Bryan Scott Sits Down To Talk Music And Football
posted in: OurStage Updates
Earlier in the month we told you about Bryan Scott, Safety for the Buffalo Bills with a serious passion for music. In conjunction with the release of his single “Dedicated”, Scott is giving dream chasers a chance to win two tickets to Super Bowl XLVI plus $5,000 by launching the Show Your Dedication contest. We recently got the chance to sit down with Scott to talk about his passion for both music and football, his inspirations and his desire to make music. Check out the full interview below.
OS: Music and football seem like wildly different things on paper: Do you feel your passion for music correlates at all with your passion for football? Do you feel it connects at all, or is it separate?
BS: They’re two separate things, I believe. To have a passion for something you know that¦ that’s pretty much that ties it together, to really care about something, to live it, to breathe it. But yeah, they don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
OS: Both of those things require a lot of time and a lot of effort. How do you balance the time for both your music and football?
BS: It can be a little bit tricky. During the season I don’t actually put in too much time into music because football takes up so much time, and during the season that’s number one. During the offseason, I spend so much time around the piano, on the drums, in the studio, it’s ridiculous. Sometimes all night until the sun comes up. There will be some times during the season when I will have the keyboard up in Buffalo, you know, if I do have some downtime, maybe an off day or maybe after a long day I’ll sit down for a little while and play. But, you know, time management really is key.
OS: Talking about that connection between music and football, do you have any specific tracks you listen to get yourself pumped before a game?
BS: Actually, no I don’t. I used to bring my own music and listen to my iPod in the locker room, but I noticed there was so much other music going on around me I was just listening to what other people played. So, right now we have actually a self-proclaimed team DJ, Nick Barnett, one of our linebackers. He has pretty good taste. He plays a range of music.
OS: Do you feel like any of your other teammates share your passion for music?
BS: Actually Nick (Barnett) does. I know Nick has an in-home studio as well. And there’s a few guys actually that play on the team. Our outside linebacker, he plays the piano and drums as well. Alex Carrington is learning the guitar and the piano. Rian Lindell, our kicker, plays the guitar, Danny Batten plays the guitar. So, there’s a lot of guys actually that really enjoy music.
OS: Do you ever get the temptation at all to sit down and jam out together?
BS: We actually do that on occasion. (laughs) And it’s kind of fun. Just last week, Brian Moorman, our punter, had an event and a few of us got together and rehearsed one time and performed a few songs at the event. It was fun.
OS: Any chance of the two of you performing a halftime show together in the future?!
BS: (laughs) Nah, that definitely would not sit well with the coaches.
OS: Who or what influences your song writing?
BS: My influences, they ranged from Stevie Wonder to Brian McKnight to Donny Hathaway, Anita Baker, The Temptations, you name it. My family’s a really musical family, and so music was always being played whether it was in the car, my mom would play the same tape over and over again, or just around the house. I think that a lot of people have said that I tend to mimic Brian McKnight a lot. And, you know, I take that as such a huge honor because I’m such a huge fan of his. So, I guess I can kind of see that a little bit, but not to his level of course.
OS: Do you have a certain place that you draw inspiration from when you’re writing songs?
BS: For me it’s more spontaneous. It might be something that’s going on in my life at the time, or an experience that I’m going through. I’ll just kind of say hey we got to get this done right now. (laughs) It’s really in the moment.
OS: Obviously Team B. Scott is a huge project for you. What was your inspiration for starting that?
BS: Actually that inspiration came from none other than my brother. He’s the one that really brought it to me and we talked about it. He’s a creative genius to be honest. When he did that he was really the one that brought the vision to life.
OS: So the two of you collaborated together to build that vision and that goal?
BS: Yes. Even to this day he’s always the one that kind of stands off in the background always cracking a smile and being that support system, and he’s been that my entire life.
OS: What is your vision for the foundation moving forward?
BS: Well with the foundation we would definitely love to see a few programs throughout the years, and obviously just being able to help kids is really the ultimate goal. I think its sad that because there is such an erosion in the arts education in schools that kids don’t get that, but I feel kids need that to be really well balanced and well rounded. I would love to help millions, but even if I can change one child’s life that means a lot to me.
OS: When the time comes to take a step back from football, will you continue with music full time?
BS: That is a great question and I think about it from time to time. Um, I really can’t tell you to be honest. I don’t think I want to be an artist but I know I want to be involved with music somehow, someway. I’d love to be in a band, get to travel a little bit. But we’ll see. Time will tell I guess.
OS: What is the hope behind Team B. Scott’s “Show Your Dedication” Contest?
BS: The contest enables users and contestants to upload a one minute video to showcase their passion, whatever it is they’re passionate about; whether it’s sports, music, cooking, fashion, teaching, parenting, you name it. And the prize is that we’re giving away two tickets to the Super Bowl with airfare and hotel expenses included and $5000 to support their passion. All they have to do is go to showyourdedication.com and enter to win.
It’s really exciting, and you know the reason behind it is just to try to motivate and inspire people to get back into their passion. I know a lot of people have maybe had that dusty guitar sitting off in the corner and you know, they haven’t picked it up in years and maybe this will kind of give them that incentive.
Learn more about Team B. Scott and the “Show Your Dedication” Contest.