RE THE WAY
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS on THE WAY by DOCTOR STEPHEN TROMANS
INTERVIEWER: COURTNEY BARRETT
INTERVIEWEE: (Dr) T
Qs for RE THE WAY – part one:
1. Both the album’s textural philosophy perspective and it’s musical 5-part improvised interpretation
of randomly given words from friends, seem intrinsically linked. Is there any discernible musical-
practical intent to actualise, prove, or bottle-neck the meaning of the song titles into any singularity or
‘stand alone’ events that cannot be replicates? And for what purposes does this scope of singularity
function matter in the face of the singularity casts of, for example, Totalitarianism?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part two:
2. The album’s footnotes of ‘The Way’ gives a self-reflective, philosophical accounting of its
namesake, Song 4; also, the pertinently improvised fashion in which the music seemingly needs to be
both a symbolic ode to the ‘singularity’ essence of Song 4 and, simultaneously a totally improvised
work. Elaborate on where and how these philosophical and compositional processes have evolved to
be an essential part of your artistry, and any musical-philosophical difficulties you feel any listener-
music practitioner would encounter conceiving the dual modes merged as a whole?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part three:
3. ‘The Way’, as an album, holds a common denominator of ‘intensity’ as thematic material running
throughout. Articulation intensity, here, in part appears far in excess of mere performance directions,
and seemingly more attuned to invaluable life experiences. If the latter is truer, when did you first
discover the ability to play with sustained intensity, and what became your musical trigger or catalyst?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part four:
4. Song 1: ‘Searching-Finding-A way’ holds broadly a mid-tempo-largo-mid-tempo ABC song
format. The slow section is first hinted at the capo, and then within its own mid-section of the piece it
is developed using contrasting minor and major 3rd intervals with the occasional 4th interval.
Describe the comparative desolate sense of this relative to Keith Jarrett’s musically
melancholic solo piano moments; also, to that of the minimalist movement in both music, art and
photography; and how has this evolve to become a strong musical component within your music
practice?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part five:
5. Visitation’: Song 3 on ‘The Way’ album is, to me, a stand-out piece on the album. Again, your
signature ‘intensity’ is re:visited, here; but is even greater transformed via a seemingly command of
broad-spectrum dynamics - e.g. the deafening weight of silence interspersed with a theatre of
unorthodox offshoots of the customary piano range: in other words, utilising the sonic dimensions of
the piano via use of its hammers and strings teleports the listener to seemingly meta-solar unvisited
places. Is ‘visitation’ meant, here, in terms of authoritative control or its opposite, in terms of
liberation of psyche via e.g. meditation or states-of-mind akin to The Matrix movie trilogy? How was
‘Visitation’ achieved in the recording studio between the engineer/s and your performance? And,
explain any technical difficulties encountered - musical or production-wise - towards any desired
musical aesthetics in accordance with any philosophical bearings from ‘Visitation’?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part six:
6. Song 2: ‘Manifest’, again, much distinctly different song material within its angular and angst
mood-setting. The core features here being the prominent organic evolving bass motifs against the
stability of the tri-tone intervallic dissonance, alongside a syncopated rhythmic jagged-edge.
Consider, to what extent radically thinking musicians such as Ornette Coleman’s ‘Prime Time’ AMM,
Derrick Bailey’s Company, Scratch Orchestra, and Anthony Braxton resonate with ‘Manifest’ and the
diverse musical approaches spotlighted on ‘The Way album and, generally, with yourself as a music-
practitioner and researcher?
Qs for RE THE WAY – part seven:
7. Congratulations, Dr Steve Tromans on your recent doctorate status! Your thesis is on ‘Rhythmicity
and the Deleuzian: Investigating a Notion of the Musical-Philosophical in Practice as Research. Your
doctorate boldly goes where, to date, few scholars dare attempt to tread new ground. Why
Rhythmicity? Is there presence of such in any of the material in ‘The Way’? And, discuss
Rhythmicity’s transformation of Gilles Deleuze’s Philosophy of Time implications on experimental
musician-philosopher-research practitioners of now and into the near future?
LINK TO “THE WAY” (SOLO ALBUM as discussed in above interview – among many things):

soundartphilosophy.bandcamp.com/the-way