The Story
Pianist, composer and arranger Onaje Allan Gumbs saw music as something meant to heal and nourish. On StarPower Collective, he compared musicians to chefs: it starts with the heartbeat, then the melody, and his mission was to serve listeners every course in the world of sound.
He traced his first major break to drummer Norman Connors, who heard him and asked him to arrange music for a record. That assignment became the title track of Connors' album "Dark of Light," and the musicians on the session were jazz royalty. Connors was so impressed he encouraged Onaje to take the next step in his own career.
As a young listener, Onaje fell so hard for film scores that he wanted every record a composer made and to see every movie that composer scored. He also credited the late Dr. Billy Taylor, the pianist and educator he heard on the radio, as a big influence.
In Onaje Allan Gumbs's Words
“Music to me is an art form that I feel is meant to be used to heal and to nourish.”
Onaje Allan Gumbs
“We as musicians are very much like chefs.”
Onaje Allan Gumbs
On the Playlist
- Norman Connors – "Dark of Light"
- Dr. Billy Taylor
Questions & Answers
What did Onaje Allan Gumbs say music is for?
Onaje Allan Gumbs told StarPower Collective that music is an art form meant to heal and nourish, and that musicians are like chefs serving every course in the world of sound.
