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CrOckMisTer
(Interviewed on Friday, December 08, 2006)
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Where do you live and where are you originally from?
After spending 12 years in Paris I wised up and moved to a village in the north west of France not far from the Atlantic coast. I have always been a bit of a wanderer. I was born in Florida and soon after moved to California then Idaho where my musical education began. I spent my early twenties on Maui, Hawaii before moving back to California and finally to France. I have been living in France for 16 years now
Do you work , full/part time/ self employed?
I have almost always been self employed. At this time I coach and train French business executives in how to communicate more comfortably in English.
Where do you make your music ? (e.g. studio/bedroom/separate room) and describe the surroundings ?
I have a nice stone out building at the back of the garden. It is also my office. It overlooks the garden and is calm and light.
When did you first really start getting into music, and what was the first single/album you ever bought with your own cash?
I started getting into music at 13 when I started my first band. We were kicked off the stage at our first gig ( jr high school assembly ) because we dared to play Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner” it was during the Viet Nam, America: love it or leave it era. The first album I bought with my own cash was “The Seeds” Tobacco Road.
Who were your musical heroes when you were at school?
Elementary school = the Beatles, Paul Revere and the Raiders
Jr high school = Steppen Wolf, Quick Silver messenger service, It’s a beautiful day, Buffalo Springfield
High School = The Allman bros, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper…
University = The Pat Metheny group
What was the first gig you ever went to?
What a killer show. The guitarists taught me more from watching one concert than I had ever learnt before.
What was the best gig you ever went to?
Alice Coopers first tour.
What would you say were your main strengths musically?
Perseverance and a good ear
Looking around you, what would you say was the most encouraging aspects of the music industry at the moment?
The internet
Which track that you have written/created/produced would you say is your best work (to date) ?
I haven’t written it yet.
What would you say most influences/inspires you to write a track, and what is your most regular process in creating a new track ?
If it is my track I usually start with a guitar progression. I record myself playing my guitar and singing what ever comes to mind. These sessions sometimes last for a few hours. Then I wait a few days and listen back to what I had recorded. Then I pick the best lyrical and melody parts to piece together a song.
Who or what do you admire most in the current music industry ?
I admire my good friend Curtis Stigers who became a pop sensation said feck it to the big time and now is struggling to be a recognized jazz performer. He is a level headed guy that gives a lot to his community and he is a damn good musician.
Who or what do you have most contempt for in the current music industry ?
My friend Curtis because he made it big and I didn’t.
On Mp3unsigned, what would you change ?
The colours.
Which artist on mp3unsigned do you most enjoy ?
I enjoy a lot of musicians ( you know who you are ) but I have a soft spot for Droll, Stephen Todd and The higher Earth, for their inventiveness and don’t give a feck attitude to whether anyone likes their music or not.
Iif you were stranded (desert island disks style) and could only ever have 3 tracks to play, which would they be and why ?
“San Lorenzo” from the Pat Meteny group because it opened my ears to new things.
“Bolero” from Ravel because it is so good.
“Riders on the storm” from the Doors because it has everything I like about rock music.
Same question , but which 1 book and 1 movie ?
Book “ the bible” because I could interpret it differently with each reading. Film….? I am not very film oriented.
What track do you hate most in the world, and why ?
I don’t really hate any track.
Throughout history, pick someone that you admire most, and tell us why ?
There are too many choices but anyone that surpasses the ordinary and lives their dream and gives from the heart.
If you had the time to learn a new instrument, what would it be, and why ?
Piano. It touches me in a way no other instrument does.
Who (where or what if needs be) would you say are your true musical influences ?
My wife. She never allows me to go for the easy rhyme and she is my worst critic. She has pushed me to strive harder.
If Beethoven were alive today, which genre of music would he be making, and would he be a success?
I thought Elton John was Beethoven.
Car or Bike?
Car
You are allowed to slap 1 politician, who you gonna slap?
George W.
How much of your day do you spend listening to, creating or thinking about music?
All day long….gets me on trouble.
When was the last time you sat in quiet, and gave yourself time to think?
Last night
What was your worst fashion disaster?
A silver suit that I wore for the civil ceremony for my wedding in France. It was all the rage in the states but in fashionable France it was way ugly! I looked like a spaceman.
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To listen to CrOckMisTer,
Click Here
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Acoustic
