AFA News

AFA Composer Institute and Summer Music Festival Alumni Paul Cornish is making his mark on the music industry. From Herbie Hancock, to Kanye West, and even Glee, Paul has shown he has the fluidity to navigate multiple genres. Paul is the winner of the 2018 American Jazz Piano Competition. Also an accomplished composer and educator, he was a finalist in the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Competition and is on faculty at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.

When did you attend AFA?

PC: I did the 2012 Composer Institute, as well as the 2013 Summer Music Festival for Composition.

What are you currently up to?

PC: I just graduated with a Masters in Music from the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA this past June, so now I am pursuing music full time in Los Angeles (whatever that means right now). Funny enough, I received my first commission as a composer a couple of months ago, and I just got my first composer fellowship, so a lot of my AFA training is coming in handy right now. Other than that, I have been playing piano for Kanye West’s Sunday Service for the past year and a half.

What was your introduction to music?

PC: My mother loves music and my two older brothers played, so there was music and instruments around the house. Church was a big part of it too. My mom would sing and direct the choir, and my brothers would play. Naturally, I began to show interest in drums at the age of 2, and my mom subsequently started me on violin lessons at age 4 (which was short-lived), piano at age 5, and percussion at age 6.

When did you know you wanted to be a musician?

PC: I think when I went to Johnston (Meyerland) Middle School and joined the jazz band in 7th grade. Meeting fellow student musicians my age who were also passionate about music was truly inspiring. Furthermore, the freedom to express myself that I felt from learning and listening to jazz was something I knew I wanted to be able to share with people someday. I also have to shout out to the Summer Jazz Workshop because they taught me so much the summer before I joined the jazz band at Johnston. I had no prior knowledge of jazz.

What are some things you learned as an AFA student that you have carried into what you are doing now?

PC: I definitely learned how to prepare a score of my own music so that the musicians I am working with can read my music and feel comfortable. My charts were looking rough before AFA, sheesh! I also learned how to collaborate. In the Composer Institute and Summer Music Festival, we really spent time getting to know the musicians we were writing for and their instruments. I had to write for pipe organ, vocal ensemble, and a string quartet. This is something I take into other things I do as well. Whether it be playing for an artist, or producing. I try to spend time getting to know the people I am working with and for, learning their strengths and limits. Doing that helps you to create at your best, and people remember that.

What would be your advice to a young musician thinking about a career in the arts?

PC: Go as far as you can while you still can. Another way of saying stay curious. I had so many people telling me I needed to focus on one thing and do things a certain way, which in a sense I am grateful for because it got me to where I am, but in another sense, I think trying to do other things would have only enhanced what I chose to do. I’ve learned that the people who innovate and go on to do things the world hasn’t seen before did new things because they had the courage and audacity to believe that they could. There are enough things in life when you get older that will place limits on what you can do, that’s why I believe you should explore your gifts and interests as much as you can when you’re young.

Another one is NEVER become bitter. You will see your friends/peers begin to get awards and opportunities that you may believe should be yours. A lot of these things are subjective and should never be the end goal. You have figure out why you want to pursue music, and stay true to that. Opportunities will come when they’re supposed to. A lot of times we think we want something, but the truth is we may not be truly ready at the time. If you can not be genuinely happy for a friend who is doing well, then something is wrong and you must find out why. Bitterness can only assure your downfall. Don’t be bitter. Opportunities will come, just make sure you are ready for them.

What do you enjoy the most about performing?

PC: This is a really heavy question now that we’re in a pandemic lol. The stage is a really sacred space for me because it is a privilege to do what we do. I see it as an opportunity to honor the creator who gave me my gift and also as my service to humanity. If I can inspire, give hope, or even provide a moment of solace in someone’s otherwise hectic life through my music or through playing piano, there’s a song that says “then my living will not be in vain.”

How can we find out more about what you’re up to?

PC: Follow me on Instagram @modernpaulitics or visit my website paulcornishmusic.com.