John Mayer | Life In Music | Oxford Union
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2024
- John Mayer talks about his life in music to the Oxford Union.
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John Mayer talks openly about his past rejections, his duet with girlfriend Katy Perry and his pivotal move to Montana.
John Mayer begins by talking about his time at Berkeley Music College where he studied for a year and discovered how his peers visualised success and through that discovery he found what he wanted to achieve in the world of music.
After Withdrawing from Berkeley, he moved to Atlanta where he describes the gradual progression of his music career as every month being better than the last for at least 5 years. Within 3 years he went from selling out a 180 seater venue to getting a record deal, playing to 8000 people a night and winning his first Grammy award. He says it's incredibly hard to realise how amazing his life had become because the journey was so gradual.
In today's society it's very hard to have a hit song that's also musically complex. He goes on to explain that there's so much he wants to do but has time management problems on a life span scale so worries that he won't be able to achieve them.
Being inspired by Bob Dylan he looked at the huge variations of the position of his records in the charts fluctuating from 1 to 70, from this he came to the conclusion that trying to maintain the number one spot for you're whole career will ultimately be the ruin of you.
Further on in his talk John Mayer reveals another secret that he's learned, being that as a performer you should allow yourself to feel bad and listen to what other people say, never block it out otherwise you don't learn and grow. He's thankful for discovering this during his career as most people discover it after their career is over.
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Filmed on Friday 25th October 2013
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“It’s like lucid dreaming, you gotta be wise enough to know you’re in the dream to control, but not too excited to wake up”
oh
38:48
Oh
Perfectly said 👌🏼
must be a grateful dead thing?
Interviewer just let him talk. Exactly how it should be. Great watch
I don’t think the interviewer had much of choice lol
For some reason, interviewers in the UK are so much better than anywhere else. I hate the interviewers here in the US because they just butt in every time the guest tries to answer their questions (which are usually dull and boring anyways).
iterviews are not really fun too here from this British man reorter
I feel like he was born to be a high functioning nerd and the hot singer guy thing is kind of an added media perceived exterior. This guy is a straight up, 1000 thoughts a minute, music nerd
😂😂😂 this is straight facts
Old comment but very well said!
when I wrote "Love my Little Kitty cat" I knew it was a hit, but she wanted me to hold on to it, as she has skeletons in the closets (mouse skeletons in fact)...so we still haven't had it recorded and put out there
My son is a musician like John, outgrew his guitar lessons after only three years, then turned to bass guitar and completed
that in two years. Then proceeded to go to music conservatory for bass and composition. These types think on a level that
you and I can't comprehend.
@@donnav7103 that’s awesome
That is a rare person right there.
A genius who's able to communicate his ideas so eloquently. He's humble, he's funny, he is a visionary and an artist in the truest sense. He has my respect and admiration. My favorite musician/artist of all time.
What a man.
Agreed
when I wrote "Love my Little Kitty cat" I knew it was a hit, but she wanted me to hold on to it, as she has skeletons in the closets (mouse skeletons in fact)...so we still haven't had it recorded and put out there
He is a full, unique package.
I couldn't have said it better myself, thank you!
I agreed, there are not much artists who can speak so confidently like him. He's legendary both as a person and his musical career.
What he said about how celebrities spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on security, but allow people to “hop the fence” through social media and get in your head is one of those moments where i put down my phone and lay back in bed just in the pure essence of that thought. It’s stuff like that that makes me appreciate John Mayer as a human being and more than just a musician. Everything he says is just so articulate it’s almost like he recites every thought for an hour before he says it in the matter of seconds.
20:10 I'm going forward not upwards. What a great quote to keep going. Hate him or love him he is an inspiration. What a mind.
he's like a modern day Jesus, wow, how outside the box.
I think he's an appalling egotist. Look at him wanking on at the start about how intellectual he is. Ridiculous. Not bad at playing blues guitar.
@@EtcEtcAndEtc hahahahahahahaha not bad at playing blues guitar... hahahahah.. there should be a law againt that,,, hahahaha
Exactly the mark of a real artist. More concerned with making something new than making something successful.
@@EtcEtcAndEtc I mean....he is.
