The emotional intelligence of music - Jacob Collier

Jacob Collier is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. He first became well known through his viral videos on KZbin before being signed to Quincy Jones' management company. At the age of just 26 years-old, he has just won his fifth Grammy.
(Subscribe: bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe)
He talks to Krishnan about why he thinks it's important to push the boundaries of music, the future relationship between technology and music and why the best music is yet to come.
-------
Watch more of our explainer series here - • Coronavirus Explained
Get more news at our site - www.channel4.com/news/
Follow us:
Facebook - / channel4news
Twitter - / channel4news

[@SamNusbaum]

Damn this interviewer actually sounds like he cares about the topic and asks questions that engage the interviewee

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Yes! So glad to see this, because I only know this interviewer from a few viral clips, a d they do not reflect his skill and integrity accurately at all, as shown here. Wonderful job!

[@itsdanithomas]

I guess he learned from the verbal beatdown that he recieved from Tarantino.

[@shashankiyer5751]

@APOCRYPHAL MICROCOSM Ayoade's interview is priceless

[@RayhemXD]

Honestly i could listen to Jacob rattle on about the ins and outs of music for hours. The way he describes music transcends verbal communication, it's pure magic

[@natebradshaw1735]

Honestly, if Jacob were to start a music school, I would pay some good money just to listen to what he teaches.

[@robertbeger4275]

Listening to Jacob has totally revived my guitar playing. For the first time in decades I find myself doing something new, changing, and experimenting. Also as a retired high school teacher, I love and agree with his thoughts on education. Education should open us up instead of channeling us into lock step.

[@sbingham1979]

I just love him. How can someone be so enthusiastic, articulate, generous, and at the same time unassuming and humble? His pure excitement and love of music is infectious in the best way: open-ended and not hobbled by ego constraints. This is just a remarkable interview. Fascinating and inspiring.

[@torjusbokestad2033]

Your pretty articulate your self :)

[@fiddlestix3025]

Couldn’t have said it better myself, and yeah, totally agree 👍💛

[@Samsara_is_dukkha]

"How can someone be so enthusiastic, articulate, generous, and at the same time unassuming and humble?" The answer is obvious: most, if not all, his physical and emotional needs have been met while enjoying the freedom to be whomever he wanted to be from birth. Most humans never enjoy such a life situation.

[@fiddlestix3025]

@@Samsara_is_dukkha agree ☺️👍

[@EnVideoZone]

Well said... so intelligent, so creative yet so utterly.... sensible. A very special person.

[@driss409]

Damn I thought we weren't going to get any Mozarts and Beethovens in our time. I'm pretty sure he will be remembered as a great musical genius.

[@dumb_as_rocks]

he will be remembered as the guy who never wrote any good songs

[@goodnightosaka]

@@dumb_as_rocks aka the guy that didn't make any songs that YOU personally like :)

[@ttghhgg1918]

Bro he ain’t no Mozart he is just a technical musician who has skills but when it comes to make good songs or music he is utter trash

[@mimiseton]

agreed

[@kudajuru8266]

“A dear friend named Herbie Hancock.” What a flex

[@MaemiNoYume]

flex?

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

I can see why you say that and with a typical person, that might be true, but Jacob is already a well-known wunderkin whose relationships with these greats is well known. He doesn’t need to flex. He and Herbie Handcock are good friends, and he is just being honest.

[@segmentsAndCurves]

@@ShiningEyeBrigade I can't forget the 5 levels of harmony video. He just talks to Herbie though the piano.

[@Astavolamusic]

This is a purely attention seeking comment (mine) 😛😝🥶

[@theoforde-stiegler]

😊

[@ShueyGoh]

"I wonder whether you brought your emotional intelligence to music, or whether you've discovered emotional subtlety and intelligence through music." What a brilliant question, even if it wasn't exactly answered. This interviewer seems to ask just the right questions for exploring an extraordinary mind like Jacob's. Very well done, best interview I've seen in a long while.

