Interview with Alan Tuck

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

At the age of 5 I started piano lessons studying through the Royal Conservatory.  At the age of 15, I got my first synthesizer.  The freedom of sounds and the power it gave me to create was unbelievable.  When studying music at York University, I created a song and video that ended up on Much Music.  I then performed the song live on Global Television on Canada Day.  Music is my outlet.  It is such a hard industry to crack and decided to look at other industries in the arts. I took up photography and website design and have built a business using these skills, but my desire has always been music.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

A lot of time is spent with family, particularly my son doing outdoor sporting activities.  I am also found playing the Playstation with friends I met online.

How long have you been making music?

After a few years of taking piano lessons, I started to explore the idea of writing my own music.  As with everything in life I found the more I worked at it the quality improved.  The synthesizer opened the floodgates and haven’t looked back since..

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I currently live in Toronto, and I have a few friends that just enjoy playing music.  Being able to sit down and create music with others opens new ideas.  There is so much music in Toronto it is hard not to get influenced by all the many great venues and great musicians that come to play here.  Friends and family are always there to critique something I am working on, which is always helpful.

Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?

Playing on Entertainment Desk on Global Television is up there.  I performed with a friend on a TV Christmas fund raiser which was self-rewarding.  I also performed in local musical plays as both an actor and musician.  I am considering developing videos and possible streamed shows that viewers would be able to sign in to watch.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

My desire is to create music for movies, television, video games, etc.  My favourite venue to play would be something small and more intimate.  It would be great to be one with the fans and be able to converse with the ones that come.  

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

This is such a hard question for me to answer… ha ha.  Because I write in so many genres I would not be able to just narrow it down to one.  There are just so many amazing artists out there that are so good at what they do that to experience one night with any of them would be an honour.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Be prepared for difficult feedback. Hook up with quality musicians, and not necessarily just good friends.  It will expand what you can do.  Be open to trying a variety of genres to find where you get the most enjoyment.  Make sure creating music is fun and gives you a good feeling inside.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

By Any Means (Warriors) I wrote for my son’s hockey team.  I had the opportunity to work with iRoc Omega and Bobby John to create a song that is motivating and exciting.  I have been getting positive feedback on that song.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Prior to By Any Means (Warriors) it would have been Let Me Down Gently or Hold You.  Both are pretty laid back but is nice to just sit back and listen too.

What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?

Sitting down at the piano and getting a melody is where it starts.  Once I have a feel for the song, I create the layout and put it together.  At that point I like to reach out to singers either who have contacted me or ones that I might see fit the song to create the vocal and lyrics.  After the vocals are done, I add them into the music and do finishing touches by either adding or taking out parts I do not think fit.  It is very rare that I think about what I am going to write about in advance. It often comes when sitting down at the piano and how I am feeling at the time.

Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music, if so please tell me about them?

I don’t have a consistent message, but I hope listeners get the same feeling of happiness in listening to my music that I do.  For “By any Means (Warriors)” I want people to be empowered by the song and feel motivated.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I have a lot of new songs coming out in the new year that are complete.  I think a lot of people are going to enjoy “Blood in My Veins” and “Breathe”.  Once again two different genres but both have Bobby John on vocals.

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

Being a musician, you would think I would be into social media, but I am rarely on… ha ha.  I do have a Facebook, Instagram, TikTok account that I do plan to do more on in 2024.  I also have my website alantuck.com that people are more than welcome to email me through.  It would be great to have any vocalists wanting to try something new and work on one of my songs with me so do not hesitate to email me and ask.