Stanley Clarke – HuffPost 6.10.11

Mike Ragogna: What advice do you have for new artists?

Stanley Clarke: You know, the main advice that I have for young people is not to let their instruments define them – you really have to think in terms of being a full musician. You play the guitar? Great. But you also have to learn how to compose and how to read music and to produce. Right now is the greatest time to be a musician because of all of the technology. I mean, I know a lot of people are skeptical about a lot of what technology can do in music, but the great ones will still rise to the top. It just takes time. It’s just a great time to make things out there and a great musician should embrace all of the new opportunities and tools given to them. You shouldn’t be afraid. Just organize your music and try to put a lot of things together because at the end of your study, you prove yourself with an abundance of abilities. It’s just such a great time to be a musician, I think.