I started playing bass around age 12. With a healthy influence of Iron Maiden and Megadeth, I wanted to progress quickly. I started playing guitar around age 15 and went to work on speed picking and right hand control. After developing a prominent speed picking technique, I played in several local metal bands over the following years; ranging from southern rock to technical death metal. I've genuinely cherished the time that I got to spend with all my past band mates, the music that we made together, and the experiences that we had. In 2018, I made the decision to start recording from home and get started on my solo project "I, the Ruiner." Technical, fast paced instrumental metal that very much had my own unique characteristics, though something was missing. In 2019, I acquired the equipment necessary to begin incorporating symphonic and orchestral elements. I decided from that moment, that symphonic metal was what I wanted to do. The sounds of string and brass ensembles setting the atmosphere and carrying the mood of the song while leaving headroom for expressive lead guitars was exactly what I was looking for. Since then I have had a few opportunities to collaborate with other local musicians and establish foothold as a solo instrumentalist with a distinctive sound. I would love to collaborate with more musicians, and grow and learn together.
Music is a life journey to me. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, music is an integral part of everything I do. Sitting in my studio and crafting new ideas and learning new ways to express whatever cluster of ideas I have going on upstairs is a feeling that I know can not be replaced or replicated. Music gives me motivation, drive, and the diligence to always try and be a better musician and guitarist.
I've never had the confidence to try and persue music as a career. I just want to make good music with myself or with others, and hopefully inspire those around me to want to be better like I want to be. At the end of the day, I make the music that I want to make in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same. I write a pretty niche product, I feel. It doesn't get much response from the local community, and I'm okay with that; because at the end of the day I know that I wrote something that I was satisfied with.
Eliminating extremism. In regards to anything. Music, politics, religion.. extremism is a problem no matter where it exists.
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" by Megadeth. This is the song that started my journey into metal and music as a child.
There are far too many to name. But to start: Anything that Jani Liimatainen has been a part of. Yngwie, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Jeff Loomis, Paul Gilbert, Black Dahlia Murder, Inferi, Necrophagist, Lightnin' Hopkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lindsey Buckingham. The list is wild and uncategorizable, honestly.
Existing. Capturing the mood or feeling of the moments that I was writing in.
That we all have our own vivid and isolated lives outside of what we know. That every feeling is worth something, and no matter how you want to look at it, music is the universal language that can never be replaced.
Slightly nervous, but confident as time goes on.
I feel like writing music that is outside of what the artist wants it to be is a curse. None of us should write to cater to others and ignore ourselves. I don't like the idea of writing something that doesn't inspire me, with the goal of catering to others. If it inspires me, I know it will inspire someone else. That can't be guaranteed otherwise.
I'm excited to network and see what the community is like. I've heard nothing but good things.
Comparison. We all started somewhere and we all work towards different levels of playing and writing. I think comparing Player A to Player B is counterintuitive. We're all musicians and we all want to be the best we can be, for whatever reason we justify. We should help inspire each other and teach one another. There isn't enough of that.
I like to share new songs, and give feedback to the artists. I've contributed some solos to other local artists l and tried to help promote some to get them some notice. But I tend to only do this with musicians that are passionate about what they do and aren't disrespectful to other musicians for their abilities.
I think as long as they are genuine, that's all that matters. Everyone should be able to be semi-successful if it's with good intentions.
I honestly have no clue.. I'll have to think on this one.