Travis Burke

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Influences

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What is music to you? What does it give you?

Music is love...it is the best part of me and reflects my most honest, true self. It gives me connection to every other person in the world and to god. Music allows me to communicate in ways I could never do with words.

What is your music dream?

I dream of being able to share my music on a large scale and giving people what music has given me. All of those memories; emotions good and bad that are connected to song. I would like my songs to be that for people someday. My dream is to bring people together for moments of peace and harmony while I entertain them.

If you could change the world - what would you start with?

I would start with helping people care for the earth and each other. We are so desperate for attention and commercial wealth that we forget to give each other our best and take care of our home. The effects on our health, mental health, and our environment have been catastrophic.

Which is the most memorable song from your childhood?

My memories are rooted in my dad's songs the most. He had a tune called Wino Bill about a drunkard of a neighbor that is an amazing song and meant so much to me. Aside from that, I burned through Queen and The Beatles obsessively when I started playing. I loved the voices of Freddie Mercury and John Lennon and imagined performing on a stage like Wembley. The songs and the performances cut right to my heart.

Who are your favorite musical artists or bands?

Queen, The Beatles, Bob Marley, Steely Dan, Fat Freddy's Drop, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, Grateful Dead, Anderson Paak, Allen Stone, The Electric Flag, The Police, Nirvana, Tool (and Maynard spinoffs), The Cranberries, and the list goes on....I love a lot of Rap too---Boogie Down Productions, NWA, Cypress Hill, that era....

What inspires you to make music?

Life and love...music just pours into my soul--I hear it in my head and try to capture it.

What is the message you want to send with your music?

Love each other! And dance---enjoy life

How do you feel when you perform in front of an audience?

I feel like myself---energized, inspired, a little nervous, and home.

How do you see the musicians’ reality nowadays? What could be improved?

I think that the shift in the music business is going to have a positive net effect. Right now, we are all competing for attention, but when we get this age figured out, we will see more creative license and less control by labels and trends. I'm hoping that musicians will start making music they love and stop worrying so much about commerical success. We can have both.

What do you think of Drooble?

Drooble is the reality of a dream I had in the early web 2.0 days. I never had the technical skill to make it come true. I love the idea of karma and participation. I have heard a lot of good new music here too. I'm hoping we will get more honest feedback in the future---right now there is a lot of praise which is great---but I'd like some real press to get better as an artist.

What frustrates you most as a musician?

My day job! I wish I had the means to focus on my music. That and finding other musicians is hard and I really miss performing with other musicians.

Do you support your local scene as a fan? How?

I pay for local shows when I can. I promote those that I enjoy.

What qualities should a musician nowadays have in order to get their music heard by a larger audience?

Kickass songs and a solid performance ready...same as it ever was! You need some net savvy and patience--audiences grow differently now.

Share some awesome artists that we’ve never heard of.

Matt Masih and the Messengers, Stilltime, The Risky Biscuits, Vince Costanza, Jackson Price, Get Dead, Fat Freddy's Drop, The 3 to Get, Trophii