Conversations with Reggie B

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Reggie B.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started playing boxes and setting them up like drums when I was four years old in Topeka, Kansas. At my house, my dad’s band always had their instruments, and we would watch them practice them all the time, so I would mimic what my dad was doing on those boxes. One day, he was at work, and my mom was home, and all the instruments were in the basement, and I went down there and sat on his drums tool, and I put my body weight forward so my feet would touch the base drum, and I was stepping. 

So my dad came home and asked my mom who the hell is that playing those drums down there in the house, and she said it was me, so he ran down to find me, and he started teaching me how to read drums that night, so fast forward, my sister was in a band in high school, and she’s four years older than me, and I was still in elementary school and during the basketball games they had a whole drum set, and I sat in one time, and they let me join the high school band. I think I was in maybe 6th grade, 

Around 7 or 8, I started playing piano and learning stuff off the radio. Mom heard it and came down and said if you can play that stuff, then you can play that gospel stuff, and I liked it. It sounded better than the stuff on the radio, and I was so good at it she had me at the choir rehearsal the next day, and I became a prominent piano player for all of the choirs in Topeka Kansas. At the same time, I became a good jazz and funk player, and instead of watching my dad and his bands, I became a member at around the age of 13 or 14. 

So, I played at the jazz clubs on Saturday with the grown folks and then played in church on Sunday, and I always say I had the best of both worlds. I was what you would call a child prodigy, and right away, my parents had me in studios. I would learn from the engineers, and they bought me some keyboards and a 4-track Tascam, and that planted the seed for what you are witnessing now. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Ya know, it’s the same tale as the more talented you are, the less work you get in this climate of the music industry. So, what I did was look up DJs around the world that played music that sounded like what I was making. I would reach out to those DJs no matter where they were located, and most of them were located in Europe, NY, LA, and the Bay. 

One DJ in particular named Jay Scarlett from Frankfort responded to me right away, and I sent him a butt load of music. At the time, he had a collective called Beat Dimensions, and he had a huge radio show. Without any releases or anyone knowing who I was, he would just play my stuff and blow my name up. 

Finally, he did an interview with me on his show, and from there, he got me my first international deal. The label was out of Japan called circulations. The album was titled “The Go Album” in 2007. From there, I was able to make moves on a global level in a tiny way, lol. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I wore many hats in the game. I am an audio engineer, but that’s my least favorite thing to do. I am a composer, instrumentalist, an artist, and a singer-songwriter. The thing I am most proud of is going on a tour with the legend Todd Rundgren on the 2015 global tour. I formed a good friendship with him over the years. Shared some tunes to hopefully he drops one day. 

I see him a lot when he comes to whatever town I’m in. Good guy man I learned how to be absolutely normal in this crazy industry. I think what sets me apart is I make music that I feel at any given moment and drop it just how it is. And the audience found me. So, I make music freely for people who are receptive to REAL art. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I have a knack for working really fast naturally, so when things or opportunities come, I’m ready. I did a sync deal for a company called Sound Stripe. 

They did five songs a month for a hefty pay. I just pulled songs from folders I already had of complete songs the whole time. So, like they say: you ain’t gotta get ready if you stay ready. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/bradley_el
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reggiebmusic/
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@reggieb2
• Other: https://reggieb.bandcamp.com/music

Image Credits
Aaron W. Sutton @visualgoodies