[@annafedorova_sf]

Totally. And Jacob’s answers to these questions are quite profound and surprisingly clear, flowing out of him as effortlessly as his music sounds.

[@kathleendalton5769]

I also thought that question was profound

[@uniqdzign2]

I am a 74 year old that has played the guitar most of my life, and since watching and listening to Jacob the passion that was once with me for music, has surfaced once again. Through his sheer love of music and his inspirational manner of vocalising what it means. Thank you Channel 4 and Krishnan too, for this excellent video. To Jacob Collier, one of the world's finest musicians today, my sincerest of thanks.

[@limbiclove9487]

I loved this interview. Curious questions without trying to capture the artist but allowing Jacob to just be himself.

[@sonicnblaze33]

Wow the way he explains music is unreal

[@jimbim4405]

Krishnan is, IMHO, the most under-appreciated journo in the UK. He has - again - produced something with just the right intelligent questions. Been a fan of Jacob for a few years, and this is the best interview I have seen so far, precisely because Guru Murthy asks the right questions and kept Jacob focussed. What a pleasure. Thanks C4 and thanks Krishnan

[@mixbaal0]

I think this is a video I will have to relisten for many many times again. So much dense meanings per second. A young man like millions on this earth literally "playing" with his life, with his time, finding at every moment the magic to be alive.

[@bsasxoxo]

I loved your comment. I think the same and I will also have to listen to this interview at least a couple of times. This guy is brilliant!

[@earthjustice01]

"If there's one person who really got this stuff together it's actually Bach. Bach is like the hippest cat on the scene, still."

[@lisabadger7910]

Warm, intelligent, respectful interview, which brought out new levels for me of Jacob Collier's worldview and approach. I didn't cringe once.

[@sophieoshaughnessy9469]

Are you a chronic cringer? Or do you find today’s fame culture just very uncomfortable? I do think Jacob has a rare authenticity and kindness, especially for someone who has received such a wave of attention and admiration.

[@oui2611]

@@sophieoshaughnessy9469 chronic cringer XD

[@christina69962]

@@sophieoshaughnessy9469 Sometimes interviewers can ask questions that are cringey, perhaps just to get a reaction from the guest or to make a point. I think this comment was a compliment saying that all of the questions were very thoughtful and genuine.

[@ArmanBaig]

@@christina69962 what’s funny is this reporter has a history of getting celebrities angry and ruining interviews, look up robert downey jr and quentin tarantino with this very same interviewer

[@Laayon19]

Stop and imagine just for a minute what some countries would be like if young men like Jacob were making the decisions about their countries.

[@santone1849]

I said the same thing on another video somewhere his potential as a force for good just blows my mind 😊

[@Laayon19]

​@@santone1849 haha forgot I made this comment. Was gonna basically say the same thing again 😂😂😂

[@jamietaylor8265]

I didn't know Jacob Collier but do now. He's lovely, sup[er articulate and clearly immensely accomplished but seems wonderfully modest and down to earth. Krishnan is also a joy to watch. He listens so carefully, looks captivated, doesn't interrupt and asks great questions. I really miss this kind of intelligent conversation on mainstream TV. Spiritual food.

[@rhondamagee9220]

“It really is all about love… [And about] just being alive.”

[@peterahazlewood]

Music is almost impossible to describe in words but Jacob somehow gets closer to achieving this than anyone else I've ever listened to. What a fascinating musician.

[@shantil7764]

one of my favorite human beings on this planet. When I feel down I just come to any interview of Jacob and I feel full again like my soul has been fed. Thank you Jacob, you are such a gem.

[@jackcarruthers7]

Explaining music by making the connection between language and dialects when referring to genre is just lush.

[@akademischungebildet5564]

it really is! But I already thought to myself, when listening to Jacob's music as well as listening to him talking about his music, I always thought "man, this guy really speaks in music like it's his mother tongue." so I guess it makes sense for him to compare it to language as he, in my pov, LITERALLY ''speaks music'

[@earthjustice01]

Jacob - "That's when it can become emotional -When you know the power of a certain motion and you use that motion to tell a story."

