/Interview/ The brains behind: Chocolate Rain
04/03/2008 | Filed under Discover > Interview
It was watched 14 million times and turned into one of the biggest virals of 2007. We talk to the one and only Tay Zonday, composer of Chocolate Rain
.net: How did you come up with Chocolate Rain?
TZ: There should be a riveting story to this: I was dashing through the forest. Dragons were nipping at my heels. Their fiery breath singed my neck-hairs and I knew the end was near. Suddenly, I entered a clearing. The dragons melted in the sunlight. A great beam emerged from the sky and declared “Chocolate Rain!” Frantic, weary, and barely able to stand up straight, I took notes. Days later, I found the crumpled sheet in my pants pocket when doing laundry. I left the washing machine half-full and dashed away to record the song.
TZ: I don’t know. Am I supposed to look in the mirror and wonder this? The media is always interested in my reaction-to-the-reaction. Since I’m very even-keeled, there’s never much of a story.
.net: How has your life changed since you uploaded the video to YouTube?
TZ: I am blessed to have two parents who have been a part of my life. The media asks me, “How has your life changed?” and I feel like I am talking to my mother. “How was your day today? What did you do?” And I always go “Mom, I don’t know. I wasn’t taking notes. Why do you ask me these questions?”
.net: How did the deal with Dr Pepper come about?
TZ: There is no proof that I signed any “deal”. But the collaboration that resulted in the “Cherry Chocolate Rain” parody began when I was approached by True Entertainment LLC, an ad agency contracted to produce content for an internet campaign. They broached the idea of using “Chocolate Rain” to promote a chocolate beverage and it progressed from there.
.net: Where does the inspiration for your music come from? Have you got, for example, any musical idols?
TZ: I come to every other musician as a student. I have not met anyone from whom I don’t have something to learn.
.net: Your voice has been compared to Paul Robeson, Rod Stewart, Barry White and the bloke from the Crash Test Dummies. What do you think yourself?
TZ: I don’t know. I don’t spend all day comparing myself to other people. Among the more flattering comparisons to emerge lately are George Takei and Morgan Freeman.
.net: What do you think about the way the internet is changing the music industry? For example, why did you decide to make your songs available under a Creative Commons license?
TZ: I did not give the Creative Commons thing a whole lot of thought. I wanted to give music away but I did not want that to extend to free commercial usage. That’s what Creative Commons licensing is for. The internet allows individual artists to publish and distribute, which challenges the distribution monopoly that has been the business model for music for the past 70 years.
.net: When did you start recording and what kind of equipment do you use?
TZ: I don’t know when I started recording. I had a crude MIDI-like sequencer on one of those old black-and-white Mac Classics at age 10. I did not really latch onto the idea of recording MIDI and audio together until I had a roommate who used Cakewalk 6 at age 15. I have goofed off producing some number of very bad projects since then. The equipment I use is always changing. I can’t really have a layperson discussion about it without getting into a rant about the current state of music hardware, and marketing lies like the “low-latency firewire interface”.
.net: Which one of your songs are you most proud of and why?
TZ: I don’t have the hubris to be proud of any of my songs. If people get something from a song, that’s great. I am only adamant that each song be taken individually at face value.
.net: What are your plans for the future?
TZ: I plan to continue making music.
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Comments
tayfan2 / 04/03/2008 / 15:20 / http://www.tayzondayfanmusicreview.blogspot.com
Hi. I came across your site because I'm a Tay Zonday fan. I was looking forward to this intervie, but alas, it wasn't good. Tay is constantly asked the same typical questions. Tay is not commercial, so stop asking commercial questions. I'm no journalist, but it seems that Tay Zonday is very cerebral when it comes to music. If you listen to him, he's very much a student of music always trying new styles and techniques and doesn't mind collaboration. Some techinical aspect questions about his work doesn't have to be boring if you know how to engage the subject. Good attemp though.
Jason C. Wilson / 04/03/2008 / 21:17
On ebooks and paperbacks, can they not print and republish ebooks anyway? An end? No. A new beginning into a market. Maybe.
Collin LaHay / 18/03/2008 / 00:22 / http://mixedmarketarts.com
Tay Sounds like he didn't give a hoot about the interview, although I am sure he has just done the same one a million times.
Mike Huang / 27/03/2008 / 23:41 / http://bloggin-ads.com
It is very interesting how YouTube is placed into the picture here. That just goes to show how the Internet brings out all these type of talents.
-Mike
Jumbo Stewart / 25/05/2008 / 04:41 / http://www.gozonegateway.com
Tay is a unrelucdant rockstar! Amazing this kid hasn't let the fame go to his head.
Du Cake / 16/09/2008 / 14:29
Way to go Tay Zonday. You sound like a self-righteous pomp.
Instead of answering questions with disdain and snobbery, you might want to elaborate your thoughts.
I personally agree with the essence of the points you put (so saying keeping cool about the success and not letting the media get to you) but unfortunately your tone indicates quite otherwise - that you are treating the interviewers (and readership) is little nothings (to remain polite) from up on your high horse.
It's quite obviously gone to your head. There's nothing wrong with enjoying fame. Just don't you believe it's a license to be snobby.
