In this interview, we talk with Sandra Kluge, a talented tap percussionist and composer from Brooklyn, New York. Sandra shares her experiences participating in Make Music Day events since 2019, her unique journey mastering tap music production through experimentation, and her deep connection to music as a means of self-expression and connection with others. She’s been on a long journey, and currently, she has two singles released, called Misty Rose and Clementine, which showcase her musical skill.
How has your experience been at the Make Music Day events?
I participated in Make Music Day events in 2022 and I believe in 2019 as well. It was great. It’s a really awesome way to play in spaces that don’t usually host live performances and live music. I got to play at a coworking space, at a community garden, and at a crepe place. It’s really awesome for businesses to open their doors to host live music.
How did you start making music?
I come from a family of musicians. I’ve been making music in some way, probably my entire life. My first instrument was the clarinet, and when I was ten, I started learning tap from my mom. I felt inspired to check it out and ended up being really connected to the art form. I’ve always felt connected to the music aspect of it, so slowly over time, I really just honed in on treating tap as a musical instrument. This led me to write my own music, perform it live, and handle recording and production. I kind of organically got into it. Now I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
You have two great singles streaming on Spotify. How was your experience doing those?
Really great. Recording my own music in which tap is the only percussive instrument is the most fulfilling creative thing that I’ve ever done in my life so far. With recorded music, I’m inspired by its accessibility. Because if you want to see a regular tap performance, you either have to go on YouTube and search for a video, or make time to go to a live performance. Recorded music can be easily streamed or purchased, so it’s so much more accessible for people’s day-to-day lives. Just as everyone has a personal soundtrack that resonates with their moods and experiences, I aspire to contribute to people’s lives in a similar way. I believe the soundtracks of my own life have been influential and helpful in navigating various situations. Being able to provide that for others is incredibly gratifying.
How was the experience of actually recording the tap? I imagine it’s different from the recording of ordinary percussion instruments.
It’s actually really interesting. I’ve been learning a lot during this whole process. There is no default way to produce, record, and mix tap, so it’s about learning by doing. It involves a lot of experimentation. When you record a drum set, you can mic each drum separately and hone in on the different frequency strums. But with tap, it’s like you basically have all the frequencies on one drum. That’s the main challenge, I’d say. How do I bring out all the little nuances that I want to hear? Sometimes, it’s frustrating because I want things to sound a certain way, and I find myself running up against some challenges. But the journey is great. I’m learning a lot. Just the act of recording and really listening back to what I do has been so helpful.
Do you think you get to actually capture what you want to hear in your taps in the recording?
Yes, I think so. There’s always room for improvement. As I grow and refine my setup and my gear to record it, it’s coming closer to what I hear. It’s already definitely on track for me.
What artists inspire you in your music creation?
Lots of different ones. I grew up within the jazz framework, all the greats. There are great jazz piano players; I love Oscar Peterson. All these masters of the craft, jazz vocalists. That’s kind of the foundation of what inspired me and influenced me; it’s the sensibility of all these artists. These days, on top of that, I’m very inspired by any artist who bridges the gap between making music that is both meditative and really hones in on very clear patterns and develops them over a long time, while still being groovy and having that balance. So, some of the specific artists that I’m influenced by right now are Sam Gandel from LA, and Sam Wilkes from LA because they’re doing exactly that, among a bunch of others.
What genres do you enjoy playing? Is it only jazz music?
What I play is kind of hard to put into a genre. When trying to explain my music to people, I’d put it into words as jazz-based, alternative R&B, or something like that. I’d ultimately say alternative jazz.
Do you mainly play your original songs in your presentations?
Yes, I pretty much exclusively play my originals. I have such a specific vision for how the tap fits into the music; it makes more sense to play my own music for that.
Are you a full-time musician?
Yes. Well, my day job is teaching tap. Other than that, I’ll be performing, working on projects, creating, and making music.
How would you describe what music means to you?
Music to me means a space that allows me to feel whatever I’m feeling in the moment, and to connect with that feeling in a way that makes me feel connected to something bigger. Whether I’m listening to music or if I’m playing music, I know I’m not the only person feeling this way. Music is the perfect level of abstraction where we don’t have to explain what it does to us; we feel it. Even if I play just one chord, this one chord might evoke a really specific feeling. For me, that’s the power of music.
Finally, what would you say your goal in music is?
My goal in music is to forge ahead on the path of tap percussion, continuing to record music, and release more songs, and full albums. I’d love to collaborate with specific individuals to further develop tap percussion as an instrument. I want to just share and connect, and feel increasingly clear about my artistic voice and how I can connect with people in that way, whether through collaborative performances or engaging with audience members.