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Mary Louise Knutson: Local Jazz

Pianist

Raised in Wisconsin and based in Minneapolis, MN,

Mary Louise Knutson is a jazz pianist and composer
whose works have been critically acclaimed in Jazz. She
has also performed with great musical artists throughout
her career.
What was it like growing up in Wisconsin?
It was pleasant. My family traveled around the state a bit during the summers and we
had a cabin Up North. We got to see the beautiful countryside, green pastures, all the
farmland, forests, lakes, you name it. It was really quite ideal.

Do you have any memories of Wausau specifically?

I guess what I remember the most is where I grew up. My family lived on Elmwood
Boulevard until I was in 5th grade, then we moved to Lillie Street. It was a beautiful
location. We had a view of the lake and Rib Mountain. I didnt realize how lucky I was
to live there until I got out into the world and learned more about property values!
Also, I remember the schools I went to - John Marshall Elementary School, Horace
Mann Middle School, and Wausau East High School. I enjoyed school for the most
part and all my teachers. I also enjoyed taking piano lessons at the Wausau
Conservatory. I remember spending all of my allowance trying to win a stuffed animal
at the fair, and I remember downhill ski racing with the Wausau East Ski Team at Rib
Mountain, which is now known as Granite Peak. We practiced everyday after school
and I just remember freezing my butt off! Also, something that anyone whos ever
lived in Wausau will remember is that funny smell that came from the paper mills.
That was part of my Wausau experience as well.

So how did you become interested in piano?

My parents bought an upright piano when I was about three or four years old and I
was immediately drawn to it. I would sit and press the keys and see what sounds I
could create on it. I remember making up little tunes on it, too. My parents noticed my
interest, so they found me a piano teacher. I was only 4 when I started taking lessons
and my first teacher was a 14-year-old girl - Betsy
Bowers, daughter of Pat and Betty Bowers, who
were friends of my parents.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I think the desire to be a musician has always
been in me. I remember seeing a classical piano
concert when I was very young, and thinking, I
want to be a concert pianist when I grow up. It
was a desire that started so early on. I enjoyed
music, so I just kept playing and taking piano les-

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sons throughout high school. I guess I enjoyed it enough to continue studying piano in
college. And by the time I graduated, I knew I still wanted to be a concert pianist, but
my interest was heading in the direction of jazz. So today, I am a concert pianist - I
play concerts, but not in the way that I originally thought. I thought I was going to be a
classical musician, but I ended up being a jazz musician.
Why did you decide to go into jazz,
after being classically trained for so
long?
By the time I was a
My interest in jazz actually started back in
high school. Wausau East had a jazz ensemsenior in college, I just
ble that I joined and I really enjoyed the
music. Then, during the summer before my
knew I wanted to be a
senior year, I went to a classical music study
program at the Eastman School of Music.
Jazz pianist.
There were all these students there who
were studying jazz at the same time. I met a
lot of them and thought they were really fun people. I sat in on some of their classes
and went to their concerts and just loved the music. I came back from that summer
school very inspired and was eager to learn more about jazz. Then I went off to college
at Lawrence University to continue my studies in classical music, but was able to take
some jazz arranging and jazz composition classes on the side and play in a few jazz
ensembles. I even studied private jazz piano lessons during the summers. I got so
interested in jazz, that by the time I was a senior in college, I knew that I wanted to be
a jazz pianist. Jazz just fit my personality well at that point. I liked that it was all about
self-expression, whereas classical music was more about expressing the intentions of
the composer.

