Monstercat's own Haywyre is one seriously talented individual. Having studied piano since the age of six, his mission can be defined by providing his listeners with music that presents variety, originality and ideas stemming from his jazz and classical knowledge base. It’s not unusual for a producer to hold such musical prowess, but Haywyre gives puts it all on show. We were lucky enough to chat with Haywyre, who just wrapped up his first headlining tour. Check out the interview and watch his incredible live performance of his track "Insight" below. 

What are the main factors that have contributed to your high level of proficiency at the keyboard?

Dedication, inspiration and a hint of competitive spirit.

If you had two months to bring a musical novice to a palpable level of competence in regards to performance and composition, what would the training routine look like?

It would first involve an overview of musical rules (aural skills, music theory, sound design, mixing) and then secondly would provide them inspiration for which rules they want to break and how they want to break them (looking closely at artists from all over the map; classical, jazz, electronic and any combinations of those three). Especially since it is on an individual basis, though, I would want to make sure we explore concepts that are of interest to the learner. Fostering a students curiosity is largely overlooked in many of the academic worlds that I have experienced and should definitely be used to an advantage.

Congrats on your recent move to Vancouver!  Please share some stories regarding what inspired the move and how you're settling in.

Thanks! Well, having lived in the midwest for some time now I felt like it was time to move on to a warmer climate. However, the most important factor was to be somewhere that will provide the best environment for my new full time work flow. Surrounded by nature and living close to my management team makes a big difference.

What stops on your solo tour are you looking forward to the most?

Well, being more than half way through, I can say by now that Chicago was an absolute blast. That being said, it's hard to say that any show could be or has been more exciting than the other. This string of shows has proved to yield some of the best crowds and environments for my music I have ever seen. Intimate, small but still energetic and responsive; those are the audiences that I love most, and I've experienced nothing but that.

How are you preparing yourself for the arduous task of your first solo tour?  Are you drinking cartons of raw eggs, feasting on unborn hens, loading crates of custom Monstercat condoms onto the tour bus or all of the above?

Interesting proposals; my tour preparations are pretty much exactly what you'd expect. I practice my set, I practice piano, I mentally prepare myself for a lot of travelling and a lot of mental stress. Its a learning experience and I get to connect with a lot of fans personally. In the end you just have to embrace it for all of its ups and downs; theres no way you'll have one without the other!

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