The process:

The way the show is put together has changed over the years. At first, my priority was to meet and interview as many people as possible. First and foremost, I did so because each interview was a learning process for me and I had a great deal to learn. Some of the interviews I have conducted will probably never appear on my series - however, each and every interview has been very important to me. (Note: one day I am hoping to do a piece using something from everyone I have interviewed - in a long documentary format.)

In the beginning, I was more concerned about concepts and creating pieces which featured a lot of different artists talking about a certain topic. I think the key to a good interview is when it becomes a conversation as opposed to questions and answers. I know that many of these artists are hearing the same old questions over and over again, so I try my best to go to that next level. Some times I succeed and other times, I do not. As time has passed, I have decided that it's more important for me to spend a little more time with my subjects. The ten minute interview in between the first and second set is something I now try to avoid. At this stage, I think such an interview would be a waste of time for all involved. Having interviewed more than 200 artists, I have come to realize that there is no one musician who will now make or break my series. I still get many rejections on my interview requests. There are so many, many more people I would love to meet and interview that I can see this going on for a while.

I have been asked how I choose the stories/people that make it to the show. I will be honest...my priorities are those people who's music I like. If I can do anything for the artists whose music gives me pleasure, I will. Having said that, not everyone I like is good on camera, is interesting and/or is available to me and the show. (Note...I tend to like most people I interview...whether or not, I'm a huge fan of their music.) People who entertain me in one way or another are my next choice. It's as if during the course of the interview I know whether or not, I will be featuring the person I'm interviewing. There have been many moments when I know during the interview that I have gotten the answer I wanted - whether or not I will feature the artist, I often know that I will feature the answer that they just gave. I have always believed that if I can get one great quote from each interview, I have accomplished what I set out to do. Some times it's a struggle - but more often than not, it's an absolute thrill just to be conversing with the musicians that I respect so much.

I think I would be correct in saying that most things are done by "gut feel". I'm not sure how to explain it but it's something I know within me. When I first began this project, I would edit together a piece and show it to five different people. The end result was that I would get back five different opinions - in many cases, the one thing that one person loved was the same thing that the other person hated. I realized then that I had to rely on my instinct because when all is said and done, I would be the one accountable for these shows. If everyone hated it, I really couldn't blame it on someone else. Some times, I will include a piece that I'm not sure about - experience has taught me that something that I may not be crazy about can touch someone else a different way. Once again, sometimes it works and sometimes, it doesn't. I try to limit the "cringe" factor - that's when I watch my show on TV and a segment makes me cringe - this has happened a number of times. If I can limit the amount of "cringing" I do, I'm sure I'll have a better show.

Sometimes, I work with themes...however, most of the time, I don't. I try to cover all spectrums of the blues and I feel as though I have just begun. My main goal has always been to document the passion behind the blues and whenever I meet someone who exudes that passion, I'm hooked. When all is said and done, the series is about the blues but more importantly, it is about the people who play the blues. If I can turn someone onto an artist that they have never heard of before - either through their music or through their words - I would feel as if I had accomplished something.

This series is an ongoing learning process. With each show, I learn something new and try to go after something different. Each batch of shows are treated differently and with each group that I deliver, I try my best to grow and improve for the next batch. I am always looking for access to more music because what is a show about the blues without the blues. Many artists have been very supportive from the very beginning and I now have more access to music than I did before...and I hope to continue that trend.

One thing that I have found is that I tend to shy away from people who contact me about having a segment done on them. I don't know what it is but I usually take a pass on those offers. (Note: I have actually done a few segments which were suggested to me by a band's management company or by a record company...so it's not totally out of the question...however, it's not the norm.) I have also done a number of segments based on the recommendations of some friends of mine. I tend to trust my friends a great deal.

In the past, I have often reacted to what was available to me. In many cases, working under horrendous conditions - situations where lighting or the noise automatically negated the possibilities of actually using the material I was shooting. In the future, I am hoping to create more situations which I have more control over (ie. going into a studio to record and shoot a segment) with the hopes of creating a better program. I am also hoping to seek out more artists that I would love to meet as opposed to waiting for them to appear in my home town.

I guess, that's the process that I work with...right now.