‘I’m not very good at all’: Legendary performer Gary Numan admits he’s ’embarrassed’ to call himself a musician because he’s ‘an arranger of noise’
He is considered a pioneer of electronic music with an instantly recognizable repertoire.
However, Gary Numan has admitted that he doesn’t see himself as a musician, but rather sees his talent as an “arranger of noise”.
The 64-year-old artist also revealed that he thinks his children are more musically gifted than him and that their piano playing skills put his to shame.
Whimsical: Gary Numan has admitted that he doesn’t consider himself a musician but thinks of his talent as a “sound arranger”.
Gary said on Paul McKenna’s Positivity Podcast: “My passport used to say musicians and I was really embarrassed.
“Really, because I’m not a very good musician at all. I’ve always seen myself as an arranger of sounds.
“I find really interesting sounds and I find a way to make them musical and kind of blend them into a musical landscape, that’s really what I do.”
Gary – who shares daughters Raven, 18, Persia, 16, and Echo, 15, with his wife Gemma – added: “I play average guitar at best, keyboards even worse…
“I have three teenage children who all play the piano much better than me and [music has] was my life.’
Iconic: Gary first appeared on the British pop scene in the late seventies and earned the nickname ‘Godfather of Synth’ (pictured 1979).
He continued, “I play well enough to be able to write simple melodies, and then my ability, if you will, if there is any, is to fuse the sounds I find with those layers of melody.
“So it’s a pretty decent piece of music in the end, but it puts a lot of little pieces together.
“I’m not able to do the big, big in one go, so I’ll add pieces over time.”
Gary first emerged on the British pop scene in the late 1970s and earned the nickname ‘Godfather of Synth’.
He had his first UK number one with Are Friends Electric?, and at the age of 21 he was worth an estimated £6million.
Gary – whose army of fans dubbed himself Numanoids – recently revealed that he believes the key to his success is autism.
He told The Chron’s weekend magazine that “the positives far outweigh the negatives,” adding that he sees it as a “superpower with neurodiversity.”
Talented family: Gary and his wife Gemma (far left) share daughters Persia, 16, Echo, 15, and Raven, 18, and he revealed they are more talented pianists than he is