- Here's some info about me, where I came from and what I do!
My names Chazz,
I started playing guitar at the age of 15. I wasn't very good at the begining - The internet wasn't really a big thing just yet so it was very hard to get information on how to play it. So I just fiddled around with it, plucking the strings and making noise. It wasn't until a close friend of mine showed me the power cord!! Everything changed after that!
I was finally able to play something cool. I decided it was about time that I try and persue the guitar a little bit more. After High School I applied for music school! I still didn't know very much at the time so those 'big' music schools wouldn't accept me. So I got in to Music Tech. Wow! I got to meet such amazing people and learn so much more about the guitar and music itself.
I learned theory - Which is a big part of music. There's so much to music that most people just don't know. I learned classical styles, Jazz styles and even joined up with a few college bands while I was there. It was the most amazing 4 years of my life!
After all that, I was ready to try out what I learned back at home.
I joined up with this really great metal band. Mostly we did covers - Which are great to play, fun to learn and will teach you a lot of techniques that the big artists play. Also, mixing your own music in with covers is a great way to get people to like you and listen to you.
We were doing well, playing local gigs. But we wanted to hit it BIG time! So that's when my mind went wild with ideas. I started coming up with all sorts of ways to get more people involved and get people to want us to play at these larger places in the city.
Flyers - A big way to get yourself noticed. Placing them all around various bars, music venues, bus stops, all sorts of places will get your name out there.
The Internet - Now a main part of eveyones life. I started learning about where most people hang out on the Internet. Places to promote and advertise the band and grow the fan base larger then just around our town. It was really fun! You'll talk to and meet some great people on the Internet.
There are more tools I used to get us out there - you can read them in the Marketing Your Band section.
Mainly what I did was work really hard, put the word out and it got attention!
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We were well on our way. Playing shows all over bigger cities around us. Fans loved us and loved what we played covers and originals! We got a few offers from some small record companies and we were shocked. We soon got to make a professional CD that made it into some really good stores around town. Slowly things started changing for us until one of the members had to go to Iraq. It was very hard to fill his spot and continue with the vibe that we had.
Audition after audition we just couldn't make the band as good - Until one day I checked out an ad in the paper. "Killer Bass Player needing a Band" It was a little bit of a long shot but I decided to call him. He sat with us for a few hours and learned a few songs - Quite quickly! We were happy that he was picking it up so well. But the last step would be how he could perform on stage.
I set up a gig downtown in a small bar. I thought it would be good to start small with the new guy. Once we got on stage. Wow, he was great. He had the audiences attention right from his first notes. Soon after word got out that we were back and offers from bars across Our Town came to us.
We never looked back- Well maybe a little to enjoy and reflect on everything that has happened to us.
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Now we're all older and have had the fun we always wanted in life. Yes, we still do shows together and it's still just as fun! People remember us - Even the young ones.
Mainly now I like to teach others - Teach how to play and to market their own bands.
It's definatly been an amazing journey and I want to share everything I've learned to those who want to know!