Interview with Tour Music Director

[EGOT2027 10,894]

Michael Bearden: Lady Gaga's Music Director on Touring, Technology and the Power of Music

Michael Bearden is currently logging long hours in production rehearsals for Lady Gaga’s upcoming Joanne World Tour. He's is one of the “go-to” music directors in Los Angeles, having served as a pianist, keyboardist, and music director for Michael Jackson, Jenifer Lopez, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, and for the past several years, Lady Gaga. He appears in the film This Is It (2009), served as MD on The George Lopez Show, and has routinely served as conductor at The Oscars, the Grammy Awards and the Emmy Awards. Most recently, Bearden was nominated for several Emmys for his contributions to the Super Bowl LI Half-Time Show with Lady Gaga. 

Following his performance at Ringo Starr’s Birthday Celebration at the Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California, I reconnected with my friend and mentor to talk about his storied career. 

Read more: http://www.keyboardmag.com/artists/1236/michael-bearden-lady-gagas-music-director-speaks/63404

[Saint Hollywood 37,364]

I'm not ready for the amount of scalp damage that will occur later today

[paw 62]

 

[Miel 15,009]

Intersecting insight on how the tour comes to fruition. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about him on the team, as he apparently seems super integral.

[hoeslay 4,182]

What an absolute king. <3 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

 

[fede ARTPOP 6,737]

HAUS OF GAGA is shooook

Hopefully this time everything goes according to plan. 

[hELXIG 43,030]

 

"My music director style is more towards the live element and not toward the recorded one. Most tours these days use some sort of recorded component. Even some non-pop tours use recorded tracks. However, I prefer to utilize musicianship as much as possible. Lady Gaga’s band is amazingly talented, and I like to show off their collective skills. Also, it just feels better when you come to a live show and hear real musicians moving air through speakers. You can listen to the record at home!"

 

SO glad to hear this! This is one of my favourite things about Gaga's shows! A lot of her music is live and nothing beats live music in the moment  

 

I'm also so excited that somebody so experienced is working with her! It's really interesting reading about his history in music and how things have changed over time.

This article gives me a lot of faith for the show. It's gonna blow our minds just wait  

 

"My guitar players on Lady Gaga’s tour have pedals that make their guitars sound like keyboards."  this sounds very interesting... I wonder why they'd need that. Do you think they'll use these kinds of effects during the JWT? I'm here for interesting guitar effects!

[GagaMyBlood95 9,915]

This is all very exciting, they are putting so much into this tour and I think it will slay us all!

Less than a day to go  

[HausOfMark 4,274]

today is going to be amazing. 

[blackcoffee 1,264]

Wow! That was a really great read. Thank you for sharing! So interesting to read about his experience, his insight, and the way him and Ricky planned out the tour. So cool. 

[Alfonso 1,549]

8 hours ago, Helxig said:

 

"My music director style is more towards the live element and not toward the recorded one. Most tours these days use some sort of recorded component. Even some non-pop tours use recorded tracks. However, I prefer to utilize musicianship as much as possible. Lady Gaga’s band is amazingly talented, and I like to show off their collective skills. Also, it just feels better when you come to a live show and hear real musicians moving air through speakers. You can listen to the record at home!"

 

SO glad to hear this! This is one of my favourite things about Gaga's shows! A lot of her music is live and nothing beats live music in the moment  

 

I'm also so excited that somebody so experienced is working with her! It's really interesting reading about his history in music and how things have changed over time.

This article gives me a lot of faith for the show. It's gonna blow our minds just wait  

 

"My guitar players on Lady Gaga’s tour have pedals that make their guitars sound like keyboards."  this sounds very interesting... I wonder why they'd need that. Do you think they'll use these kinds of effects during the JWT? I'm here for interesting guitar effects!

Ikrrr 

This interview was really interesting, and I´m getting even more hyped for tonight after reading this 

[bitchimtrying 2,495]

"I’ve seen stages detaching and floating around the arenas." 

OMG IVE NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE IS THIS WHAT GAGA IS GOING TO DO IM SHOOK. 

[DemeLarell 931]

11 hours ago, Helxig said:

 

 

"My guitar players on Lady Gaga’s tour have pedals that make their guitars sound like keyboards."  this sounds very interesting... I wonder why they'd need that. Do you think they'll use these kinds of effects during the JWT? I'm here for interesting guitar effects!

Maybe diamond heart? It makes so much since now. When I listen to the beginning it sound like it could have been a piano but I heard a sound in the background as if it was fingers moving on the frets of a guitar. Her and Ronson probably used this method when making 💎 ❤️.

[ShockPop 7,747]

1 hour ago, DemeLarell said:

Maybe diamond heart? It makes so much since now. When I listen to the beginning it sound like it could have been a piano but I heard a sound in the background as if it was fingers moving on the frets of a guitar. Her and Ronson probably used this method when making 💎 ❤️.

It'll be for the heavy edm like aura. Nobody can physically key that out. Maybe not aura but you know what I mean.