Josh Groban on Music, Burping and Marriage Proposals
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle
August 17, 2007
By Karen Cotton
Singer calls himself a geek-turned-musician who won't be bound
by the classical genre and admits he burped in the middle of a song
Having recovered from an embarrassing moment involving Mountain Dew and an open mic, Josh Groban is set to perform Aug. 29 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
The songwriter, pianist, producer and multi-talented instrumentalist with a world-class baritone voice is riding the success of his latest album "Awake."
And ladies, this self-described geek-turned-musician who's become an unwitting sex-symbol said he enjoys the fan mail and marriage proposals.
"I don't know if all of the marriage proposals are all that serious," Groban said. "If they are, then - hey - God bless them. That's great. I'm flattered.
"I'm only 26, so I have time to marry them all," he laughed. "I can make it work. I'm an energetic guy."
Fans might be surprised to know that Groban's biggest musical influences aren't classical.
While he was being classically trained as a singer, he said he grew to be an enormous fan of classical singers.
But he is mainly influenced by theatrical and pop greats including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim and John Williams.
"Theater is what I thought I'd be going into," he said.
Groban's pop influences are people who have pushed musical boundaries, such as Peter Gabriel and Bj�rk.
"People that I feel like that people don't think of 'genreally,'" Groban said. "You just hear them and what they're trying to do with their exploration.
"As far as my voice goes and my sound, I can only hope one day that people say, 'I like him for him and not just because of a certain genre.' I wouldn't tie myself down to classical."
He is also heavily influenced by the music from countries that he tours to - he goes so far as to take days off in each city, when time allows.
"The greatest gift this job can give me - is it's such a blessing to see the world and do it first hand," Groban said. "It doesn't even feel like a job. The work part of it is what I like to do. It's so great to see how universal music is around the world."
When it comes to world music there are so many similarities.
"Our cultures are what separate us, but deep down we're all the same," Groban said. "It's fun for me on a musical level when I have days off to explore and pick up music."
With his latest album, "Awake," Groban said he tried to explore other musical genres.
"I definitely felt it was time to explore and to try new things," Groban said.
To accomplish that, he worked with an impressive list of producers, including Marius DeVries, who produced albums for Bjork and Madonna; French world music composer Eric Mouquet; Glen Ballard, a pop songwriter; Guy Sigsworth and Groban's long-time producer David Foster.
By adding the South African musicians Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Vusi Mahlasela, it became the most exploration Groban said he has ever done musically.
"It's different than what I do," he said. "I make something unique, generally. With all of those experimentations, it wound up working and being much more rewarding to get there the hard way than keeping things stale and doing the same kind of thing.
"That said, I continue doing what I love to do," Groban said. "It's important to break into new things, to push yourself and listen to new influences."
Groban's personal tastes in music range from world music to the heavy rock sounds of Tool and Disturbed as well as the rock bands Radiohead and Depeche Mode, which he said he learned to play the drums to.
"I'm a big fan of my opening act Angelique Kidjo, whose a huge pop star in Africa," Groban said. "We sing a song together that I recorded on her CD with Carlos Santana. I'm always attracted to the music of South Africa, and the rhythms."
Even though Groban is known for his tremendous voice and stage presence, he too, has had his blunders on stage.
As a result, he doesn't eat before he going on stage or drink carbonated beverages.
"When you're singing you're pushing on your diaphragm, so it's better to have an empty stomach when you go on stage, so you don't burp all over the mic," Groban said. "It's true when you're singing and running around on stage you don't want to get stomach ache or indigestion - or stuff stuck to your vocal chords. It's all gross I know, but it's important."
One time, Groban said he made the mistake of drinking a pint of Mountain Dew before going on stage.
"I burped in the middle of a song, and it was kind of embarrassing," Groban said. "I don't know how to burp. I'm not a big burping guy. For some reason, it happened.
"I don't think audience knew what it was," he added. "They thought it was a glitch with the microphone, but they could hear it in the monitors and my band on stage heard it and were cracking up. It was a serious song - 'Per Te' from my last album."
When Groban performs, he makes a point of joking with the audience and walking out into the crowd.
"Especially when you're in a big arena that feels kind of cold -it's a really big thrill and challenge for me to make it feel intimate, so the guy in the back row feels like they're in the show," Groban said. "I have no intention to stay on stage. It's always fun for me to joke around on stage and make people feel comfortable with the fact that they can have a good time."
He added, "This show is very high energy. It's a pop concert."
In regards to fans thinking his voice is sexy, Groban said, "It's always interesting for me to look out into the audience and see all of the women screaming. I was always a geek in high school, so it's just the fact people are proposing to me and asking me about a sexiness factor that is a nice surprise."
He added that he doesn't see the sex appeal, personally, but it may have to do with his voice and the "whole baritone thing."
Josh Groban
With opening act Angelique Kidjo
When: Aug. 29, doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Pepsi Center, 1000
Chopper Circle, Denver.
Artist Info: Go to www.joshgroban.com.
Little known facts about Josh Groban
His voice: He had his tonsils taken out in 2001. He said that was a great move, he wasn't as sick afterward, and he felt a lot more free vocally when he sang.
He is a perfectionist when it comes to his vocal health. He gets regular check ups and watches what he eats and drinks.
The day of the show, he does two, half-hour long warm ups. After the sound check, he won't sing, talk or eat for the 3-4 hours prior to a performance.
Instead, he drinks tea and watches TV. He lets "it all come out on stage," referring to his voice, and afterwards, he said he's starving.
Groban on piano:
- He took a few piano lessons to learn about scales
- He plays mainly by ear
- He taught himself to write music using the piano
- It took him forever to read music
Odd world instruments he plays:
- The Aboriginal Didgeridoo of Australia
- The Uilleann pipes, national bagpipe of Ireland
- The bodhran drum of Ireland
- Anything that's percussive because he was a pot-and-pan hitter as early as three years old.
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