music that continues to have pertinence for new audiences. The nucleus of it, I suppose you could say, comes from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. I believe that there are songs written today that will


become a part of it, but only time determines what they will be. If we are still listening to and singing a song beyond two generations, that means it will probably last. There are probably fewer songs that are likely to survive, in percentages, than there were decades earlier... But the songbook evolves. Just as we now consider the songs of Billy Joel, Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Elton John and Jimmy Webb all a part of the songbook. The main difference now, is that most songs are


connected with one performance. Historically, it was the proliferation of recordings and performances that kept the music alive. “The Way You Look Tonight” has been recorded hundreds of time and it is because of that variety of recordings by every conceivable singer, jazz musician and orchestra and that sustains the song. And sometimes, they sustain in spite of the performances (laughs). But, really that’s the key. Why do you feel preservation is so important? Many songs are largely lost today and I feel that this


music is important. It’s music that is rich and brilliant in its construction... harmonically, musically and lyrically. I work to keep it alive, because it’s music for which I have passion and want to share it with others. It really is as simple as that. It is why I started perform- ing and is what motivates me. I love suggesting music to singers and performers,


songs that they haven’t heard before. There are 1,500 Irving Berlin songs, 1,200 Gershwin songs—the num- bers of songs that these individual composers wrote is staggering. Unless someone becomes a champion for them and exposes others to it, the music will not survive. The broad strokes will live on; things like “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Over The Rainbow,” “Singing In The Rain,” those songs will go on. But, there are a whole lot of others that are worthy and are essentially disappearing from the world. I try to do what I can to keep those others active, as well. I understand that you formed The Great American Songbook Foundation. Tell me a bit more about how that fits into the preservation process. The Great American Songbook Foundation is in


Carmel, Indiana. We have this extraordinary archive of sheet music, research materials and display space for rotating exhibitions. They change every six months and feature items from the collection. It’s all housed in the Palladium, which is the concert hall that was built just a few years ago. It’s a beautiful 180 million dollar structure and a state-of-the-art theatre. The location in Carmel is within 24 hours of a large


swath of our country, so people come from all over to go to the Palladium and that’s one of the reasons, I brought my collection there. Once we opened, we received many more amazing collections as dona-


48 RAGE monthly | APRIL 2015


tions from the estates of songwriters and performers. We have amazing and wonderful things there! I am really fascinated too, by the Songbook Academy. Are you still as involved with that? That’s really one of the most important things that


the foundation does. Thousands of kids, apply from all 50 states to participate in The Songbook Academy. It’s what I call the anti-American Idol (laughs), because it offers musical opportunities to kids who would not have it on that show. American Idol is exclusionary and is about pop mu-


sic and artifice and hitting the high notes at the end. It’s instant stardom and really about the producers making money and trying to find the next bankable pop star. They end up signing a contract that inden- tures them for years and if they “hit,” they give up a good deal of their money to the producers. There are many other kids that have a different mu-


sical sensibility. They like show tunes, they like classic songs or they like jazz, all these other kinds of music that they have discovered. What do you most hope that your legacy will be? I don’t really think about legacy, because I’m going


to be dead. (Laughs) As far as what I’d like to leave behind? I’d like to leave behind opportunities. I’d love all of the archival materials that I’ve gathered to be left behind in a way that makes them accessible. The recordings, the music, all of those things, I hope that they will continue to be preserved and survive in some way, because otherwise, they might just disappear. In that sense, I hope that there will be a continuum. It’s fascinating how much has disappeared. That


is the way of life, I guess. I’ve come to the conclu- sion that what is supposed to survive, will survive. But, there really is no guarantee of anything. I often wonder why certain things are lost and certain things survive? Why does only a part of the second


movement in the “Concerto In F” as played by George Gershwin survive and the rest is lost? It all seems so random. That’s the eternal mystery of it all, of course. It’s what keeps me up at night. Do you have any plans for another album? I’m not sure. We’ve tossed around the idea of something with country standards, something that represents great American country classics—things that would be the equivalent of the Great American Songbook. Please tell me a little about your upcoming shows. This show will be a celebration of the art of Frank


Sinatra, because, December 12 was his 100th Birth- day. I had the chance to meet him and to know him a little bit; I used to go to his house for dinner, which is such a nice memory. I wanted to put together a show that is a personal


remembrance of him. There are the war-horses that one expects to hear and then there are some unusual choices that I think are fun. My shows have a lot of anecdotes, humor and audience interactions that are fun for people. It’s a real celebration of a man who fundamentally changed the way people listen to classic American pop songs. Wonderful, Michael, I can’t wait to see the show! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! Thank you, as well.


The La Jolla Music Society presents Michael Feinstein performing with his big band in an all-Sinatra program on Saturday, April 25 at Copley Symphony Hall. To purchase tickets for that performance, go toljms.org.


For more information on Michael’s concert dates, go to michaelfeinstein.com.


For more about The Great American Songbook Foundation, go tothecenterfortheperformingarts.org.


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