What steps did you take when you were first starting a professional
career?
When I graduated from college I started studying jazz very seriously, but I had very little experience in the style, so I thought, I really should move to a town where I can
get some experience playing jazz. Then I thought, If I move to New York, where
there are so many jazz musicians, Ill never get a chance to play because Im so new at
this. Chicago was another option, but I
thought that I might not get much experience there either. Then I remembered that I
had visited Minneapolis a few times with
my family growing up, so it was somewhat
familiar to me. Also, it had a great reputation for art and music, so I decided on
Minneapolis. Once I got there, I got a job at
Schmitt Music teaching piano and I also got
a part-time job at the Minneapolis Institute
of Arts, where I worked at the front desk
greeting and helping people as they came
into the museum. This is how I supported
myself while I tried to find work as a musi-

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cian. Then, to make connections in the jazz scene, I used to go to jazz clubs around
town to sit in at the jam sessions and meet musicians. It was pretty scary for me
because I was so inexperienced, but I did it anyway. There were a few people I met
from those experiences who eventually hired me. But, like I said, I was relatively new
to the jazz style, so when I wasnt working, I
would sit at home and practice and practice.
There were far more
I really needed to develop my skills.

people who supported

Were there any specific people that
supported you when you were startme earlier in my life
ing?
I think there were far more people who supthan when I was startported me earlier in my life than when I
was starting my professional career. My
ing my professional
biggest supporters were my parents! They
always attended my school concerts and
career.
recitals and made sure I had piano lessons,
a great college education, and plenty of
encouragement. Mom is still around and shes still cheering me on. At school and at
the Wausau Conservatory, I had great music teachers in piano, choir, orchestra, and
jazz band. Every single one of them was passionate about teaching and inspired me to
work hard and have very high standards. In high school, I met Laurie Lang, who was a
student bassist at Wausau West. We used to jam at her house. She already knew how
to play jazz, so she taught me a bunch of things about the style. Then she got us a
weekly gig at the Peking Restaurant, which was in the Landmark Building on Scott
Street. I believe the Peking is still there. Anyway, that was my first jazz gig and I
learned a lot by having to perform for people. Laurie was a great support. Then, in college, I learned a ton from the jazz director, Fred Sturm, about ensemble playing, jazz
composition and arranging. During my college summers, my jazz piano teacher, John
Harmon, was very encouraging. Then, near the end of my college years, I dated a
musician, John Altenburgh, from Mosinee, who involved me in a lot of recording projects in his studio. We did jingles, soundtracks, and a handful of album projects, and I
got some experience there that was helpful in my life to come. Then, a few years after I
moved to Minneapolis, I met my longtime beau, Michael Nelson, who has always been
very supportive of my music career. When we met, I was still relatively new in town
and he recommended me for some gigs and even hired me for a few. He still does. He,
incidentally, is also a musician and originally from Wausau the west side.
Have there ever been any times where
youve doubted yourself?
Oh, absolutely. I think much of my life Ive
doubted myself. Most people wouldnt know
that, but Ive spent a lot of time doubting my
abilities, feeling inadequate at this or that, or
wondering whether Im doing the right thing.
Im constantly assessing myself. Luckily, Ive
found ways to keep moving ahead in spite of
my doubts.

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What were some challenges you faced during your career?

Well, well go back to the doubts; self-doubt has definitely been a challenge. When I
graduated from college with a degree in classical piano performance I felt very confident in my abilities. But then I decided to switch styles completely and become a jazz
musician. As I mentioned before, I was very
much a beginner in the style. When I moved Ive spent a lot of time
to Minneapolis, no one there knew me or my
prior abilities which made it difficult to get
trying to overcome my
work. I kept wanting to say, I wish you
could hear me play classical music. I really
CAN play the piano well. I had to work very doubts about whether I
hard to become competent very quickly, in
can perform well
hopes that people would see that I had some
skills and would hire me. That was a chalenough, or whether Im
lenge to my abilities and to my self-esteem.
Another challenge was trying to fit into the
doing the right thing, so
male-dominated field of jazz. Guys like to
jam with other guys and hang out with guys,
I have doubts all the
so theyll most often hire another man
before theyll hire a woman. Its just a social
time!
thing, but its definitely something to understand and come to terms with. There have
been financial challenges in this career, too, because income can change drastically
from month to month and from year to year. But, overall, I think Ive been pretty lucky
and the challenges have been good for me.
If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose this career?
Would you do anything differently?
Yes, I would choose this career again. I just cant imagine doing anything else. I think
theres something about me that feels like this is just who Im supposed to be. Would I
do anything differently? I dont know that I would. Well, actually, for many years now
Ive made the business part of my career the priority. Its helped quite a bit, but at this
point, Im thinking I would like to spend more of my day working on the music. After
all, its why I went into music in the first place! Its a common struggle for many musicians to balance the biz part with the creative part. The
business part just takes up so much of the day, but, I can
change my focus moving forward and see what happens.
Overall, I think I would choose this career again. Its
never boring, for sure, and it certainly has its rewards.
What are some memorable moments of your
career?
The most recent memorable moment was when I performed with trumpeter Doc Severinsen, former bandleader for the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, at
Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. After the show, the stage
manager came to me and said that Doc wanted to see me

