Description

We chat with one of the co-founders of Trans-Siberian Orchestra to learn more about the band, the experience, and their diverse fan base.

Transcript

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Bob Kinkel Interview Leila Lemghalelf: Best known for its renditions of Christmas Classics, the Trans-Siberian orchestra takes its rocks up of style in different directions too. I’m Leila of WatchMojo.com behind the scenes with founding member Bob Kinkel. The title Trans-Siberian Orchestra reflects music the same way the Trans-Siberian Railway unites people across distances and cultures. In what way does your music do that particularly? Bob Kinkel: I think it is music and general or something that transcends cultures and is enjoyed by everybody no matter where you are. We have on stage 23 people with a full rock band. We have two keyboards, two guitars, bass drums. We have 8 string players, 8 singers and narrator so a lot of people on stage has an ‘orchestra’ feeling somewhere but it’s a full big fun rock show. Leila Lemghalelf: The band is very large. How you would say you guys grow up together? Bob Kinkel: The band has like continued to expand—brought in more singers, more players. And then as we grow, it just becomes like a bigger family and everybody works on CDs and everybody gets to play on them so it just gives us more talent to draw from. Leila Lemghalelf: How much room is there for experimentation? Bob Kinkel: Musically, we kind of do whatever comes in our head. I mean sometimes silver music gets based on maybe a classical piece or with a Christmas stuff of traditional Christmas carol. I’d say more than half of our music is completely original and w never go writing original music. It comes from all different sources. Sometime you’ll be just improvising and come up with a reef. And from that, you’ll build a song. Sometime you’ll wake up with a whole song in your head. Sometimes like I've sat down with Paul Neil, the two of us put writing and I just start playing, he start singing something and we just keep going. And ten minutes later, we have a whole song. Leila Lemghalelf: Upfront, the performance is very magical. How much of that magic stays with the performers? Bob Kinkel: A lot of it actually. The crowds that we have are phenomenal. You’ll see people in suits and ties and next to people in torn up t-shirts. Everybody gets to experience one thing together and they all have a great time. That feeling comes up to us on the stage. Leila Lemghalelf: How demanding is it on stage? Bob Kinkel: As I said, we have some of the best players on the world up there so so I guess we make it look too easy sometimes but we’re playing really, really hard and stuff--a lot of notes really fast. Leila Lemghalelf: Congratulations. Thank you so much for your time. Bob Kinkel: Thank you--my pleasure.