Marcus Strickland on GroundUp Music Festival and his journey from Miami to the global stage
Marcus Strickland. Photo credit: PETRA RICHTEROVA
This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Marcus Strickland, Grammy-nominated saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, ahead of his performance at the Ground Up Music Festival this weekend in Miami Beach. Strickland, a Miami native, shared stories of his musical journey, the inspiration behind his band Twi-Life, and the importance of events like Ground Up for the live jazz scene in Miami.
Born in Gainesville, Marcus and his twin brother moved to Miami at the age of three. Reflecting on the city's impact on his musical upbringing, he emphasized the diverse cultural influences that make Miami an ideal environment for musicians to explore from a young age. “There's a class of so many different cultures, so you get to learn about versatility right off the bat,” he says. “And I think that's one of the most important things about music.” Strickland commended Michael League's efforts in organizing GroundUp and for consistently bringing musicians that showcase an intersection of these genres and cultures, that it’s one of the things contributing to the “cultural awakening” happening in this city’s music scene.
Strickland will be playing Saturday, February 4th with his band Twi-Life, a play on the word "twilight," symbolizing the blending of day and night and the blending of all of his cultural backgrounds and inspirations. The band operates as a live production group, with each member contributing to spontaneous changes in the overall texture and layers of the music. They feel out the audience’s energy and pay accordingly, from a palette with elements like audio recordings of James Baldwin, impromptu changes in instrumentation, or putting the saxophone through pedals.
As a professor here at the Frost School of Music, Strickland shared the challenges of balancing teaching with a busy performance schedule. He noted that the more he learns about the administrative side of education, the more he can use the skill as an instrument in his arsenal. He’s learning just as much as the students, and the most special moments of lessons in his studio are when students can use his wide knowledge beyond straight-ahead jazz. As he gets more students that are saxophonists-slash-producers, he teaches how to make the saxophone “simply a texture of the song, rather than always thinking ‘I have to be featured out and I have to take the solo,’” which brings them to explore complex techniques that might not be sought out in a typical jazz setting.
Sharing his current musical inspirations, Strickland mentioned artists like José González, Flying Lotus, and Kenny Garrett, noting that he always encourages his students to diversify their musical diets, exploring a wide range of genres. Beyond music, he discussed his interest in cultivating a green thumb, and finding inspiration in movies and meaningful conversations with his partner and friends.
Looking toward the future, Strickland spoke of his upcoming European and South American tours, expressing his eagerness to tour the Amazon due to the ecological message behind his latest album, "The Universe's Wildest Dream." As he prepares to share this music at GroundUp, he urges listeners to make small, eco-friendly habits, emphasizing the importance of collective action to help the delicate balance of nature.
Find more information on GroundUp here.
Listen to the full interview here.