DON’T WAIT FOR THE MUSE: BRANDON BUSH ’88 REFLECTS ON CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, AND A LIFE IN MUSIC by Erin Ash Sullivan RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU LISTED SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS YOUR DREAM JOB WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER: SONGWRITER. STUDIO MUSICIAN. RADIO DJ. ROCK STAR. GUESS WHAT: SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY MAKE THAT DREAM COME TRUE. AND BRANDON BUSH ’88 IS ONE OF THEM. Brandon is in fact all of these things: songwriter, studio Grammy-nominated and winning releases by John Mayer, musician, performer, and radio DJ. He was a member of the Sugarland, and Shawn Mullins. When he’s not on tour with multi-platinum-selling rock band Train (“Drops of Jupiter” and Sugarland, he works as a songwriter, composer, and music pro- “Hey Soul Sister”) and is currently playing keyboards for the ducer for film, television, and other media. And he hosts a weekly country music duo Sugarland. He’s an in-demand studio musi- radio show for AM1690, an eclectic radio station in his home- cian who has performed on over 100 recordings, including town of Atlanta, Georgia. 6| Fay Magazine 2012 FEATURE “You have to wake up every morning and make the active decision to be creative.” For anyone remotely interested in a life of creativity, it would For Brandon, the family feel of the Sugarland tour has an extra seem that Brandon has got it all figured out—how to make a dimension—his brother, Kristian Bush, is the male half of the living doing what he loves, creating and playing music. But he Sugarland duo, and the two share a tour bus when they’re on will be the first to tell you that his success certainly did not the road. happen overnight—and that the day-to-day experience of being a When it comes to surviving the grueling day-to-day routine of a working musician is often more about self-discipline, dedication, tour, Brandon says, it can be challenging to stay productive dur- and collaboration than magical flashes of inspiration. ing the day while also gearing up for the charged excitement of “Making music—both writing and playing—is a muscle,” he nightly performances. The key for him has been to give each day says. “The more you do it, the better you get. You have to wake shape by filling it with music projects and time for structured cre- up every morning and make the active decision to be creative. ativity. Brandon and Kristian work together on many projects, You don’t just wait for the muse to show up.” and their shared accommodations facilitate the process: “It’s kind of like living in a mobile office,” he says. “We wake up and pow- A FEW MEMBERS OF FAY’S FACULTY and staff trekked up wow about what our projects are going to be for the day. We to New Hampshire this past summer to see Sugarland perform at dedicate most of the morning to creative work, and then after the Meadowbrook Pavilion. It was a perfect summer’s day to see lunch it’s all about getting ready for the show.” an outdoor concert, and Brandon graciously showed the Fay contingent around backstage before the show. Brandon notes that the country music world is in many ways better suited to this collaborative model than the pop-rock world Put to rest your preconceptions about the chaotic “rock and roll of bands like Train. While the expectation is for rock artists to lifestyle” on the road. Brandon’s world on tour consists of 54 write their own material, it is much more common for country incredibly hardworking and professional musicians, technicians, artists to perform other musicians’ songs (though Sugarland and roadies who seemingly effortlessly mount an elaborate pro- writes all of its own material). As a result, musicians in the coun- duction in a new place every couple of days. The backstage world try world often get together to co-write songs that could be Brandon presented was a busy and focused hive of activity picked up and recorded by any number of country artists. (where, it’s worth noting, the team was just sitting down to a tasty-looking organic meal cooked by Craft Services and planned Brandon says that the process of co-writing has helped him devel- by Jennifer Nettles, Sugarland’s female vocalist). It would seem op his creativity as well as his focus. “When you work with other that creativity thrives when it’s well organized and well fed. musicians, you have to be able to turn the creativity on and off,” he says. “If you’re disciplined about it, you keep developing that muscle so you can use it when you need it.” “Making music—both writing and playing—is a muscle. The more you do it, the better you get.” BRANDON GREW UP IN TENNESSEE, and he credits his mother with providing him with the first experiences and opportunities that led to a life in music. “Our mom never felt that she had the opportunities she wanted, so she made up for it with us—swimming lessons, baseball and soccer teams, music and art lessons.” Brandon’s brother Kristian was the first to head off to boarding school (he attended Avon Old Farms), and his tales of adven- ture when he came home on holidays got Brandon excited about the idea of going to boarding school himself. Brandon arrived at Fay in the fall of 1986 and stayed for eighth www.fayschool.org | 7 “Fay is where I started my journey of growing up. I learned how to be more independent and became more confident about my skills.” and ninth grade, and he has vivid memories of his time at Fay. while also getting occasional work playing on other musicians’ He recalls classes where he was able to learn at his own pace recordings. The one year suddenly turned into two, then three, (including an advanced independent math study with Mr. then five, as Brandon established himself in the Atlanta music Massie), the support from dorm parents, and the friendships he scene as a respected session player. His first single to hit it big was developed. “It was a shock to my system, in a good way,” he says. Shawn Mullins’ “Lullaby,” and he got the attention of producer “Fay is where I started my journey of growing up. I learned how Brendan O’Brien, who has worked with the likes of Bruce to be more independent and how to live away from home, and I Springsteen, the Black Crowes, and Stone Temple Pilots. became more confident about my skills.” O’Brien connected Brandon with the band members of Train, and Brandon played keyboards for Train from 2003 to 2006. Music was an important activity for Brandon during his years at Since 2008, he has been playing and touring with Sugarland. Fay, and he fondly remembers studying with former faculty members Rich and Ann Gamble and participating in Fay’s instru- mental music program. After graduating from Fay, Brandon moved on to Choate, and he later graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in East Asian art. While music was never Brandon’s primary academic focus, it was always an integral part of his life, and after graduating from college he made the choice to take a year to pursue music. “I always intended for it to be a short stop before continuing my Japanese studies,” he says. Like many musicians working their way into the business, he took a job at a recording studio in Atlanta, where he did a lot of the decidedly un-glamorous work (“I was taking out the trash”) 8|Fay Magazine 2012 FEATURE “I’ve made my living functioning in groups, and I’ve always found it more rewarding than working alone.” THESE DAYS, BRANDON IS ENJOYING the many facets of his career as a working musician. Tours continue to be challeng- ing because of their exhausting pace, and things are more com- plicated now that Brandon is married, with a wife and stepson to come home to. “It’s a different kind of pull,” he says, and on this particular tour he has enjoyed being able to fly home on weekends to reconnect with his family and relax. That said, the joys of performance and collaboration make the hard work of the tour worthwhile. This particular Sugarland approach to running the show each night. tour, called “In Your Hands,” took the notion of creative collabo- Challenging? Yes, but Brandon has enjoyed the team spirit, not ration and made it the focus of the show, even including the to mention the magic that happens when everything comes audience in the process. together and the show goes beautifully. For Brandon, the group Each evening’s set was determined by audience request. Often, effort is just as integral as the creative spark: “I’ve made my living this meant playing songs that were already in the group’s reper- functioning in groups, and I’ve always found it to be more toire, but it occasionally included unexpected songs, too. For the rewarding than working alone. When you can work well with musicians on stage, as well as the stagehands and light and sound other people, you can function on a level that allows you to be technicians, that meant a completely flexible and improvisational more creative and fluid.”.