Ian Anderson on Portraying Society through Music

Ian Anderson is a successful entrepreneur, solo artist, the songwriter known in the world of rock music as “The Flutist'' and the voice behind the legendary British rock band, Jethro Tull. Ian has been awarded several accolades, including the Order of the British Empire and the Ivor Award for International Achievement in Music, for his work in music. Ian, whose career in the industry has spanned more than five decades, has committed to music as his lifelong profession, while Jethro Tull recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Aqualung in March 2021.

Ian joins Dayna Steele to share his life and career in music. He describes how he wrote Aqualung while staying in an American motel and explains how COVID-19 and Brexit have impacted Jethro Tull and other British musicians. He discusses his friendship with the astronaut Cady Coleman and how they met through Dayna Steele. He also describes his approach to writing music and underscores the importance of social responsibility in today’s world. *Surprise guest astronaut Cady Coleman joins us for part of the interview and to catch up with Ian.

“The best songs I’ve written aren’t love songs. I’m more of a social realist: I write about things I see and position people in a landscape, like actors on a stage.” - Ian Anderson

This week on Rock Star Principles:

Writing Aqualung in a motel somewhere in America and how Ian has spent the past year How Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Jethro Tull Locomotive Breath and how Ian writes songs about social issues Ian’s health, getting diagnosed with a lung condition, and how he checks himself using music How Ian became friends with the astronaut Cady Coleman Social responsibility and the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 The power of individual voices in creating change and why changemakers need to be brave and open How it feels to see someone you cared about make a re-entry to earth after a period of space exploration Ian’s relationship with his wife and the secret to their long, successful marriage The Silent Singing project and the role of songs as social documentaries Ian’s favorite songs and the best single malt scotch

Connect with Ian Anderson:

Jethro Tull Silent Singing Jethro Tull on Facebook Jethro Tull on Twitter Jethro Tull on Instagram Jethro Tull on YouTube Jethro Tull on SoundCloud

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