[@wesboundmusic]

I've been following him and his music, his masterclasses, his Logic session breakdowns for years and his wit and ... yes, profound wisdom not just pertaining to music, but in general, never ceases to surprise and amaze me - next to the light speed "clock rate" at which his brain works! A genius and polymath the likes of which doesn't happen all that often and have graced our species and planet every other generation or so. Plus, he's so kind and gentle, but still focused and noone in their right mind would likely get the poor idea of trying to take him for a loop. That entire demeanour, set of values... OK. I'm a full-blown fanboy of his, admitted :D Great questions and interview, _soooo much_ to learn and take away from! Thanks galore!

[@gretareinarsson7461]

I cannot imagine a more exciting collaboration in music then Collier and Björk. That would be awesome😊

[@cara.leo_]

Yes! Or in a similar vein, Imogen Heap

[@tombennett8461]

Great interview, Jacob is such a clear communicator (in this case in words, not just music!), and breaks his reasoning down so clearly. Great interviewer too, I felt he was reading the questions on my mind :D

[@cbryant9791]

I comment on nothing. However, I’m absolutely fascinated by Jacob Collier, and this interview explains why.

[@davidfleuchaus]

11:22 “once I have just a few skills you can always make an interesting choice. “ What you choose to say is what counts.

[@noelc3984]

This is indeed a brilliant interview (reading multiple comments below to same) - Jacob is expressing an innate understanding of life not necessarily (just) music - his understanding of the components of musical expression (and his ability to verbalize that) is other-worldly. I am comforted by having Jacob on the planet :) - I cannot get enough of his presence.

[@RooGardeninJapan]

Need this quote which applies to life too "What you can do is using the power of choice and the power of context, you can validate anything with anything else"

[@garykuovideos]

Jacob is an inspiration on so many levels. He’s a remarkable combination of brilliance, hard work, and humility. The good he‘s doing for music will resonate well into the future.

[@normbeers]

Krishnan, this was a brilliant interview! And of course your guest was a brilliant subject! Thank you for how you took the discussion to such an insightful level!

[@johnventura1637]

Jacob Collier is a true force in music, and we all benefit by his creativity.

[@TheCincinnatiDad]

"I actually think people are very emotional and music is one of the ways that we can express that." That's some wisdom right there....

[@marshal-d-123]

Jacob Collier should start an online class where he makes tons of videos that dive deep into musical concepts kindof like a skill share thing. I would definitely pay for that.

[@bruin4937]

That was a brilliant interview! You greatly facilitated Jacob sharing so much about himself, his music, creativity, and his thoughts. Well done, Krishnan! Top drawer!

[@lydiarowe491]

Jacob Collier is a wunder kindt…I never cease to to be amazed by how he operates..always fresh with ideas that pass by him with many others waiting in the wings to come forth to be channeled thru him..a very kind generous man who effects so many that come to know Jacob..a total innovator of our time..to know him would be leave a memory for sure..❤

[@earthjustice01]

Jacob - "That's when that gets thrilling is when it's about emotional problem solving. There are no two things that cannot go together when you put them in the right context...It's almost like alchemy. What you can do is, using the power of choice and the power of context you can validate anything with anything else in music. There are not two things that cannot go together."

[@rhondamagee9220]

I just love that he said that!

[@gracegalbearth9828]

I’m actually entranced with his speaking voice 😩😯🥺😍 Seriously, if he recorded audiobooks or podcasts, I’d put them on to fall asleep each night.

[@ShiningEyeBrigade]

Fantastic interview. So glad Jacob was allowed to just speak as long as he needed to to express these wonderful ideas.

[@Echo_123]

Yeah, the interviewer did a great job!

[@Asalgod]

As my teacher Jerome Gray said to me ‘there are no mistakes. You are only half step from where you want to be.’

