Also known as Midnight Tony La
Well I got a late start in comparison to many of my guitar heroes, I started at 15. I quickly joined a few neighborhood bands and started playing at parties. I played around with various local bands playing parties up until 21.
From 21 onward, I joined and formed a couple of different bands and started playing clubs. Also during this time I worked full time in the IT field(Back then it was called data processing). Some of the highlights during this time were opening up for, Robin Trower, Lesslie West, Frank Marino, The Outlaws, Lonnie Brooks, Son Seals and The Kinsey Report.After about a good 7 year run playing the clubs, I decided to go back to school and finish a degree. This led to a Masters Degree and 10 years teaching Math and Computer Science full time. I now teach Computer Science as an adjunct teacher at a local college.
During the time I spent teaching full time, there was very little time for music. So as for the musical side within me you can say I lost a decade.
Now I am back and I find myself playing more so then I have ever done before. I also decided to start singing. I use the time that I have to further develop my skills on the guitar, write and record music, most of which is mine and will most likely appear on one of my cd's.
It is always been difficult for me to classify my playing. I would say that primarily I am a blues, rock, jazz, and latin influenced guitarist. I also enjoy playing and working on shred, fingerstyle, bluegrass, folk and classical. The actual category with which I am placed doesn't matter to me. I will be happy wherever you place me, as long as it isn't the junk pile :)
The above songs were recorded between my studio and a friends. They were mixed by me and if they appear on my first Cd will be mastered at a professional studio. The process of creating these recordings have been a blast.
Other Hats:
Computers, teaching,writing web pages using HTML,CSS and Javascript, taking pictures, digital recording and computer programming. I have lost many hats and always looking to acquire new ones.
I am currently working on my website. Although the focus will centered around my journey as a guitarist and musician, I will also be including links and resources to other things of interest to me. I also am in the process of working on some online lessons. I will probably starting out with advanced intermediate lead but plan on covering a range skills. If you are guitarist reading this depending on your level you may find these lessons useful to you. Stop by my website and sign my guest book if you want to be notified about updates to my site. www.tonyla.com
What I Like To Do:
Really doesn't matter to me, I can do nothing to the intense. I like to drift around, check out other neighborhoods and towns. Restaurants, taverns, parks, rivers, woods, lakes etc. (and now that I have a digital camera I can remember all the places I have visited.) I can hang with my friends or hang by myself. Working out but haven't done so in a while (takes away from guitar playing).