Madly talented and yeah intellectual
But yeah he's not bad at blues guitar, he's amazing 💁♂️😂
Im over here thinking, “Damn, this guy can really verbalize his thoughts.” Then I remember, oh yeah, he’s John Mayer, he’s not just a legendary guitarist, but also a songwriter lol
👍🏾💯
he talks just the same way as he plays guitar. each idea has another new idea tacked on as soon as it ends and it's just one long meander but it's almost always pretty interesting
Alex Blum Rapid thoughts... wittiness
this is actually gold it makes so much sense !!!!!
Well said
Alex Blum you should listen to progressive rock
Massively overrated guitar player. If he wasn't pretty the girls wouldn't give a shit about his solos. It's just modern fluff.
people hate him because he's sincere... sad.
Exactly James I say that all the time, that is so true!
he's there because they want to know him, so he obliges and talks about himself, and the comment section is full of "hes so self absorbed!" - well when someone is being interviewed on their life and themselves in general, yeah theyre gonna talk about themselves...
Eric Renato he’s just a little self impressed. But I think he’s an earnest and wise guy
-- Or.. Maybe they hate him, because he got rich by doing something you can't study to do?
Eric, you’re right. I am so thankful for a friend of mine is identical to JM. If not, I don’t know if I would be critical of him or not? So flamboyant in his own way and doesn’t even realize it. But they’re pure people
That was one of the greatest interviews ever. John Mayer is such an inspirational musician and an incredible speaker. I hope you'll be making music for the rest of your life, John. Thanks for creating such meaningful music!
💙💜
"That's no different than when I was a kid saying "Oh, this is a G chord!" or selling out Royal Albert Hall or the o2 . All you're doing is just scaling up the expectation or the goal; but the feeling is exactly the same"
Damn. We keep "leveling up" as we grow, but the place we continually arrive at is the same as when we were kids discovering something novel for the first time.
i feel John Mayer is one of those misunderstood genius status artists.
Such a sincere speaker. This was like sitting and having a late night conversation over a beer with an old friend.
Agreed!
🙌
💯👍🏾 YEP
This interview is pure gold for those of us who have great respect, reverence, appreciation and love for John Mayer. Thank you so very much.
An interesting mix of sincerity, self-absorption, self-analysis and pretension; I love his playing and song-writing - he's obviously not only an intelligent man, but also a huge romantic, and I suspect he'd be more entertaining to talk to after three pints of Adnam's Broadside.
"If you see me doing a blues thing it's because I did too much of a pop thing." His next album better be a delta blues album
I feel like he was born to be a high functioning nerd and the hot singer guy thing is kind of an added media perceived exterior. This guy is a straight up, 1000 thoughts a minute, music nerd
@@armagan72 Exact same as the top comment lmao
when I wrote "Love my Little Kitty cat" I knew it was a hit, but she wanted me to hold on to it, as she has skeletons in the closets (mouse skeletons in fact)...so we still haven't had it recorded and put out there
in 20:58 he says "I think I need to make a record that sort of brings everything back into focus" -- hello, The Search for Everything (2017)
I wish he's not a playboy Katy is a beautiful person
@@stephenvarney9029 they're broken up dude... Long time
great observation! respect.
Man I stopped this video halfway through the other day and when I started watching today, the first thing he said was Kobe Bryant and man that hit hard
How the fuck has it been a year
One of the best talents in modern music if not the best. Incredibly intelligent.
eric travis agweed
Agreed
him and derek trucks for me
@@J00PIE Yes Derek is a divine player; both he and John hold reverence for the blues and were precocious from the jump. Mad respect for the both of them.
8:35 I honestly just realised he also started with learning simple chords....I’ve experience a crazy moment right now and it made me feel good about my guitar playing cuz everyone starts with the same things so he was in my place once...
You should be wise enough to know you're in the dream to control it, but not too excited while controlling it to wake up! DAMN IT, JOHN! How can you think of all this!!
This was the flow moment during this interview. Absolutely brilliant
23:10 "If you can do it...DO IT ALL THA TIME!!" Haha, best part.
To me the first bit says everything about music education. The amount of people that go to college or university to study it and then when they finish, they actually just give up. Frightening. They. Just. Give. Up. It is a lifelong journey of learning as it proven with this guy.
