Guitar Nine Columns: Interviews

I sent Lion Music a CD and they emailed me saying they were interested in signing me. I`m really happy to be with Lion. Some of the guitarists I grew up listening to are on that label, and that`s cool for me because it kind of lets me know that I`m finally on their level.

The main thing over here is, we have big media problems. People that do weirder kind of music, jazz, fusion or blues, there is not a big radio market for it, like there is in other countries. As a result of that, people don¥t get to hear the music and they don¥t show up at the gigs.

There were a lot of different things that inspired this CD. Once I put the studio together, I just started recording what I wanted to hear. I love guitar and electronic music. I really wanted to blend the two together more than it`s ever been done.

The first thing that you should care about for a CD release is the music. You have to trust in yourself as a musician and composer and try to come up with interesting music and then find a nice studio to record it in, or you can record at home if you have a nice home studio.

I just wanted to explore a mellower kind of psychedelic thing on the last record. There¥s some great stuff on it. It got really great reviews in the United States, all over the place. But the record company actually fell apart and now it¥s not even available.

I run my business, do my own booking, I do everything! We don`t have no managers, no agents, none of that. That`s what I tell these kids now. You`re better off making your own record, selling it at your own place and owning the rights to your own records.

Of course besides the music, there is another very important part of your musicianship, which is to learn how to market yourself. It all starts with acting professional, being on time, learning your parts. Learn to ask for advice when you need it from players that have more experience than you.

Try to become proficient in marketing, and develop a keen business sense. This includes your recordings, music book publishing, other merchandising endeavors, etc. The music industry is a very, very tough one, and it takes serious dedication and an unbelievable work ethic to survive.

I never thought I`d be CEO of Virgin Independent, nor would I want to. I had material to release. No major or indie label wanted to hear about it, so I did it myself. And let`s face it: guitar music is a tough sell, so most majors won`t cut you any slack.

I love it at home, but you can`t play here. You can`t play in L.A. every night. We`re lucky to play once a week here. It`s just the nature of being a musician. People won`t pay to see you every single week. You have to travel and change your audience to be able to play every night.

Being independent allows you to totally escape A&R, and do whatever you want. In the next three years I am releasing a solo acoustic guitar record, a fusion record, and a record with no guitar on it. I would never be allowed to do that with PolyGram. Being independent allows you to always be in control of your own music.

There`s very few radio stations who play surf, rockabilly or blues, together with current folk or roots music. It`s always Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or the Backstreet Boys. I just wish that the kids coming up would have a choice to be able to hear everything on the radio and be exposed to that stuff.

If the U.S. guitar magazines want to have more of an impact with the global community; they need to balance commercialism with the true artistic and innovative expressions of the guitar in many various forms.

Remember, if you look like everyone else, how do you stand out? Don`t rely on your technique to get you noticed, it won`t. Your songs might, but you`ve got to get people interested enough to listen to you in the first place.

Composition really separates an artist from someone who is soley a musician, in my opinion. If I am to be viewed in any way, I would like it to be as a composer.

Running your own label is the ultimate outlet for creating your music and getting it out to people. The alternative is sitting at home waiting for a call from a "real" label. Believe me, pinning your hopes on someone else making it happen for you is very frustrating and can turn you into a very weird person.

When I was a student I worked hard on exercises and all that, but now I just play or rehearse my repertoire...Although I am also still teaching, so I¥m constantly recalling all the old exercises - no way of getting out of them!

Bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit really reminded people that the guitar is something that a band is built around. The fact the you go to a G3 show and see so many kids lets you know that there is still a very strong interest in "guitar" music, and I think it is growing, not declining.

The advantages to working with a label is the feedback you get while writing. On my previous CDs I was pretty much on my own so it was nice to get some feedback for a change.

This is one of the great things about being an artist on Favored Nations. I am in control of my art. When I write songs, I never think about how long a song is - my songs and arrangements are done the way I envision it.

Music is the highest form of art. It is the most abstract art, while being the one that reaches deep emotions in all of us. Instrumental music is Pure Music. It gives to the listener only vibrations to get inspired and emotional.

I have a lot of experience thanks to my debut album. In fact, for "Suspension" I did everything by myself - production, distribution, promotion - so I know what to do. I know which magazines will be interested and which will not.

I have many goals and options, but I`ll take it day by day. It`s kinda scary to think what could happen in five years. I hope to accomplish something really special by that time.

Guitar music isn`t for everybody. Can`t expect to sell as much as pop vocal music, and that`s OK. Guitar music is for those who enjoy it, and it`s great that Guitar Nine Records gives us a place where we can easily get it.

I do any interview I can arrange to promote the CD. My partner has been marketing all over the internet and working in conjunction with our record company to keep getting press and putting the word out about my CD.

Being your own record label eliminates having to sell your soul. You also have full control over the creative aspects of your music, you own 100% of your publishing, you don`t put yourself in debt, and you call all the shots.

On every album I try to compose songs that fit together and record the album using a wide range of emotions and atmospheres. If I have enough speed/technique songs, I`ll work on an atmospheric one, or an acoustic number.

I just love instrumental guitar music. There is something great about hearing somebody write music that will keep people`s interest without having the vocal to rely on.

Instrumental music kind of reminds me of little orchestra or classical pieces, because there`s so much information going on. It`s a challenge to do, it`s really hard to do that stuff.

I started to get calls from different record labels, they had interest in me, but at the end of the day the didn`t know what to do with me, because it`s not really jazz, although it`s jazzy, it`s not really blues, but bluesy.

That`s the beauty of instrumental music, when listening to it, you can imagine or feel whatever you want.

When I turned 19 I realized that I was in love with guitar and I wasn`t doing anything else but practicing all day. Only then I understood that nothing could make me any happier than music!

Keep playing, keep trying new things as well as listening to and learning the old ones. Try to listen and play with your heart. Play with other musicians as much as possible and when you are getting good enough, be heard in public as much as you can.

I listen to all types of music, which helps me to keep up with the times, above all rock-fusion jazz, blues, and some Italian bands like Negramaro and Neutra.

Music is one of the deepest forms of communication and when you stop focusing on trying to impress people and focus on trying to communicate with them, it goes to an entirely new level.

I want to make it as easy as possible for instrumental guitar fans to find the music they really want, and that means constantly improving the site, a little bit every week and every month.

You know, what`s really weird about me is that I`m an artist, I consider myself as an artist and musician first, and a guitar player secondly, you know, guitar is not the thing that motivates me. Music is.

Having Steve Vai`s name associated with my project helped my credibility in the guitar community. I have a lot of respect for Steve, not only as a musician but as a businessman. I knew I could learn a lot - and I have!

I don`t care if things could go wrong because the most important thing is that someone like Mike Varney believes in me and in my music.

Since instrumental guitar music isn`t a big seller, it gets short changed quite often. As a matter of fact, finding the Guitar Nine website was a revelation to me. I didn`t realize there were so many musicians doing instrumental music.

I like to listen to players who take you on a journey and have a clear direction and build-up to their solos. Kind of like a composition within the composition.

I`ve never had a specific practice routine other than practicing everything out there! When I`m writing I tend to focus on any problems a song throws up, and I put a lot of work into melody and solo construction.