( CNN ) -- Jason Moran is a jazz musician who has one foot in the past , one in the future and a career grounded in the present . From the past , Moran has built on the tradition of Thelonious Monk and other jazz greats . For the future , Moran looks to a new crop of musicians , teaching the next group of performers . In the present , there is his new album , `` TEN . '' Moran shares where he has been and why `` knowing when to 'shut up ' is extremely important . '' Who are you ? How do you define yourself ? I am Jason Moran , son of Mary and Andrew Moran , brother of Yuri and Tai Moran , husband of Alicia Hall Moran , father of Jonas and Malcolm Moran . I define myself as an American jazz pianist , father and teacher . Music is my livelihood and art is my life . My fatherhood is contribution to the earth , and my music is my contribution to the function of humans . What is something that everyone should know about you ? I 'm a jazz pianist that makes a living by composing/teaching/performing music . I compose music for my band , for film and in collaboration with artists of all genres . From Simon Schama to Kara Walker . I am currently on faculty at the New England Conservatory . I 've been teaching since 1998 . I was a student to a lot of great teachers , and now I enjoy sharing my experience with the younger musicians coming up the jazz ladder . I perform about 130 concerts per year around the world . Music is my life . What prepared you for where you are now ? The village that raised me in Houston , Texas , prepared me for where I am now . The village is my aunts , uncles , cousins , grandparents , brothers . ... The values I learned as a young boy in Houston are what have been integral to my success . Southern hospitality is a serious characteristic . Knowing when to `` shut up '' is extremely important . Knowing how to show respect to older people/musicians is a major factor as well . I work with people from 20 to 80 , and each musician is different . Having older musicians tell me early on , sometimes very bluntly , what they liked or did n't like in my playing also helped . There is a jazz village that raises its young jazz musician [ s ] . The jazz village has helped my career tremendously , and prepared me for the climate today as a contemporary musician . What is the biggest obstacle you 've ever had to overcome ? How did you get there ? Deciding to be a jazz musician was the largest obstacle , because I did not understand how to make a living as one . I figured it out once I began working and touring . I got there by studying vigorously , and asking questions of myself and my peers . I studied and conceptualized ideas so much that when the big opportunity arose , performing with then-Blue Note artist Greg Osby , I took the music by the reins and began to run wild with it . What would you tell your younger self about who you are now ? How would you advise your younger self about how to get to where you are now ? I would n't tell my younger self anything . All of the good and bad things that happened to me on my journey all inform me of how to live as a contemporary artist/musician . And I can not complain about where I am . What are your guilty pleasures ? My guilty pleasure is buying contemporary art . An expensive habit I usually can not afford . What do you believe in ? I believe that music can heal .
Jason Moran performs jazz all over the world and also teaches music to the next generation . He says in the jazz world , a `` village '' helps the younger generation by providing guidance from the older generation .