This is because most people that get into the music colleges just aren't that great. The college knows they have no hope in the industry, but if they're willing to pay the big price tag, then who cares? Only a few students that go to these colleges are able to survive in the industry, especially since live gigs have dropped so much in the past 25 years. It's just an early coffin for their career and they don't realize it until after they're in debt.
There is nothing that you can learn at Berklee that you couldn't learn on your own over the years, playing in your basement and utilizing the internet. I feel like people go to Berklee or other musical universities, because they lack the discipline and conviction it takes to research and research and research and research, and sit and play and play and play and play and play until they achieve what they want when it comes to their music. I mean, Mayer left Berklee after 3/4 of a school year, and look at him now. It's just a matter of how dedicated you actually are to the idea of becoming a musical artist.
I doubt it’s that they give up on the passion but more that most can’t pay their bills/ student loans with their music after college. Vast majority don’t make it, even though there’s some insanely talented musicians out there who we’ll never even hear about
I so underestimated John Mayer.. The man is deep, wise and exudes class in the most understated package. It took me 10 yrs to realize there was gold underneath that regular Joe facade.
i cant believe it took you that long but glad you finally made it to the right side ❤️
IMHO Continuum is one of the best albums ever recorded, thank you JCM for the many hours of pleasure you have brought into my life.
John's a classic creative; he speaks like 1,890 computers tabs are all open in his mind at the same time, and he's just clicking on one tab after another after another. Mad genius type stuff. Oh, and he's a bit self absorbed.....
its an interview about himself, ofc hes gonna talk about himself! thats what the whole interview is about!
I couldn't help be a it self absorbed if my mind ticked over at that speed. What else will keep you entertained? 😎
Just a bit 🤣
great analogy for how his mind seems to work. and yes, he always had and still has a big ego. that's part of what made him famous for sure.
Many people that are incredibly intelligent are self absorbed, and are constantly in their head analyzing everything. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just how their brain works. Maybe that’s what makes him an amazing writer and musician. That In his head passion for music created some phenomenal lyrical emotional songs.
"The mind is so important to not have unwanted visitors. " brilliant!
I think that it is very good of him to always clarify that he didn't stay at Berklee very long. I know some would like to associate themselves more with a prestigious university like that but he is quick to say that he didn't do very well and in some ways didn't take the curriculum seriously.
It is better than reading later on that he overstated his resume for effect.
It's hilarious because pictures of John are littered in the Berklee hallways to THIS day (Or at least, last semester lol). They act like they made him, it's kind of disgusting. In some ways, I think he wants people to know that he made himself, not the college.
@@juliahake6407 And here I thought I couldn't possibly muster up any more distain for Berklee as an institution. Wasn't he there for like a half or 3/4 of a school year? And they have the audacity to act as though their schooling kick-started his career. Horrible.
I wonder if his guitar instructor he bumped into while he was leaving Berkeley was Tomo Fujita
Same
Music is Win has a video with Tomo and I think he says something like that in it.
@@kobalt-knight3789 ya i watched that video. Tomo said that he was the one who told him to drop out
It was, and there are also videos of he and John jamming later on at Berklee (for educational workshops I assume). My guess is they're good friends to this day, which is really cool.
You need someone to say it’s alright go and do it.
And it was his teacher . Sometimes a little push is all you need
What he said about bob Dylan actually makes a lot of sense! John mayer...genius on..... and off the guitar!!
This feels like a TED Talk. The substance of his talks are impeccable that while he is a musician, removing that technicalities, he speaks life more than a tune on the frets.
I spent a summer in Montana as an exchange student, and I can't stop thinking about it ever since. The inner peace you feel up there is second to none. Heaven on earth.
The guy he withdrew and went to Atlanta with was Clay Cook. Guitar, Keys, Steel, etc. for Zac Brown Band.
John is truly an incredible musician. As he said, there are not many musical hits that are also complex in theory, he however, accomplishes this. His music is both moving and brilliant. I respect him as a musician and person and thats why he is one of my personal musical inspirations.
💯👍🏾
John is a very intelligent man, his music is a product of his intelligence.
I hope he would have many children & soon.