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in his office. I thought, "Oh no, Doc's probably going to tell me how I could do better
next time." When I got there, he said, "You sound great! Do you want to go on tour
with me?" I was ecstatic inside, but didn't want to show it. Of course I wanted to go on
tour with him! And so, Ive been touring around the country with him every spring and
fall since 2012 and its been a real thrill. I perform with his sixteen-piece big band, just
like the Tonight Show Band, and sometimes I do symphony shows with him. Hes very
funny. Hes a nice person and he is still playing beautifully at 87! Thats probably been
the highlight of my career so far. Other than Theres enough reward
that, I would say that it was a great honor to
be asked to play a solo piano concert at
in it that I would
Orchestra Hall here in Minneapolis back in
2002. Orchestra Hall holds a couple thouchoose it again.
sand people and it was a big challenge for
me to get my confidence up to play that concert, but I pulled it off and was proud of how I performed. Ive also released two CDs
with my jazz trio, and those have been a highlight. Theyre like my children! My first
one is Call Me When You Get There, and my second is In the Bubble Both of them
ranked very high on the national JazzWeek chart. My first ranked in the top 50 and
stayed on the chart for many weeks, and my latest CD, In the Bubble, charted in the
top 10 and stayed in the top 50 for 19 weeks straight. Also, I did a fun concert tour in
Italy in 2005 with a vocalist, and a 19-city U.S. concert tour with my own trio back in
2007. Those kind of things are memorable for me. Back in 2005, I was one of five
finalists in the International Women in Jazz Pianist Competition hosted by the
Kennedy Center in Washington DC. I was selected out of 80 participants from all over
the world and got to play in the final competition at the Kennedy Center. It was such a
great honor and memory!
You said earlier that you took a lot of composition classes in school.
Where do you get the inspiration to compose your music?
Well, I kind of just sit down at the piano and start noodling around, and hopefully I
get an idea, or something that feels
like it can be developed further. I
think Im mostly inspired by life experiences, and thoughts or feelings. If
Im lucky, Ill find a way to express
those experiences outwardly through
the piano. Basically, all intervals,
chords, and rhythms have emotional
content, so if I combine them in just
the right way, theyll capture the feelings or experiences Im trying to portray. I remember once, though, when
I had a creative block, I had to try
something different, so I wrote a tune
based on my cell phone number. It
really worked! The numbers translated into a very cool melody. But most-

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ly, I think I just sit down at the piano and explore combinations of things until something hits me, then I try to expand on the idea.

Did you ever focus on a specific branch of jazz, or is there any kind of
pattern in your composition?
Not in particular, I dont think I consciously chose a style of Jazz to play. I just started
playing what everyone else was playing on the
scene because I had to make a living. It was
Id say its more fun
straight-ahead jazz - basically small group
jazz which includes styles from 1930s-1960s
to play music [than
like swing, bop, hard bop, cool, latin, and
modal. Its acoustic jazz, rather than electroncompose] because of
ic. Most jobbing jazz musicians play in these
styles as the repertoire works in a lot of setthe personal connectings: dinners, dances, receptions, clubs
dates, etc. Since its acoustic, it doesnt
tions and interacrequire much setup to play a gig. When I
finally got the guts to start doing my own
tions.
thing, which was being a concert artist, then I
started composing my own music, which is
influenced by all these straight-ahead styles. I would say Ive been playing a lot of
straight-ahead jazz ever since I started. Actually, while I was working my way into the
jazz scene here in Minneapolis I played in some variety bands, which play a mixture of
pop, rock, blues, country, etc. So, Ive done all that, too.

