive reaction to this work and so began a series of piano studies. Different keys, tempos, baselines, rhythms, melodies and so on.
It was one of the most beautiful English summers I have ever experienced so thankfully the seed was sewn and then came the “Era of Isolation”. This gave birth to the investigation and development of each work.
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
Nature, human nature, silence, the birds song, family, my son and the English summer, rural and urban.
How long did you work on the 'Piano Preludes Vol.02'? Was it an easy process for you?
It has been a total of five years from the moment of conception. It got off to a slow start and then It became the most important compositional period of my life in so much as I felt like a vessel where information was delivered to me from the Muses or you could say heavens.
How do you know when a work is finished?
I distance myself from the work so I have fresh ears. Then when I listen to it and I find that I stop listening and start enjoying it or I want to hear it again or it plays in my head during the day, then I know the work is good and either finished or near completion with minor adjustments.
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
There’s been a few, I don’t really keep track of them as it’s a feeling I get when the performance has just been rewarding for me. One night when I was playing in Hamburg, Joe Cocker was in the audience and he sat there and listened while I played some of his songs. That was just super or the time that I was asked to play for U2’s manager birthday and I played for him and the band, the was cool, Bono sang “With or Without You” with me.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
I never thought about music as a business when I started. All I wanted to do was learn. I loved music, I loved playing the piano and I had great respect for the masters. I was overwhelmed by its power. As life would have it the great masters appeared, the work came and the world opened up.
Who is your favourite musician?
There are so many fantastic musicians and bands that it’s hard to say which one is the best or favourite.
Keith Jarrett had a lasting impact on me especially when he does his original compositions like the Köln Concert. I wore that record out and it sings in my mind frequently.
I just recently discovered Sviatoslav Richter who was so theatrical in his performance that one wonders how the pianos survived. I like the strong dynamics a piano can produce.
I would like to mention Bill Evans who befriended me in my early 20’s as he had the most innovative and innocent approach to life which came through in his music. It was Bill who advised me to sing with the piano and to practice Bach.
What are your plans for the future?
I am preparing to record the other preludes. I’m finishing up a recording of 9 preludes for piano and saxophone. I am preparing to go on tour starting with St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, noon concert on the 30th of March. You can get more dates on my website and listen to more music there also.