His dad is a high school principle, and mum is and English teacher. You would expect him to be smart
"When you make the constant 'being number one', you do that at the expense of the variable (being whatever it takes to be number one), and that's also a ticket OUT" 19:35 - BRILLIANT
I love john mayer's philosophy on everything ..favourite lyricist , poet and musician , JM- seriously under looked, genius and gifted artist
This is what you get when you do a good job parenting, man. Thank his padre and madre
Oh god please John, Continuum part 2
PinkFZeppelin Same thought
Not a single song on that album that isn't top notch. Listened to it a million times and I'll do it a million more. SUCH a good album!
Samee
His mind inspires me. So agile with his words and thoughts.
I have just this unbelievable amount of respect for this man. He's a musical genius and a great role model
He's so intelligent that he makes people jealous. How blessed are we to hear him. It's amazing someone is so naturally gifted & through hard work, accomplished what one or the other can't do.
He has such an understanding for his target audience. Knowing that he wanted "this student body" to listen to his music..... impressive. Some brands don't even understand this. Love his reflection of this process.
Even as a guitar player and fan, there’s something about listening to John without a guitar in his hands.
gotta agree, the way he articulates himself really blows me away
He overdoes it. he's very smart, but needs to learn economy of speech; not to mention, a tad bit of basic humility.
@@brainsareus it’s an interview about him - what else did you expect him to talk about
I love John Mayer interviews, he's so deep and real. You really have to think when you listen to him. So wise. Best interview ever.
I don't know why but I feel like John is a passionate thinker, in that he always follows these awfully complex trains of thoughts. Thats nice but I understand his passion for music and performing a bit more now, escaping from thought is incredibly liberating
I read somewhere that he was on Xanax at the age of 6. Deep thinker !
This shows why this guy is the best songwriter of this generation and yeah he is. BIGTIME!!
38:43 is basically what i've been waiting for anyone to talk about for like 10 years now
John's intelligence and his articulation of his brilliant mind is fascinating to listen to and draws you to him immediately. He has passion and thankfully for us , he found music as the outlet for his incredible creativity and talent. Im watching this again in 2022 and am so glad he continues to produce and perform music. My favourite artist/musician/guitarist songwriter/poet/raconteur. True to himself with no apology - just celebration for who he is and what he has and still gives to the world.
He's so well spoken and articulate
It’s very rare to have a hit these days that is musically complex... bang on!!
21:52 "It's time to go back"
Man you sure made your way back with The Search For Everything. Thank you so much for the music, sir!
The irony can be that John Mayer dropped out of college and he still made it big. College can be important and useful but ultimately in the end it comes down to the person's talent and work ethic.
Didnt expect John Mayer to be such a smart person! Love him even more now!
He is a genuis sir
Such a great interview. I love his intellect, his passion for music, and the way he can put into words such obscure yet important thoughts and ideas. I'm always glad to hear him speak. And glad he was given that time to truly grow as a person. I'm excited for his work in the future. :)
Lol john did a great job speaking but this was a shit interview. Guy is lucky John basically just interviews himself
@@dhallbreakfast6396 Actually, I quite enjoy it when interviewers ask a question, and then allow the guest to answer it uninterrupted. Plus, I just kind of like hearing what John has to say.
The intellectuality and maturity John shows is impressive. Understanding how his life was and is shows how he has become a real artist with his head on his shoulders. Astonished by this artist's story.
His music is genious, his playing is unique while still following in the greats footsteps.
I am so blessed by coming across this...John Mayer...is such a true Artist on so many levels and yet so down to earth and humble.Really appreciate hearing a positively awesome interview by John.👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👌👌😁😁😁🌟🕊
Such an incredible talent and intellectual man. Pure brilliance. His input can be applied to much more than music. I love when he talks about chasing #1 at the expense of everything else. WOW! This can be applied to so many things in life. I sell real estate for a living and I see people chase that to the expense of their character, which is a huge mistake. To me, he will always be the best singer/song writer of my generation. His albums are the soundtrack of my life.
born and raised is definitely my favorite album of his
John is a bloody genius! I am so into his music.
I've admired John's guitar work for a few years. Now I admire John himself.
