Local Artist Produces First Album

Chewelah resident Rob McGlinton describes his music as a fusion of classic jazz with a pop twist. He said the muted trumpet, subtle bass, and the smooth swing of the piano wrap around lyrics written from “an often unreliable” narrator’s commentary on the human condition.

The jazz album My Undivided Attention, to be officially released on Feb. 24, is McGlinton’s first album – at 90 years old.

“I’ve been involved in music since I was 5 years old, when my mom would set the stove timer for 30 minutes and make my sister and I play the piano,” said McGlinton. “In junior high, my jazz piano teacher said that if I wanted to be a good piano player, then I had to practice three hours a day, Monday through Friday.

“I was 14 years old. I loved baseball. I wanted to be with girls. I wanted to go fishing. But I committed myself to this. All the great players practice 10 hours a day,” he said.

McGlinton, along with his sister, participated in band and choir where he said he learned the value of practice. Living in Snoqualmie, McGlinton said he worked in logging and the local mills; then out of college, he earned a living as a pianist and as a creative editor in public relations. He said he moved to Chewelah in 2013 from the Seattle area with his wife, Sally, who is fifth generation Chewelah heritage.

“I’ve been in music for a long time,” McGlinton said. “I did all kinds of jobs surrounding the music industry. But I’ve always been a quitter. I would put a small effort into putting my musing out there, but when I got no immediate success, I quit. Now, at 90 years old, I wanted to get serious but didn’t know how.

“Why am I doing this now? Because this is something I had to do. I had to get it out into the world. Recording this album has been the most gratifying thing,” McGlinton said.

To start, McGlinton said he went to Portland, Ore. where he knew of a great pianist and producer of music. “Randy Porter has won multiple awards and has been Grammy-nominated. I had made a demo, and asked him cold to look at my work. And professional jazz musicians don’t lie. When Randy said he liked it, I knew he meant it.”

McGlinton said Porter produced his album as well as played the accompanying jazz piano.

“I intentionally decided not to play the piano on the album, because Randy Porter is world class, and also I didn’t want to ruin my album. I was able to focus on singing and the lyrics.

“This is about not placing limits on myself,” McGlinton said. “Most people impose their limits. People have a story that they tell themselves about what they can and can’t do. There is no reason why you can’t do something. Like, ‘I’m too old.’ You do not have to believe that story.”

For McGlinton, the point where he decided not to believe the negative story was when he read “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. “That book has had such an effect on me. It is about overcoming the force that gets in the way of my creative goals.”

Since landing in the Pacific Northwest, McGlinton said he has written the script, music, and lyrics for the musical, “The Goshen Country Club.” He has also produced music for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in Seattle and for the Seattle Classic Guitar Society. He has also worked as a freelance writer, a teacher, and, of course, a pianist.

McGlinton’s next goals are to become a concert keynote speaker at conferences all over the country. He said, “A concert keynote speaker is just like a motivational presentation, but with musical performances blended throughout.”

He said he recently completed a test concert keynote performance at Mistequa Casino Hotel in Chewelah, and called it a “success.”

“Keynote speakers make good money. I’ll go anywhere in the country and do it. I have done a lot of speaking and teaching. And I have taught at the University of Washington on creativity.”

McGlinton’s album will be released on streaming platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify. He said the actual album, available on CD, was released about a month ago for a small audience and will be available at local vendors throughout Stevens County.

McGlinton said, “I love it here in Chewelah. We have a strong art community here. I plan on working on my music and expressing my creativity. But, given my age, I’ll have a very short career.”

For more information, contact McGlinton at robmcglintonmusic.com.