So u want my bio, huh? Ok, let's see...
Since I think it's a lil precocious to say I knew I wanted to be a musician when I was 3 years old, I'll just say I really liked music from as far back as I can remember. The thing that got me seriously thinking about being a rock star was the cover of Neil Diamond's Hot August Night album. That was the first time I saw the classic "Rock Star Pose 13"...u know, guitar on the shoulder, legs apart, arm pointing straight up in the air. Yeah, I could envision myself in that scenario and I wanted it. I used to air jam the CRAP outta "Holly Holy." Think I may have to cover that someday...
It wasn't til I was 7 years old that I discovered FM radio and KISS. That totally lit the fire to become a musician. I mean, a 7 year old kid seeing guys with crazy make-up, breathing fire, spitting blood, playing smoking guitars...mmhmm. THAT was the shit!! I started nagging my parents to get me an electric guitar. 8 years later, I got one.
So now it's 1984...MTV still played music videos. Music on MTV?? NO WAY!! Really...way! Here I am, guitar in hand absorbing all these images of rock 'n' roll on tv when it happens. "Little Red Corvette" video comes on. Total deer in the headlights moment. That dude is IT!! Everything a rock star should be...this Prince guy has it. Charisma, sexuality, moves, grooves, music...uh oh. How does THIS go with wanting to be a hair metal guitar god? And why do my hair buddies think Prince isn't cool? Hmmm...better keep quiet on the Prince thing. BUT, I go out and buy his entire catalog up to that point. This stuff is amazing, but I'm a metal guy. Ain't gonna play that funky stuff. I'll just listen to it...in the closet.
1985...Purple Rain. Prince is cool now. I can listen in public. WOOT!! Still a metal guy tho.
'86-'88, I played in a hair metal cover band. That was fun. I got my name out there. My hair was kickin', spandex was...well, spandex. Was told many times I had a cute ass. So I guess spandex was good for something. ;) Plus I got to sign some boobs. Definitely a musical highlight. It was during that time I met she who was to become my wife and was given the nickname Bratt. I was told I was so bad I needed 2 T's. I still can't figure out why. Any ideas? :P
I did a semester at Berklee College of Music in Boston, but didn't like the way things were there. A lil too jazz oriented at the time and why do I have to take social studies to get a music degree? So in '88, I went to Musicians Institute in L.A. Definitely awesome...definitely culture shock. Big fish from lil pond gets thrown in the ocean. Had a blast at school and learned tons, but sadly...I got discouraged. I knew the guys I had been jamming with back home would never amount to anything because the drive necessary to survive in the industry wasn't there. I came home and caved to the "when are u gonna get a REAL job" mentality everyone was bombarding me with. Music was always there, but I wasn't playing out anymore. Just jamming in the basement. I bought a keyboard so I could start writing full songs. It was nice having bass and drum sounds to work with. I never sang and I had no intention to, even tho I wrote lyrics. I was basically playing to keep my soul happy. It's in the blood.
Flash forward to the 90's...Nirvana kills everything I stand for. What the hell do I do NOW? That was when my musical maturation started. My semi-closet mentor, role model, teacher Prince was just about all I listened to for a couple years. Even the old hair metal cassettes...yes cassettes...weren't doing it for me anymore. Prince was it. Then one day I'm jamming in the basement working on a song idea and...WHOA!! What did I just play?? That sounded like...no, it couldn't be...something...FUNKY!?! *Looks around in paranoia* Did anybody hear that?? Lawd, I hope not. But why did it feel so good to play that? Once that door was opened a crack, I couldn't stop the flow. Funk happens. From there it wasn't a big step into jazz and blues. The problem was, I found myself writing in 3 distinct styles. Metal, funk, and smooth jazz. I started thinking there has to be a way to combine these elements into one sound. After some years of messing with it, I found it. A sound I call "Smooth Funk 'n' Metal". Funny thing is, I really don't have an example of it on this page just yet. I have a lot of song ideas that I need to finish and I'm trying to get them done ASAP. It's not easy to find time when ur caught up in the domestic world of mowing lawns, watching kids, working stupid hours. Plus I have to learn new recording software now that I switched to Mac. Somebody stop this tangent please, I want to get off!
Anyway, sometime in the early 2000's, I met the MP3 Fairy. She said u can record songs in a way that u can share them on the web. So u mean all those song ideas I have laying around can actually be HEARD by people? WORLDWIDE?? NO WAY!!! I think I should prolly finish a couple and get them out there. Uh oh...I don't sing. Crud. Well, as u can see, there are vocals on the songs I DO have up. I kinda figured out I needed to sing. I know the vox are a bit rough, but I've just started learning to sing. If u listen to the songs in the order they were written, u can follow the progress of my vocal ability. "Just Shut Ur Mouth" was first, followed by "JSUM Reprise", then "Starting Over". Hopefully I'll continue to improve as I learn more about vocal technique AND vocal production. SOOOO much to learn.
So that's pretty much where I'm at. Still writing songs in the basement, but able to put the music out there and get feedback. For all those who have given me positive comments, a big heartfelt thank u!! It's always cool when someone tells u that u don't suck. For all the haters...don't listen. Duh!!
I'm still caught in a work schedule that makes having a band extremely difficult, if not impossible. I dabble in teaching guitar every once in awhile. I still jam with people on occasion which is something I love to do. Writing solo is fun for awhile, but there's something magical about bouncing ideas off another musician. U get taken down avenues u normally wouldn't have thought of on ur own. If ya wanna jam sometime...holla!!
Hope u like the music I have up and I'll try to get more up here as soon as I can.
Peace and Love,
Bratt