Its really interesting how some really talented people are really honest
I'm seeing that John can always be a motivational talker. If the music thing gets old, play a couple songs, then just do some different motivational exercises with the audience.
He also does some stand up comedy, or at least has in the past. He has a good comedic mind.
I second that. I'm not a massive fan of the latest album, but I love hearing this guy talk. Such an interesting conversationalist, and he uses imagery in the perfect way to communicate what he wants to say.
Billbill80s ballzy
this is the wise and smart and amazing side of john mayer i wish people knew more of!:)
so, we have to be an Oxford student first to see John Mayer for free :)))
John knows how to play the media, he is definitely a seasoned self-promoter. He took a lot of flack for how he was originally presented: "Hearththrob/boy-band" type with the soft voice and acoustic guitar. Then he released Continuum, and the REAL John Mayer surfaced. At that point revealing himself as one of the premier songwriters, and electric guitar players in the industry. It took time, but finally guitar players have come around to realize this, as well as a wider audience (male). His work just keeps getting better and respect for his level of musicianship is finally growing.
He answers every question so perfectly.
2:53 There's a spider on the chair
Heh
I need your eyes
@Luke Lester are you autistic?
@@fisherdole196 its there it took me a while 😂
holy fuck LMAOOOOO
John is a really enlightened and prophetic…..he really is a gem that needs to be appreciated and enjoyed. Previous generations had Elvis, Sinatra, Dylan, Hendrix, Michael Jackson. We have John Mayer in his mature prime!
Was interested from the moment this started to the second it ended. John Mayer is the man.
such an interesting and complex man.. amazing interview..
Love how John basically learned just enough, and then said GG to all music afficinados . . Good on you bro. There are so many people that get trapped in the education bubble.
Yes!! I've been waiting for this! Thank you!
I agree that Born and Raised is his best record. It's amazing!
I sense a badass album on the way....
Well, you were wrong.
RadioSkipsHD lol
Fascinating interview, thanks for posting the whole thing!
I Love this Guy.... He's So Honest/ Raw/Intelligent and Freaking Over Bearing. I thought i had a mouth on Me But Ghad Dammmnm!!! I enjoy every part of listening to him speak.
Hard to believe this was 9 years ago. The words are still so poignant. This is a timeless dude
Been listening to him a long time. He admitted his ego, all guys have one!. He is incredibly, incredibly diverse in his playing. I really have always paid attention to ECs opinions of other players and his opinion of John. That being said I was happy with my assessment of him after hearing Eric’s thoughts on him.
"Fight the emptiness of the moment for something" this is a profound meditation
Watching this after The Search For Everything has been released, I think that album has served the initial purposes he seemed to have had, like he said here.
What an artist, my God.
this whole interview makes me want to hide behind my hands but it's nice that he's just him and he knows why now
Great documentary. The letter from John and everything about this documentary was just pure class.
I could listen to John Mayer talk all day
Absolutely fantastic interview. Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Loved how he explained lucid dreaming
So many great quotables! He is such a creative lyrical poet exercising ideas. I love this interview!
Totally brilliant. Can't thank Mr. Mayer & Oxford University for putting this together and sharing this insight.
"I wanted to be the best guitar player"... then I realized that there were dozens of better guitarists in my school alone.
"Guitar histrionics" - ! +1
'Arrogance to believe you ARE that badass...' beautiful description of creativity. Not all of it. But an excellent description of part of it. 'Fight the emptiness of the moment for something.' Excellent.
wow, mayer never fails to blow my mind
Thanks for posting this interview. It seems that it's only the first part - will you be posting the rest, including the questions from the audience?
Blown away by the amount of wisdom in here.
the stuff about his next album really got me thinking, it's gonna be John's greatest album , so I hope
He's inspiring as always.
"Quotidian," was worth this video all on it's own!
Good advice for all the one-in-a-million prodigies out there.
thanks for this interview!! It s great knowing that in his young mind he have set a mission statement that has guided his entire career.
I was so disappointed at the sudden end. such a great interview, I love watching from the Oxford Union
Minutes 38:00 - 40:00 is supreme gold. Loved this interview.
At 36:40 when he says ''Well,'' it has such a nice melody to it