[@dehottie11]

“Using the power of choice and context, you can validate anything… there are no two things that can’t go together when you put it in the right context.” This dude is giving life lessons !! Yess Jacob

[@rhondamagee9220]

“I always seek out the edge of the thing that I don’t understand.” Wow.

[@rudolfboukal1538]

Just finished. What an enjoyable interview!! The host was spectacular - he was a good listeners, was really well prepared with great questions, and just kept the his rare and genius musician moving along. "Great job! and Well done!" to the host/interviewer and to his guest - Jacob. Thank you for posting this and making it available.

[@tomfitzgerald4760]

Krishnan is such a fantastic interviewer. Not sure if he's actually a fan, or he's just done his research. Either way his questions are so thoughtful and he gives Jacob space to express himself so beautifully.

[@earthjustice01]

Jacob - "It doesn't matter if I play the wrong notes. There's no such thing as a wrong note. What matters is that I play the gesture, the shape that I see.... Effortless is really about fearlessness more than it is about skill."

[@rhondamagee9220]

Wow.

[@SolarMumuns]

Brilliant interviewing and fantastic Jacobing! Thanks you 🙏

[@michaelknese]

A wonderful interview. Thanks for posting. Around 27:00 min. Jacob started to explain a dynamic of playing opposing energy and emotion to the written music. I experienced this in rehearsals for Les Misérables: I sat-in on an understudy rehearsal for Fantine. She sang "I Dreamed A Dream" beautifully; however, the director from London said it was weak & only one colour. He asked her to sing with a smile on her face - emotioning strength beyond the dark message of the lyric and music. If she cried during her performance she was in essence stealing that opportunity from the audience to subjectively interpret the performance. Smiling through the tears added a depth and dynamic that I will never forget. He often said we should play against the music.

[@dreammix9430]

Absolutely stunningly awesome interview! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[@magc3520]

Thank you for posting this awesome interview. Excellent interviewer and interviewee

[@RokhartMusic]

Thanks C4 & Krishnan for a great interview. Jacob is so inspiring! 🎶😊

[@sophieoshaughnessy9469]

Thank you for having Jacob on. As many platforms as this beautiful and life affirming soul can get, the better.

[@christianefleurant7089]

Thank you so much for this interview. It's the first time that I hear Jacob Collier talking about changing the world and the future of humanity. Thank you from Montréal, Canada.

[@tracethisspace]

Jacob is an absolute joy to listen to -- in conversation and in his music. Great questions and interview, too! 🙏❤

[@meredithheath5272]

What a gorgeous description of his musical involvement and processes; very articulate, as he is parallel with his understanding and accomplishment of his music.

[@davidfleuchaus]

12:40 …”intuition can lead to a high resolution skillset”

[@rhondamagee9220]

“Artists make the kind of music they need to make.” Brilliant. Yes! Thank you for being, dear Jacob.

[@danconnolly8937]

Really starting to enjoy Jacob Collier. I also enjoy Channel 4 News. This is one of the best and most revealing interviews with Jacob. You’ll want to listen to the end. So well done. Intelligent interview of an incredibly gifted young man. It leaves me enlivened!

[@tanyalowe7150]

Sound and soundings are so beautiful, Jacob is so free as a pure musician. Pure joy to hear him.

[@alistairgreen1272]

Probably the best interview of a musician I've ever heard. 😯👍❤️

[@monicas8152]

Thank you so much! Very good questions!! I think this interview may just have changed my life

[@Ozymandi_as]

A terrific conversation. Krishnan listened to his guest so intently, and with evident enjoyment. Alongside his musicality, and intrinsic to it, Jacob Collier is wonderfully intelligent, articulate and humane. A man with a beautiful soul, and the generosity to share his gift with the world.

[@SonusCosmos]

Jacob already has changed the world!

