Meet Walker Landgraf | Musician & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Walker Landgraf and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Walker, how do you think about risk?
I think that the mindset of eliminating or minimizing risk is valuable but can be at odds with creative decision making. Often when I make music, or food, or major life choices, I’m in some sort of flow. I’m following my heart and I’m listening to my intuition, or even acting on it without having to listen. Allowing yourself to take risks so long as it aligns with your gut is important. It can also teach you that certain things that feel risky really aren’t. I think our society tends towards risk-aversion as a whole. So we’re taught to see any risk as something to be avoided. I don’t agree with that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make music!

I have a home studio with drums, keyboards and guitars where I record music (almost) every day. When I was 15 I started playing guitar and making beats at home with Ableton Live. When I started to record myself and realize full creative visions on my own within the software I was like “this is what I was born to do!” That feeling has only grown, and I’ve added various instruments and techniques to my arsenal to continue along the path of making the best music I can possibly make.

I would say that it’s been incredibly challenging but in the best way possible. I’ve always had the desire to take the road less traveled and to continually bet on myself and my ability to grow as a musician. The pivotal moment was when I was around 20 years old and I decided that rather than working with other vocalists I was going to learn how to sing. There were some years there where I felt pretty concerned about whether I would ever be good at it because singing is often seen as a natural ability. Now I get paid to perform as a singer and millions of people have streamed my vocal music. How nuts is that!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well first of all we’d hang out at home, cook good food, mix drinks, listen to records, record in the studio, all that good stuff. I’m a homebody so that’s definitely going down.

After that we’re going to my rock climbing gym First Ascent, Uptown because it’s one of the most beautiful spaces in the city. Then I’ve got to show them the Green Mill, the jazz bar on Lawrence and Broadway, which is right down the street. Every night of the week we’re going to get dinner at Kie Gol Lanee, a Oaxacan restaurant in Uptown which is my favorite spot in the city. On Friday, we’re going to the Lily’s Pocket Session at Lily’s Bar on Lincoln St (every friday night at 11pm), its the best jam session in the city. And the next morning we’re going on a bike ride from my place in Andersonville up north to Evanston for some natural beauty.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Some of the most important people in my life have been my musical hero’s. Even though I’ve never met any of them (except for John Mayer but that’s a different story), their timeless and powerful work has reached forward through time to direct me towards a better version of myself and a fuller appreciation of life. I’m talking about The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Joao Gilberto. The big ones. I see 60’s and 70’s music as this big time capsule that is full of love and optimism, which I can turn to anytime I need a friend. It’s the reason I’m here.

To change direction a bit. I also wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my lovely friends. I’d like to thank Jonathan Gardner for his encouragement and support. And my musical contemporaries Kabir Dalawari, Michael Pineda and Terrence Dunphy for supporting me musically and helping me feel more apart of a community.

Website: walkerwonder.me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkerwonder_/

Image Credits
Jared Gentile, James Werner, Walker Landgraf