I read a great interview recently with Matthew Herbert, one of the most innovative musicians currently working in the UK.
Herbert is a skilled jazz musician, but his specialism is creating music out of the most unusual samples. A recent album, called “One Pig” was made entirely from sounds he recorded during the life of a single, farmed pig.
“The first question I’m always asked,” says Herbert, “is ‘Why are you making a record out of a pig?’ And for me, that’s the wrong question. You should be asking everybody else why they’re making a record with a guitar. There’s been millions and millions of records made out of guitars, and not so many made out of pigs.”
The world needs more Matthew Herbert’s. We need more people willing to think differently, challenge common assumptions, change the rules and experiment.
So next time you’re faced with a difficult problem, are you going to ask yourself the wrong questions or are you going to do something great?