Q & A with Ciara Moser
Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Ciara Moser
Ciara Moser is a Dublin-born/Austria-raised and Boston-based Bassist. She started to play bass at the age of 14. Being blind at birth she was raised with the attitude that everything is possible if you have the passion and ambition to do what you want to do. Her debut album “Blind. So What?” was released on 20th October 2023. Ciara composed, arranged, produced and wrote the lyrics for this album herself. Go check it out as it is amazing!
KB: Did you always want to make music as a kid?
Music was always a part of my life and education. I started violin at the age of 2 and a half. I never really considered music as my main profession until I started to play bass at the age of 14.
Enjoying the role of that instrument in a band a lot was the reason I decided to pursue my career as a bassist.
KB: You are blind at birth. How hard is it to learn a musical instrument as a blind person?
Throughout my music education I learnt multiple instruments under many different teachers and mentors. I never found that learning an instrument was harder for me because I am blind. I was raised with the attitude that everything is possible if you have the passion and ambition to do what you want to do.
However, it is definitely crucial for a blind music student to work with a teacher who is capable of adapting to the students’ needs. The only thing it needs from the teacher’s side is professionality, flexibility, patience and empathy. My parents were always eager to find me educators who were interested and excited to learn from teaching a blind person. This is why I was very lucky to work with amazing mentors for my entire journey as a musician!
KB: Why the bass as instrument? What is so special?
The bass is the foundation of everything. One of my teachers called it “love in the low register”. It is the glue between all the instruments in the band. Especially the rhythm and harmony so the drums and piano or guitar.
I really enjoy playing the instrument that is so meaningful for the unity of a band. It is an interesting fact that people who didn’t spend time with learning about the role of the bass don’t know the importance of it.
I love the power of the bass note being the root note of each chord, being locked in with the drums and creating a groove that makes the music sound good. Changing one note on my side can change the whole arch and meaning of a song.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with and why?
I would love to collaborate with Michael League, the bassist of Snarky Puppy. I believe that the music I released is somewhat very similar to his and there are different ways that I see our collaboration happening. Including the participation of my project in the ground up festival or being involved in the ground up label.
I have also always loved Herbie Hancock and his music and playing and working with him has been a huge dream of mine.
Additionally, I admire artists such as Chris Potter, SF Jazz Collective, Christian Scott, Antonio Sanchez, Eldar Djangirov and numerous other artists and would be honored to play and collaborate with them.
KB: 7 of your favorite songs (not your own): what would you pick and why?
Seven of my currently favorite songs, as they keep changing:
1. Marie Ael – Hadrien Feraud – Hadrien is my favorite bass player of all times. I heard him play the first time when I was 16. When I heard him solo, I didn’t believe it was a bass. Since then, I have been transcribing his vocabulary and phrasing. Especially in improvising I learnt a lot from him.
2. Believer – Myrath – I love the combination of metal and Arabic music. The epic sound of the production and the incredible instrumentalists of the band, especially the guitarist and vocalist are outstanding to me.
3. Point of View Redux – Eldar Djangirov – I discovered Eldar this summer through keyboarder and producer Warren Pettey, a dear friend of mine. I have been listening to his music a lot since then and I love the sound of Armando Golas electric bass on that album. Eldars virtuosity on piano is unbelievable to me and the band plays together incredibly well.
4. Pinha – Berklee Indian Ensemble feat. Dhruv Goel – A song about hope and unity that I got to know through my experiences playing in the Berklee Indian Ensemble. The orchestral arrangement sounds epic, massive and majestic. It is really inspiring and a song that brings me into a spiritual zone every time I hear or play it.
5. The Seeker – SNProject – This song touches me deeply since my south African friend and drummer Lumanyano Mzi showed it to me. We have been playing and performing it together for some time.
Through him I learnt a lot about South African jazz and African music in general. I am excited to continuously explore the African roots of jazz throughout my studies of life and music.
6. If There Really Is a God – JHart – The vocals and the production of this song are simply incredible to me.
7. Hit Me – Dirty Loops – Since I started playing bass and pursuing a career as an artist I have been following and listening to Dirty Loops. Not only is Henrik Linder one of my biggest inspirations on the six-string bass but also the whole band, their productions and their arrangement and composition skills are high level and exactly fit my taste of music.
KB: Your debut album which was released on 20th October: “Blind. So What”? What is it about and describe the journey making it?
My modern jazz fusion debut album is comprised of 12 songs centered around my journey as a blind musician. It is intended to raise awareness for the blind community and make my artistic contribution to the music world. The songs explore topics such as the art of memorizing, spatial sense for orientation, trusting others, and the different perceptions that blind people have of the world. The album’s sound is rooted in groovy funk, fusion and experimental contemporary jazz, with a variety of world music influences. As a professional bassist who has been blind since birth, this aspect of my identity has shaped my incredibly unique journey through life and music in a profound way.
During the time pursuing my master’s degree at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, I was deeply inspired by the theme of music as a vehicle for social change, enhancing my skills both as a player and a composer with intention and zeal. This shaped the desire to share my message through music in the form of this debut studio album, focused on my journey as a blind musician.
My primary goal for this project was to showcase my abilities as a performer, composer, arranger and producer, and to develop my unique voice as an artist. An additional goal was to raise awareness about blindness by tackling the stereotypes and misconceptions that the blind community is subjected to, while inspiring the audience to view music through the lens of someone like me. Ultimately, by showcasing my musicianship and addressing how blindness affects my life, I seek to spark the fire of a brighter future for all fellow musicians, blind people, and those with disabilities.
The album was recorded between October 2022 and March 2023.
Seven of the songs — “Different Ability” Part 1 and 2, “The Call to See Beyond,” “Travelling,” “Developing Senses,” “Humanity” and “The Lady with a Green Cane” — were recorded at Wellspring
Sound Studios in Acton, Massachusetts.
The remaining three songs — “I Trust,” Sixth Sense” and “Memory” — were recorded and overdubbed at the Berklee studios in Boston, Massachusetts; some of the musicians recorded overdubs in their home studios.
I composed, arranged, produced and wrote the lyrics for this album.
KB: What are you up to now?
Last October I did a tour in Austria with my project in venues such as Club Porgy & Bess in Vienna, Posthof in Linz and Jazzit in Salzburg. My goal is to book a US-Tour and some festivals for next year with the album project and in the meanwhile work on my new album project. I am thinking about multiple ways of implementing the call for inclusion into my music and extending the concept of music and blindness to reach the next level culturally, artistically and socially.
Check out Ciara’s website: HERE
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