In a new interview for Relix‘s new “The Power of Live” issue, Jon Batiste discussed transformative live performances, the new age of virtual livestream concerts and the importance of live music in general.

“The power of live is the power for us to thrive. It’s the power for us to move into a space where we feel alive. It’s in the name: live,” Batiste elucidated. “Think about what we’re talking about. You are here on Earth, you are breathing, you are standing on a stage as a performer bearing your soul. You believe in the idea that you can share something of value that is going to exist not only in this moment but also in the collective time capsule of humanity. It exists in the individual time capsules of people’s minds and hearts for a lifetime, for generations to pass on.”

“I’m telling people about live performances all the time, all across the world,” he continued. “And then, they’re seeing me perform, and all those memories and feelings and transformations are transferred onto other people in their lives, whether directly or indirectly. You cannot quantify it; it is ubiquitous.”

Regarding the prevalence of livestreamed, virtual performances, Batiste was optimistic. “Virtual performance is the next frontier. As far as I’m concerned, there’s so much unexplored territory that’s now being explored, which will lead to innovation. It’s really a stimulating and exciting proposition for me because it opens the door to three things that I’ve always loved to do: It creates a rapid progression toward collaboration, scale and globalization,” he said.

Read the full interview: Jon Batiste on the Power of Live.

Relix also recently released a new interview with Trey Anastasio, also conducted for our Power of Live issue. Check out that interview via Relix.com here.

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