Music is a collective experience that all participate in, but there are always key players that act as catalysts to propel things further. Joseph Anthony "Amp" Fiddler, who died on December 17th, was one of these musical giants: someone who changed music for the better, and was loved by all around him. In a scene where gatekeeping and personal feuds lead to tragedy and betrayal, he was a shining light of positivity and warmth in a world that always needed reminding of how beautiful funk can be.

Fiddler was born on May 17th, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in the East Side neighbourhood of Conant Gardens, a historically middle-class African-American area that he would reside in for his entire life. As a youth, he studied under jazz pianist Harold McKinney, member of the renowned soul jazz collective Tribe. After attending Oakland and Wayne State universities, he jumped into the world of working musicians that was still strong in the Detroit community. Working with bands such as R. J.'s Latest Arrival and Enchantment—and touring Europe with Was (Not Was)—opened up the door for newer and bigger opportunities and made Fiddler a name to watch. This led to a chance to work with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic empire.

Amp Fiddler - "Steppin'" feat. Dames Brown

George Clinton - "Do Fries Go With That Shake"

(Amp Plays Keyboards)

It was in the centre of the P-Funk universe that musical history once again was made. Clinton and his P-Funk projects dominated Black radio in the 1970s, making reverberations felt to this day. Soul's mutation into funk was driven in no small part due by keyboardist Bernie Worrell. Replacing Worrell was no small feat, but Fiddler held the chair for 11 years from '85 through '96. This period was formative in passing the flames of funk to a new generation as hip-hop mined the archives of P-Funk for sounds to sample. Fiddler would become the torchbearer and returned to Detroit from tours in style, offering a glimpse of musical success for neighbourhood kids.

During his tenure with Clinton, Fiddler secured a record deal from Elektra with his brother and collaborator Thomas "Bubz" Fiddler. With their $10,000 advance they bought the best home-studio equipment money could buy. One of these pieces was the Akai MPC60, a sampler and sequencer workstation. While the brothers were working on their 1991 album, With Respect, and other projects under the name Mr. Fiddler, they also opened their studio to aspiring artists. Camp Amp became an unofficial school and safe haven for kids to practise and learn aspects of musicianship. It was a vehicle for those left behind to find their voice as the once great city of Detroit fell into ruin.

"Cool About It - Mr. Fiddler"

This was a spark of the old soul and jazz tradition where elders taught and raised the next generation through trial and mentorship. The teens who frequented Fiddler's home formed the nexus of Detroit hip-hop: Slum Village, Dez Andrés, Waajeed and J Dilla among them. By introducing Dilla's beats to Q-Tip, Fiddler changed the trajectory of not only hip-hop but electronic music writ large. Dilla made the MPC into a respected instrument and allowed a new level of prestige for those who could master it. The Detroit sound associated with Slum Village and Dilla even became a huge influence on the neo-soul movement, with Dilla joining The Ummah production collective. (Fiddler himself worked on Maxwell's debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite.)

As the millennium turned, Fiddler evolved with the times. In the early '00s, he started to delve into the dance music culture that had risen in parallel with his own career. Although not directly involved in the pre-techno "progressive" scene in Detroit, his presence could be felt in its structure. He was playing on the records the DJs were playing. It was through Norma Jean Bell that Fiddler was introduced to Kenny Dixon Jr., eventually doing session work that led to tracks released on Moodymann-related projects.

Fiddler struck up a long and fruitful relationship with Dixon Jr.'s Mahogani Music (also the main home for Fiddler's former student Andrés). With this new career path, Fiddler worked with artists like Carl Craig, Alton Miller and Juan Atkins, to name just a few. Theo Parrish has cited Fiddler as one of the main forces behind getting his live show together as The Unit on Sound Signature. With Sam Beaubien of Will Sessions fame, he co-produced Dames Brown, a Detroit trio who recently signed to Defected. Fiddler never rested on his past accomplishments, nor would he avoid trying new things. If you were serious about your craft, he was just as serious in helping you achieve your vision.

3 Chairs - "Midday Blues At Midnight"

3 Dames Brown - "What Would You Do? feat. Andrés & Amp Fiddler"

There are too few selfless, dedicated musicians with a passion for collaboration and education left. But Fiddler's spirit lives on in the artists who worked with him and particularly in Waajeed's Underground Music Academy. This institution is the next level and continuation of the Camp Amp basement studio. In a time when arts programmes for youth are at an all-time low, this institution hopes to be a beacon of hope, a stronghold to keep the Black musical tradition going.

"Amp let my friends and I into his basement with no fear," Waajeed said. "From that we created Slum [Village] and changed how the world understood rhythm and soul. I think he saw his younger self. Hungry, ambitious and willing to do whatever it took to be great at something. Thanks to his guidance I strove to make that music. A king in the middle of the ghetto who gave us a portal to the world. I'm forever grateful for his grace, kindness and courage. His name will live in classrooms and hallways of the Underground Music Academy. He's part of the reason we built it."

Fiddler died last month after years spent living with cancer. All of his siblings had already passed, including Bubz on May 3rd, 2016. Fiddler's son, Dorian Anthony Fiddler, died on May 1st, 2009, at just 18 years old. Fiddler is survived by his wife, Tombi Stewart, and the countless lives he has touched over the decades.

3 Amp Fiddler & George Clinton - "Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly"

Amp Fiddler - "It's Alright" feat. Neco Redd & Ideeyah (Waajeed's Conant Gardens Remix)"

Amp Fiddler Live - Detroit 2013