Who is Garrett Campbell:
Garrett Campebell is a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma, pursuing a degree in music education. He is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and has been creating his own music since 2021, with his debut single, Stand Together (For The Glory), starting out with a more metal-based sound. Since then, however, his music has gone in a very different direction into Christian music.
MUSIC AND SOCIAL LINKS:
Garrett Campbell:
INTERVIEW
About a month ago, I interviewed Garrett! We talked about a lot of different topics, including his faith, music, and what is next for his music! You can find a video of the interview on both his channel and mine!
What are some bands or artists that you are getting inspired by lately?
Garrett: Lately, I’ve been listening to mostly solo music, both Christian worship artists and jazz, especially. Chick Corea and Duke Ellington, I’ve definitely been playing a lot of their tunes in my jazz combo!
Chick Corea:
Duke Ellington:
Listening to your music, I can tell that you have a Christian-inspired sound. What is inspiring you there?
Garrett: I’ve noticed that Christ is the only thing that’s gotten me through the past few years and given me peace. So, I can make the power metal stuff that you saw, but I want to make music that leads people to God. I’m serving a greater purpose, and I want my music to do the same thing.
When you were first starting out, working with music and playing instruments. Did you think you would really work your way into playing music as a part of your life?
Garrett: No, yes, and no. I started playing piano when I was eight, and my mom was like, “You’re gonna take piano as a class,” and I just went with it. I always thought I was going to be a scientist or do something with animals. Then I started playing sports in middle school and kind of stopped playing music, and in high school I picked up the guitar. My dad had a guitar, and I was bored, so I figured I should learn to play it. But I never thought I would be doing it professionally, playing on stage, or being a music teacher. Definitely didn’t think I would make Christian music when I started, so praise God for bringing me closer. I couldn’t have made it through those hard times without him.
You mentioned that you’re going to be a music teacher. What is your passion there? Is it teaching students, guiding them on their path, or something else?
Garrett: I’m very passionate about helping others through music, and I want to use the gift that God has given me, whatever it is in my life, and give back to the community. So, that is a big driving force for me, especially because teaching isn’t the most glamorous or high-paying job. But there is something about watching your student light up. I have this private Ukelele student, and she couldn’t get this one passage of the music, but she finally got it, and said, “I know that song.” Getting to see their face light up makes it all the more worthwhile, and I could be having the worst day of my life, and just be angry and just walk into a lesson and shut that off and just teach. So, it’s a mix of it being fulfilling for me and wanting to help other people fulfill their dreams.
You’re obviously playing like you’re playing guitar, piano is what kind of other than guitar and piano, what instruments can you play?
Garrett: I don’t play brass. I’ve tried. I could play a little trumpet, but not very good. So my main instruments I would say are piano, guitar, and voice. Those are the ones that I’m really passionate about.
So, I actually switched my primary instrument just this semester from oboe to guitar. I’d done oboe in band for several years. Don’t remember how long. So, I play oboe, a little bit of recorder,, like baroque, style recorder, not the baroque recorder itself, but like a playing recorder, which is actually very similar to oboe. The fingerings are almost the same. So I can play, Baroque recorder, keyboard, piano, acoustic, electric guitar, and classical guitar. Yeah, no brass, I feel like I’m forgetting something, and lastly voice. I love singing. I play a little percussion. I play kit for my church sometimes, and I play bass. All to varying degrees of skill, so don’t think I’m good at all those.
If you could send a single song that’s been made, what song would you send to aliens if they were real?
I like this question. It’s making me think, I’m trying to think of something that encompasses humanity and encompasses all these big emotions that we face. I feel like that’s above my pay grade, but I’ll take a shot at it. I really really like Beethoven’s 5th and I know it’s very famous, but it has this seriousness about it, but still a beauty about it that I feel encompasses humanity.
I feel like if I chose like Mozart’s Piano Sonata in C, it’s so pretty but humanity is deeper than that. So I feel like Beethoven’s 5th could be good. I know that Queen of the Night from the Magic Flute was sent on the Voyager.
So like that would also be one, maybe I’m biased there. I’m just taking inspiration from it. But I think that’s a good one too. Just the amazing usage of the human voice. Like, wow. What is this, this life form that can do this? That’s us. Go humans.
What’s next for Garrett Campbell?
Next, it is continuing to follow God, to listen to the Holy Spirit’s guidance in my life, whether that’s in music or outside of music, to make music in a way that takes the focus off me and puts the focus on God.
So that it and ministry and worship. I just want to lead other people to have that same personal knowledge of Jesus. I meet a lot of people at school and everywhere in life where they’re like, “Oh, you know, church, I just felt like it wasn’t, you know, it was no fun. I can’t do anything I want and God doesn’t want me to do this.” To me it’s like, I don’t think you know the Jesus I know.
If you knew him, you’d realize that he wants you to succeed and he holds the keys to all of those things that you truly want. Like realigning that, which is a big part of my story, like I said, the metal stuff, which is not bad, but like not the right thing for me, not the right crowd. It can be for some people, just not for me. So definitely following God.
As far as music goes, I’ve got several songs that I have, bounced and ready to release, but I haven’t released them yet because, I’ll just tell you the name. Little spoiler here. So the first one’s called Yeah, I’m Okay. And I actually played this at a contest at Tulsa Community College and everyone said, “You need to record it.” I finally recorded it. Then I have two more songs, but those songs are all kind of like breakup songs from my breakup last year. Which there’s nothing wrong with that, but right now I’m trying to find the balance between worship songs and incorporating those.
There is a Garrett Campbell album in the work. I will tell you that. So stay tuned. It’s going to be called God Used You. All those songs on that album including the song God Used You they’re all specific people or specific experiences that God has used in my life since 2024. Which I feel like was kind of the fulcrum of me. Like God, I don’t want to do this. I don’t really like I’m not willing to live for you 100% to God, you’re the only way. Otherwise, I’m just miserable and I’m done with this. I’m done with me. I’m ready for you to rid me of myself and make me feel more alive. So yeah, a lot of cool music happening, man. I have a couple covers recorded that I’m gearing up to drop at some point. I just dropped the Knowing You cover on YouTube and and hopefully I can get those on Spotify at some point.
I’m stoked, man. I’m excited.
CONCLUSION
I want to give a massive thank you to Garrett for letting me interview him! These chances don’t come often for me and it was a wonderful experience! I hope to get to interview him again one day, and I can’t wait to see what music he has in store for us!
CREDITS:
Interviewee: Garrett Campbell
Videographer: William Beasley
Writer: Caleb Hysell
Editor: Caleb Hysell
Publisher: Caleb Hysell
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