Steel Notes Magazine
words, what other passions do you have in
addition to music?
Well, I was going to Architecture school, so that
might have been my future. I also like Astronomy
and Meteorology. When I'm at home, I also love
to cook. Nothing too extravagant. Simple, healthy
food.
Winter 2017/18
That's tough to answer, as there have been so
many people along the way. In the early days, my
first teacher was very inspiring. I wanted to be
like him. Also my brother John. So many band
mates and the parents of band mates that
supported us. Other musicians and bands like
Steve Harris, Jaco Pastorius, Pink Floyd, Paul
McCartney and Judas Priest and many more. Of
course Doro is a huge inspiration and great
teacher to me, thank you Doro! Also, the
legendary Phil Chen who played bass for Jeff Beck
and Rod Stewart, and now plays for Robby
Krieger of The Doors.
What about turning points in your career or a
specific person that changed your life?
Do you remember your first gig?
Yes! Well, it wasn't really a gig, but it was my first
time playing on a stage. It was an audition for a
talent show, which was over an hour drive from
where we used to live. We had something like a
3-minute time limit, but our songs were typically
much longer than that. So we just started playing,
and of course went over the time limit. One of
the judges ended up having to run toward the
front of the stage, waving his hands at us so that
we would stop. I think we kept going a little
longer, then finally stopped. Needless to say, we
were disqualified from the talent show. But, hey,
at least we got to play as much as we wanted!
Have you always had the support of your family
over the course of the years?
Well, not so much in the beginning. When it
became evident that my interest was more with
music than with architecture (I still liked
architecture, though), it was met with some
resistance. But I kept going with it. And one day, I
went home holding a record that had my face on
the back cover. I showed it to my mom, and I
think that’s when she realized that I was really
determined to do this.
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Who inspired you the most along your career?
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Once again I would say being with Doro and the
band. I've also been going to church often, and
that has given me peace.
I suppose you met a lot of people over the years.
Who deserves a big thanks for the musician and
man you have become?
It would be hard to pin down just one person, but
I will say Doro, since I learned so much from her.
Day 1 of your career and today: how have you
changed over the course of your career?
I used to look at my life as fun and I did not feel
like I had big responsibilities. But along the way, I
realized two things. First, music is a business after
all, and it requires a good strategy to stay in it.
Second, so many people are affected by music, in
a good way, and I started feeling honored to have
such a role for them. I understood I definitely had
some responsibilities. I feel like I’m a happy
servant. That’s what it is all about.
You always played rock music. What was it that
drove you towards this musical genre?
It was probably due to the influence of my older
brother and friends when I was growing up. They
were into heavy metal and hard rock. Also, there
is a lot of energy coming out of rock/metal, I
really felt it inside me. Nowadays, I listen to all