[@doughughes257]

Normally interviews tend to ramble and have too much fluff, but this one is so deep and expansive that I’ve watched it several times. Jacob’s communication is so clear and concise, yet packed with meaning. The meaning flows like it’s composed, yet his delivery is spontaneous, like he’s playing the composition. On a higher level, as I listened, I became aware of the genius in me and you all that understands and identifies with his genius. I felt like I was sitting before a young master of life, asking me to be more courageous, experimental and spontaneous in my own life.

[@seamasmanly]

“A staunch nonbeliever in genres”! Thanks for expressing what I feel!

[@janvriend7948]

A wonderful and inspiring interview. Hats off for the man who raised the questions.

[@TLMuse]

Congrats and thanks to Krishnan for such excellent questions! I've been following Jacob's career for years, but still gained some significant insights from this interview. Well done! -Tom

[@davidfleuchaus]

12:14 Musically speaking, what is right is what feels the strongest.

[@ShueyGoh]

How can anyone talk about music using concepts from physics and still exude such humility and authenticity? Truly a beautiful mind and character.

[@dianefinn9730]

I watched this interview on channel 4 and Glad to find it on utube again he just a colourful genius would listen to him for ever love him for his knowledge and enthusiasm about music just wow he certainly a proper posh musician but super cool dude bless.

[@lemonadeslices]

this is a wonderful interview, and jacob is so articulate and inspiring here - you can tell he's really passionate about what he does, and does it out of the love of music more than anything.

[@hanskobler1799]

Very inspiring interview! At first I felt small and stupid considering how Jacob is able to speak the language of musical emotions. But then, I thought hey if I'm playing my Bass and I'm expressing a part of myself with that, I do the same! Just on another level. Don't get intimidated, get inspired =)

[@Lengsham]

Wow. Good job again Krishnan. Easily the best interview with Jacob Collier.

[@Sloth_and_Badger]

I could listen to him for hours and learn so much about music

[@MrCarolinaMachado]

I could and have... 🙈🙈🙈 I've been on a deep dive for about a week now...... Someone save me! (Please don't, I'm happy here)

[@Sloth_and_Badger]

@@MrCarolinaMachado I wouldn't dare 😊

[@juliarichter6987]

@@MrCarolinaMachado I stopped charging my phone during the day to be forced to stop watching round midnight😉

[@MrCarolinaMachado]

@@juliarichter6987 Too relatable!! 🖤

[@ttghhgg1918]

There is nothing to learn from him he is just gifted but he has sold his soul so his music has no soul or rhythm or tone or melody

[@earthjustice01]

Jacob - "We're only scratching the surface.....There is so much music that's came before us. And there's so much music still to come. I think there's even more music still to come then we've ever seen before us... The truth is no one knows. That's what so great. No one has a clue why music is so extraordinary and why it does have the power to move so many people, and to connect so many people and to bring so many people together. But whatever it is in music that's doing that I want to do more of that I want to understand it the best I can and I want to spend my life just mucking around with those forces because those seem like good forces to be mucking around with."

[@fatimasantander1019]

Incredible interview. Jacob always amazes me.

[@vivo-audio]

Wonderful stuff! Such an inspiration to both young and old musicians.

[@BijahD]

Brilliant interview. Thank you

[@ShueyGoh]

I just found myself thinking that I would really love to meet and have a conversation with both these guys, only that I would be quite happy to let them both chat and just listen to these wonderful ideas. Oh, hang on.

[@christinesullivan1229]

Great natural flowing interview, Thankyou X

[@rhondamagee9220]

“What’s right is what feels the strongest.” Interesting!

[@earthjustice01]

Jacob - "What's right is what feels the strongest. That's my north star and I try to strive towards those things because I think they make my ears perk up they make my mind feel stuff that I've never felt before. And if music can do that for me I hope it can do that for people who end up listening to it."

[@crisclucas5182]

Where have I been?! Obviously, I've been a hole for the past couple of years. Amazing human being.

[@foxdenham]

That was superb. Music is more than just sound X

[@jhoigaar]

Great conversation! Thank you. I like his way of depicting the limitations of "The Grid" i.e., AI and No feeling. I'll be showing this to my Psych 101 class in college.

