Marcus Norris talks to ShoutoutLA about the Social Impact of South Side Symphony, Staying Authentic, and Mentors

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcus Norris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcus, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
South Side Symphony is committed to artistically telling Black stories. I think it is important for underrepresented groups to be committed to telling their stories, otherwise these stories can go without being heard. We want to be both a voice in the conversation and also make art that encourages those conversations to happen in the first place.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
At South Side Symphony, we just make and play music we love. There are really no other considerations. This results in playing anime music, rap, R&B, classical, jazz, and a whole lot of fusions.

My philosophy is that genres are for fans, not creators. Of course, we are also fans, but we consider genre when consuming, not creating.

It hasn’t been easy, but I just stay consistent. And build everything around authenticity. Do everything motivated by a genuine love for something.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be the person I am today without some of the friends and mentors I’ve had along the way; Morris “Butch” Stewart, Benny Poole, and Mike Cunningham. All of which are no longer with us, but I think about the lessons they taught me daily. They had a great impact on me and my music.