Do you remember your first gigging experience; the first time you left the bedroom or practice space and went and played music to an audience with other people? My first gig was in Wallingford, Connecticut in the basement of a Baptist church with a Christian rock group my buddies and I had formed. My dad … Continue reading A REAL WORLD GUIDE TO LISTENING IN RELATION TO THE ROLE OF A GUITARIST/WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO YOUR LOCAL BLUES JAM

I had planned on publishing a piece I had written a few months ago talking about sound and breaking down non-tertiary harmony, but life took me on a different path, so today I'm going to write a little bit about the journey that one undertakes as a musician. I had the opportunity to speak to … Continue reading THE PATH/THE PROCESS

The great thing about art is that two people can look at a painting, read a book, listen to a song, etc, and come away from it with different interpretations of what the meaning is, if there is a meaning at all. Sometimes one's interpretation differs from the intent of the creator. Meaning can be … Continue reading DERIVING MEANING FROM ART/A TRAVELING MUSICIANS SURVIVAL GUIDE/MY FAVORITE MARK TWAIN QUOTE

There are a lot of ways to approach learning how to play guitar. When I started playing, I was amazed and inspired by super shredders like John Petrucci, Randy Rhoads, and Yngwie Malmsteen. I was in awe of their technique and their sound. All three shared a real elegant ferocity that somehow paid tribute to … Continue reading LEARNING GUITAR AND MUSIC THROUGH HISTORY/A TRIBUTE TO HUBERT SUMLIN

Since 2010, I've been a full time resident of Nashville, Tennessee. When I was a 14 year old budding guitarist who was a full on Dream Theater nut, I fantasized about one day going to the famed Berklee School of Music and, of course, subsequently dropping out of Berklee to start a band and make … Continue reading COUNTING ODD TIME SIGNATURES/NASHVILLE 7/8