[@dorinpetrut]

Excellent this interview, congratulation and thank you

[@sistew4]

Brilliant interview. Great answers need the right questions!

[@Paul-gp5om]

"I guess I'm in a descending sequence mood"... lol... bleedin' marvellous :)

[@pezushka]

This is musical genius

[@flymoon24]

Thankyou Jacob and Krishnan for this really interesting video where Jacob Collier talks about his views and insight into music and how it effects us as humans and impact music can have on our life on this planet. Happy New Year and all the best for 2023! to you both.

[@steveowen7475]

An absolute genius he will bring to the listener a whole new category in creative musical history

[@Lucifers-Stepdad]

Krishnan Guru-Murthy really does seem to know enough about this to be able to really ask excellent questions, very well done. Obviously Jacob has no flaw.

[@hues7072]

Great question on theory, have always wondered how Jacob Collier reacts to the 'very technical' response of his music.

[@earthjustice01]

"For me it was just one massive language and all these dialects.....There aren't really any right ways or wrong ways, there are just forces, and if you learn how to wield them you are able to tell better stories as a result.I came to music theory from falling in love with the way that music made me feel, and and for that reason it has the essence of truth in the stuff that I create."

[@pheldonmajors2999]

Thank you so much for sharing.

[@tylerbruce2073]

It's like theory as a manual for art is like how science is classifications of nature. Everything documented in the form of a guide is because it's worth documenting. When we're able to make sense of an idea, as the simplicity and clarity evolves the variety is archived.

[@davidlizama7867]

fantastic interview

[@ItsMeCrofty]

Great interview. Great questions. Inspiring and thought provoking answers. Jacob is creative human intellect personified. Quite profound and beautiful.

[@bmprrr]

So great and so important questions!

[@ONE1BEAT]

Bravo❤

[@mimiseton]

Q Base at 7 years old?! That explains a LOT! Brilliant. Sometimes I wish I'd had his Mum. She is a WOW! And of course, so is he. Perhaps the most remarkable musician in the world, all things considered. Someone who understands that the universe IS music.

[@Gnurklesquimp2]

The point about ''midi-painting'', I find midi is kind of amazing for visualizing things and coming up with complex patterns my ear would only ever arrive at by first doing stuff like this a bunch. It's amazing that something as flawed as writing by looking at and programming a midi file opens up new doors. With more compact harmony that is easy to visually parse, spanning maybe 2 octaves, I find myself seeing all sorts of possibilities, the perfectly even distribution of notes across an axis and ability to see SO many intervals and their relationships really helps me. Of course, you can balance these things: play according to something you came up with in programming! Inversely, if you're playing midi, just have a look at all your playing afterwards. As for AI btw., there's SO many layers to it, from awful to incredible, but I think my main hope for it is this: Tools that let us do things we curate and steer according to how we feel. I think I will mostly end up using it for technical stuff like ''Hey, on the tail of this big chord, make all the partials that don't approximate within a percentage the hz value of partials present within the next chord disperse into noise notches. I'd finetune how I tell the AI what I want over time, I'd have it spit out iterations which I could reference to it etc. But I'm also totally open to all sorts of stuff. I see music as this aether I'm reaching into and exploring, I love doing it in tons of ways and seeing all the corners there are to see. I strongly dislike using chords and loops etc. from packs (Yeah let me just skip my favorite parts), but ironically, I'm actually very interested to see what AI could give me as a sort of collaborator. A lot of the techniques will be sort of analogous to pressing randomize on your software and sampling currated bits etc. you ended up liking, minimalist music where you merely plant a seed that evolves into something you hadn't truly foreseen, things like that, I personally find them beautiful exactly for being in a sense less human, we're just spectators that look at the things we like in this magical world that we get to behold. It'll never replace the human vision, but it could live in harmony!

[@jo5595]

“Bach is the hippest cat on the scene” - fantastic quote!! ❤

[@charondolls]

so much wisdom for his age