Do you enjoy playing music or composing music more?

I would say I enjoy playing music more, because usually I get to play with other people
and thats always fun. Theres a lot of interaction and play in jazz improv and being
absorbed in the moment of playing music is very pleasurable. Plus, its fun to hang out
before and after the gig! I love composing, too. Its like solving a puzzle. There are
those exciting moments when you discover just the right piece or element that pulls
everything together. But its a very solitary act, so, though its very satisfying, Id say
its more fun to play music because of the personal connections and interactions.

Have you ever gotten stage fright?

Absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, Ive had many doubts over my life, and Ive also
had a lot stage fright over my entire life of playing music. Luckily, after many years,
Ive started to figure out what helps. Ive tried many,
many different things. Im not saying that every time I
play I get nervous, but when I think a certain performance is important for some reason or another, thats
when those nerves show up! What Ive found works the
best is to visualize and feel every aspect of the performance going well. I imagine myself enjoying the music;
getting into the groove, and being playful and expressive. I imagine the audience enjoying it. I hear their
applause, see their smiles, feel the warmth from the
stage lights, etc. Theres more, but I do this daily for a

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few weeks before the performance. Of course, I also practice my music and talking
points as much as possible so I know Ive done everything I can to perform well. Then,
I can let go during the performance. The minute you start focusing on fear and feeling
like you might screw up, thats when you invite poor performance. Instead, I take my
mind off the fear and focus on how things would play out if they went well, and that
seems to help a lot!
Do you think youre an inspiration to
others?
I dont know, but I hope so! I know that
when I see other people performing or other
artists doing their art, or anybody doing
what they enjoy, Im inspired by them. Its
exciting to see how creative they can be, and
how many different ways that life and art
can be approached. I hope when people hear
my music theyre at least uplifted, but also
maybe inspired to be creative in their life
and enjoy their life as much as they can.

I know that when I

see other people performing or other artists
doing their art...Im
inspired by them.

Where do you play now?

In Minneapolis, I play with my own trio and a variety of other jazz groups at jazz clubs
and concert halls, and also for private parties and corporate events. Anyone that will
hire me, Ill be there. I also tour the U.S. every spring and fall with trumpeter Doc
Severinsen, and those are concert hall performances. Actually, my performance schedule is always posted on my website www.MaryLouiseKnutson.com, if youre interested.
What else do you do besides playing?
When Im not performing, Im usually practicing, composing, teaching private lessons,
or doing the business side of music, which actually occupies about 80% of my career
time. Basically, I do my own booking, contracting, promotion, marketing, graphic
design, website maintenance, newsletters, order fulfillment, emails, etc. Theres just
tons of stuff to do. Outside of all that, I like to do yoga. Ive been studying yoga for
about ten years now. I also like to cook if I have time. I love eating as well and am a bit
of a foodie. I love trying new restaurants, watching cooking shows, and learning
about food. I also enjoy traveling when I can.

Overall, do you enjoy managing your

own record label?
Yeah, I do! I like being my own boss. Sometimes
I really wish somebody else would do it for me so
that I could spend more time on my music, but
its also great to make all the decisions and have
full control over the music I put out.
Have you ever thought of retiring, or
would you like to continue playing for as
long as possible?

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Well, sometimes, yes, I would love to retire and do whatever I want to do. Right now, I
wouldnt be able to retire because I dont have enough money to live out the rest of my
life, but it certainly would be fun to just see what Id like to do if I wasnt playing
music. But I do still feel I have a purpose in music and enjoy music. So Id like to keep
playing as long as I possibly can.

Mary Louise Knutson currently manages her

own record label, and tours with jazz trumpeter Doc Severinsen annually. As well as
performing solo, she has her own band, the
Mary Louise Knutson Trio. More information
can be found at
www.marylouiseknutson.com.