Jon Batiste (‘American Symphony’) on the secrets of seemingly being in the right place at the right time [Exclusive Video Interview]

Jon Batiste attributes the secrets of his success to seemingly just being in the right place at the right time and that includes getting the opportunity to create the titular symphony at the center of the new documentary “American Symphony.” He had already been tinkering with the idea when the people at Carnegie Hall asked if there was anything he would want to perform at the venue. “I was sitting with the idea and then, as fate would have it, the incredible opportunity arose and it felt like I gotta do it now. This is the time to build this thing,” he tells Gold Derby during our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video interview above).

He also has this view about having the mindset to write the original song used in the film, “It Never Went Away.” “It’s like an eternal and divine stream of consciousness that we’re all tapped into and that’s where love comes from. It’s where creativity comes from. I just imagine this stream that we can dip into and it’s from the beginning and it will be here forever. It will never go away.”

More from GoldDerby

• Critics Choice Movie Awards nominations: Complete list of contenders

• Box office preview: Will Timothee Chalamet's 'Wonka' be a much-needed holiday treat after a slower month?

• Lily Gladstone dethrones Emma Stone as Oscar Experts' front-runner for Best Actress

SEELauren Domino interview: ‘American Symphony’ producer

“American Symphony,” directed by Oscar nominee Matthew Heineman, can currently be streamed on Netflix. The film follows Batiste for a year as he navigates several professional and public challenges. While he starts off high with scoring 11 nominations at the 64th Grammy Awards, things immediately take a turn when his wife Suleika Jaouad has her leukemia return. As he helps Suleika navigate the harsh treatment, Batiste also is putting a together a symphony that he plans to unveil at a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Batiste is no stranger to awards. The score for “Soul” that he composed alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross netted him an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Original Score in 2020. Of the 11 Grammy nominations he received in 2021, he would win five of them including Album of the Year for “We Are.” At this year’s Grammys, he’s up for another six awards including Album of the Year (“World Music Radio”), Record of the Year (“Worship”) and Song of the Year (“Butterfly”).

Of all the honors that Batiste has collected in recent years, his Album of the Year Grammy win for “We Are” is one that really stands out and it was made even more special by the fact that it was presented by Lenny Kravitz. A decade prior, Kravitz came to a show that Batiste would put on every Wednesday at a basement church in Harlem and even joined Batiste on stage to jam. Kravitz started spreading the word and getting more people to attend, which helped Batiste’s career gain steam. “When Lenny gave me the trophy for Album of the Year, it was such a journey from the makeshift speakeasy in the basement of a church in Harlem on a Wednesday night to Album of the Year on stage at the Grammys.” Even with the victories he achieved in 2022, Batiste is even more excited to attend this year’s ceremony since Jaouad will actually be able to attend the show with him after not being able to travel last time due to her cancer treatments.

PREDICT the 2024 Oscar nominees through January 23

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Best of GoldDerby

• 2024 Oscars: Best Animated Feature Predictions

• Best Animated Feature Oscar winners: Every acceptance speech from 'Shrek' to 'Pinocchio' [WATCH]

• 'The Color Purple' production designer Paul D. Austerberry: 'It's a great challenge, but also a great responsibility' [Exclusive Video Interview]

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.