Jon Batiste was busy last year, winning five Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, including an Album of the Year win for his album, “We Are.”
Batiste told “CBS Mornings” his new album, “World Music Radio,” will be different from his previous work. He described it is a “concept album” that gives listeners a peek into his creative exploration and blends different types of music and cultures in a fresh way.
“It goes all across the spectrum of music and culture and really makes connections to joy, makes connections to lineage and really connects people to ultimately their own humanity and others,” he said of the album being released on Aug. 18.
Batiste recently surprised students of the Brooklyn Music School and Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra — both nonprofits that teach under-served children. One student, 17-year-old Chris Lee, had the opportunity to collaborate with Batiste and play the piano alongside him.
The performance underscored the transformative power of mentorship, Batiste said.
“The moment we were playing, and I just looked around and I saw you and your bandmates, and I just remembered when I was coming up. I enjoyed it so much,” Batiste said to Lee as they appeared on “CBS Mornings.”
During his visit to students last week, Batiste told the audience that the journey of crafting music is more important than the end result. Batiste said this was a way of encouraging students to channel their genuine emotions and perspectives into their work.
“You’re growing, you’re making things as a musician, you’re trying to get better, and you can get so focused on the end result that you missed the process, which is the creative process,” said Batiste.
The musician’s strong dedication to music education comes from his own background, influenced by important people like his father and older mentors who shared their musical wisdom.
“It’s just a way of being for me,” Batiste said.
