On this winding road: A conversation with Béla Fleck

For Béla Fleck, his life, like his music, is a never-ending quest for truth and discovery.

The 16-time Grammy winning banjoist is now a proud father of two alongside his wife, the incredibly talented Abigail Washburn. The acoustic duo remains this traveling melodic family, raising their kids on the road while on tour — a place of familiarity and comfort for the beloved performers.Now 60, Fleck is still in a constant search for new territory amid the endless possibilities that are out there in the unknown depths of the sonic universe. But, that’s the beauty of being a true artist, the idea that an artist’s work is never done — a constant movement of time and space towards the essence of your craft.

Smoky Mountain Living: This past summer you turned 60. What do you make of that milestone, personally and professionally? And are you finding yourself in any full circle moments in your thoughts and interactions lately because of it?

Béla Fleck: It’s wacky to be 60. Sometimes I feel 20 and sometimes 90. And having a five-year-old and a six-month old are keeping me both young and tired. Meanwhile, musically, I feel like I need to stay on top of things, and not let my playing and creativity slide. One interesting thing is that I do have a strong drive to get back into the bluegrass scene and reconnect with that world. That could certainly be a function of age.

SML: You've spoken at-length about the idea of the "artist," in terms of always creating, evolving, and experimenting with new things. Is there a difference between being a "musician" and being an "artist"? Are the terms mutually exclusive, can one be the other, or can both be vice versa in the realms of creativity and sonic possibility?

BF: Sure, for instance there are plenty of wonderful orchestra musicians who might not consider themselves artists, imagining that the conductor is making the artistic decisions and their job is to fulfill someone else's artistic vision. That said, I believe that all of us have artistic-ness intrinsically in our being. It’s in our operating system, but not all of us figure out how to access it.

SML: What are you discovering about the banjo these days, maybe things that are surprising to you, or perhaps something you’ve been trying to unlock for years?

BF: Banjo and music, in general, have been clarifying and focusing for me, the longer I play and live. The areas I struggle with get easier for sure, but just as I get more fluid and clear on what it is that I want to play, some of my speed and precision is going, from age. You can’t win, can you?

SML: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. What do you think about that number, "30," when applied to where the group began and where it currently stands? And how much has the original intent and mission — or philosophy — of the band changed or remained the same?

BF: The band is a creative idealistic project, one that somehow connects with people in a profound way. Nothing about any of that has changed in 30 years. The difference is that it’s a smaller part of our lives now that it was for the first 20 or so years. We have balanced our lives out with families and other musical partnerships. But, nothing changes about our camaraderie or our meaning to each other. It is one of the great musical and personal relationships in our lives.

SML: You've spent your life creating and recording music, traveling the world, having all kinds of experiences, and meeting folks from all walks of life. What has that taught you about what it means to be a human being?

BF: We all are so similar in what we require to be healthy. There is glorious music everywhere on our planet, and it is wonderful when the connection to the past is encouraged and incorporated into our new visions. That requires knowledge and understanding as well as creativity. I feel that I truly joined the human race when I had kids with Abigail, though. Up until then, my life was all about pursuing the musical muse and there was nothing more important. Well, now my family is deeply important. But, that doesn’t mean music has to go away or be less. It requires more maturity to find balance, than it does to go wildly in one direction. My intention is to keep my commitments to music and family. And these are first world problems, no doubt — my family and my music are extraordinary gifts to me, and I am thankful for both.

Editor’s Note: Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. Tickets start at $58. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click on www.bartertheatre.com