Marcus Wyatt unpacks the useless joy of art in all its forms

The multitalented artist grew up in a musical home, which lay the foundation for a thorough appreciation of all things beautiful. By Mick Raubenheimer

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The InArt interviews explore culture by asking creatives about their life in the arts, and which artists in other media stimulate them. We spoke to intrepid trumpeter, bandleader and composer Marcus Wyatt about inspiration and amazing beasts.

When did you first identify as a creative artist?

I'm not sure, to be honest, and I don't necessarily always see myself as such. Throughout my life I have gravitated towards music, firstly I think from a community standpoint as in I grew up playing in bands. Big bands with loads of people, brass bands, wind bands and finally orchestras and then jazz big bands.

I always enjoyed being a part of something bigger, both practically and spiritually (though that didn't really occur to me until much later in life), and I loved the feelings and emotions evoked through the process of making music with loads of people in large ensembles.

I suppose I became more "creative" as a musician as a result of my own curiosity combined with the struggle for survival as a "professional" or working artist in South Africa. I've always wanted to explore music in multiple directions (sometimes simultaneously), which can be problematic in a music scene which is fairly conservative and likes, wants and needs everything to be pigeonholed and genre-labelled to the nth degree.

So the challenge here is to somehow fulfil one's creativity while balancing it with the needs or limitations of the "scene" you're making a living from. My own creativity is a result of - and inspired partly by - my own struggles to survive or flourish. And I've been doing that, I guess, for the past 25 to 30 years.