Guitar Nine Columns: Interviews

To play in places where they cannot pay the expenses for an entire band, I travel with only my guitar and a CD where I have my own backing tracks. And I noticed that the public reacts very well to these concerts!

Well, the Internet is a great thing, everyone now can have their own spot and sell their music. But it is becoming a jungle where everyone just thinks about themselves. There is too much quantity, and too little quality; too much competition instead of collaboration.

If you want respect, get out of the music business (laughs)! If you love what you are doing, it will show and you will gain respect. People who buy records like how songs move them no matter the skill level.

I got picked up by Mike (McDowell) at Shred Guy; apparently Mike was interested in adding a "fusion" flavor to his rather "metal" guitar-oriented label, and my sound seduced him.

Phrasing is what makes the big difference between just mindless noodling and a great guitar solo in my opinion. Think more about which notes you play and when you play them.

Instrumental music is pure and real music! It has all the focus on the music and not on some cheap love story. The most exquisite music does not need words to express itself.

I believe the Internet it`s a great window to the world, it`s a great tool to communicate with other musicians, and people who can help you with your career; it`s definitely great for business!

Today it is quite hard to set yourself apart in the instrumental rock domain. There are a lot of great guitarists! Unfortunately, lots of them do the same kind of stuff.

I had several proposals with major labels, but now the music business is really hard - no one does anything serious for you.

You need to roll up your sleeves. Play well, have a great sound and offer a proper show - not just a demonstration of your skills and abilities.

Another thing when making living as a guitarist is to be sure to make good songs. The majority of listeners doesn`t care about flashy solos, they want to hear cool songs.

My listening isn`t biased towards guitar players. In fact, I think I might even avoid seeking out guitar players` recordings, because I`ve had better luck trying to get clear about my own approach to the instrument.

The online magazine has been going for over 16 years, and the e-commerce aspect of the business wound up completing a 15 year run - not bad considering the narrow focus our store had on instrumental music.

I`ve got a killer new record out on Lion Music which is being promoted with a digital, electronic press kit (EPK).

I`m not taking myself to seriously. And I think that`s a good thing... music is supposed to be fun.

I wanted this CD to sound like four musicians jamming live in a studio, and if that`s what it sounds like to someone, then that makes it better.

The unexpected success of "Fill The Sky" has spawned tons of other peripheral stuff that also requires a lot of time and effort such as interviews, endorsements, and guest appearances.

Putting together an album, the way I tend to do them, is a long and hard journey. It took three years between the first and second album.

A lot of people don`t realize that the guitar is a great melodic instrument, and can easily take the job of a singer. You can take a vocal melody, play it on a guitar and make it just as expressive or more so.

I play instrumental blues and rock. Freddie King`s instrumental records really had an impact on me. I can`t sing but those records showed me there`s still a lot you could say without vocals.

My latest album was self-released and to be honest I completely forgot that there was even an option of being on a label. I never attempted to send a disc anywhere asking to join a label.

My first CD with my name on it was self-released. They recorded me for free so I would have a product out but it is a live CD, recorded in a club on a night I didn`t know I was to be recorded.

In general, my newest compositions are always my favorites. Creating is what it is all about for me. I rarely go back and revisit old pieces. My current material is always representative of where my head is at musically at any particular point in time.

I recently posted a couple of tracks on Soundcloud and my track "Atomic Shadow" went bananas with over 50,000 listens within a couple of weeks. That was the largest single networking event I`ve experienced.

It is true that instrumental rock appeals to a specialized audience compared to classic rock. Last year, I formed the band Reign Over Obscurity, which is progressive metal. There are vocals in this project so it will probably reach a wider audience.

It`s having different layers on songs - melodies and different time signatures under melodies - that makes songs interesting. It´s cool when you are able to find new things from songs after listening several times.

Although social media can be great to connect with fans, who knows when Facebook or Twitter will disintegrate? My advice to other musicians would be to not put all your eggs in one basket, especially if you don`t own that basket!

The upside of the democratization of music production is that anyone can create and market their own music. The downside of the democratization of music production is that anyone can create and market their own music.

I personally think that since everything is in HD today, it gets too clear sometimes, and then, the enchanted atmosphere is not there.

RadioAirplay.com - there is nothing like getting your stuff heard and getting new fans. It costs but it works and does generate interested fans who like your music.

I`ve found Youtube to be a great platform for exposure. It`s awesome what you can do in a home studio with a GoPro, software and a few days.

My vision and formal concept of an album is always a full length CD. And I´m surprised at how many people actually order my physical CD album. Actually I´m selling quite a few more CDs than downloads.

I didn`t want that DIY vibe for the artwork, or the sound/production. I wanted a quality product that will stand the test of time, and that meant really deciding what I could do myself, and what would be better left to a dedicated professional.

There was no goal or idea to create an album initially. The music on the album was gathered from many musical ideas that I had had over the last two years or so and were composed in many different places.

I strive to be the best I can, and I do that by incorporating everything I know into my music and I never stop learning.

I have been getting great feedback and a huge growth on social media, though. To me this proves quality is still the most important thing and can go a long way on its own.

I use a lot of variety. I swap between acoustic and electric, alternate tunings, slide, and various techniques. This CD features dobro, eBow, talkbox, even a cigar box guitar!

I decided to release these EPs of 5 songs every 6-8 months - it`s a big enough body of work to allow the listener to get involved in, and it keeps the people interested in my music always engaged in new songs.

People tell me that my music sounds unique for this day and age. I don`t know if that`s actually the case; but I will tell you that I`ll try to sound as differently as I can, for as long as I can.

I find that you must have constant activity to create and maintain the interest of people. Facebook is a great way to share new projects with friends and fellow musicians but it doesn`t reach people outside your circle.

It`s always difficult to label your own music, but I think of it as instrumental classic rock. I like to compose actual songs, not guitar exercises or improvisations which will only appeal to other guitar players.

I am using every form of social media to promote myself and my music. I use everything from my YouTube guitar lessons and live videos, to CD Baby, MySpace, and Facebook.