Started on the piano. Moved to the clarinet. Ended up on bass, and haven't looked back since.
Honestly, music is everything to me. I find my head is like an mp3 player of songs, and I can easily get distracted with that when I'm supposed to be talking to other people! Also it makes me happy. Sometimes after a long, hard week/day, its nice to just sit back and listen to something different or new. Or just have a jam over some old songs I've been playing for years.
If I could earn full time off playing music, that would be the dream I guess. I do like pit work, so I guess one day It'd be cool to be in the West End. I could happily play some shows over and over and not get bored.
Please don't hate me for this, but I would have to say Sk8er Boi, by Avril Lavigne. It was the first rock song I heard, (my Dad was a jazz fan, and my Mum classical, so I didn't get to hear much else!) but that song has stuck with me. And amazingly I've never got sick of it, after all these years.
Hmm, it varies on genre, of course. Down the funk road, it has to be Snarky Puppy. Insane band, and so tight/fun to listen to. Moving to heavier grounds, I'm a My Chemical Romance fan (again sorry, I grew up with it!) I love Iron Maiden, and Steve Harris is probably one of my favourite bassists. Along with James Jamerson and Jaco.. I mean those wrote the book on bass, didn't they?
Happiness. The joy it can bring to others. The best part for me is teaching youngsters stuff, and watching them progress (and eventually becoming better than me!) Also it looks cool jumping about with a bass. Just saying.
I love it. I do a lot of pit work, which is all behind the scenes I guess, but to be honest, when there's a live audience, I just go and give it everything. Whether it's to one person, or a thousand. Give 110%, and most importantly have fun. That said, I do still get nervous. But they pretty much go away when I start playing
It's hard. Very hard in fact. Sometimes just getting paid for gigs is real ball ache, and that just shouldn't be. And the reality of it is, you can put in lots of effort, practice for hours, and do everything right, and still not get very far. There is an element of luck involved, and every gig/show/time you play, the chances are there are at least 5 other people who could do the exact same thing, for the same fee or less. You really have to throw yourself out there, and be willing to take chances. Which, as I've said, will not always pay off.
This app is great. And it works just as well, if not better, on browser. It's a great community to share ideas, and expand knowledge, which I hope will get a lot bigger over time!
Ahhh, so many things. To be honest, the most annoying thing is when I'm teaching, and I say to the kid 'just do this 5 minutes every day, and you'll get it'. And of course they don't and we do the same lesson for about a month. And then another kid of the same age, will practice and progress so much further. But I have to spend time with both of them, when that 2nd one deserves much more of my time.
I do try, we have a great local music venue. But with work, my own gigs, and sometimes there just isn't something on that interests me so I don't get down there as much as I'd like to.
That is the million pound question. A good online presence is essential nowadays. A band/artist really needs to be active on social media, but also smart. Lots try to post to much, and it can end up biting them in the ass, as people get sick of their crap. A good live show, so that people who turn up remember you, and next time bring their mates as you were 'that awesome live band I saw.' Having music on streaming platforms (Spotify, Itunes, Drooble Radio) etc as well, so people can listen to it when they want.
If you like electronic stuff, give Killatrix a listen. A heavier band would be Stray From The Path. And Snarky Puppy. Perhaps one of the tightest, funkiest bands on the planet, second only maybe to lettuce (though I prefer snarky)