World class rock songwriter, guitarist and music producer from San Francisco California.
A reason to get up in the morning. When writing music I disappear into a magical world.
To write music every day (I do) and to share it with others.
Love. duh.
hmm....so many....but the first Van Halen album changed my life so I'd oddly enough have to say Eruption which is a guitar solo...although I was teenager when I heard it. It was like an alien genius guitar player had released an album. I've been trying to imitate it's passion, wild abandon, technical virtuosity and creativity ever since.
Lots....Van Halen, Joni Mitchell, no really...and about 100 others.
Music is like magic. It can change your mood and writing a new song is like creating a little new world you can go into anytime you want. Why wouldn't you want to write music? It takes me away from daily drudgery into a magical kingdom.
Hmm....excitement? Passion? Fun? Letting go?
Oh nothing like when the band is on fire and the audience is lost in the music. I love watching people react to my songs and when they are touched by them.
It's a total shit show to be honest. The business model is totally broken. Music is all free now as if you know great songwriters and performers just woke up one day and in a few minutes farted out a song that will change your day or life...they didn't...they deserve compensation just like when you buy a cup of coffee or pay for watching a movie....corporate piracy of music which is what streaming is should be banned.
It's a great idea. I've had a lot of fun here.
The lack of financial opportunity. People have been conditioned to value music at zero because it can be digitized and duplicated and streamed and played on speakers or headphones anytime. This is a tragedy. It costs time and money to make great music. Take away the money and you no longer get great music. Which is why everyone I know in their 20s who has any musical taste at all knows music from 20+ years ago is BETTER. It's because talent was actually paid....
I'm 56. When I was in my 20s there were rock clubs everywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had fans, groupies, and played in clubs every weekend often opening for midlevel national touring acts. It was one of the best times of my life. That simply does not exists anymore, a local fan base? It's a global fan base online now....nowhere near as fun.
First, there is no substitute for talent and endless hours of practice. That said, today? Good lord....it's a nightmare. Back in my day, musicians were not also their own marketing machines....it's just too much to do well by one's self or even a band.
Myself? lol.