Holistic      Musician

Realization is the awakening of a certain level of understanding, in which something that appeared unclear has revealed its secret and the mystery behind it has been exposed. It is the act of knowing what is real and aligning ones vision with each new truth as it is unveiled. So in essence one could say SELF-realization is looking at life through the REAL EYES of the self! By finding that deeper connectivity to the creative essence that makes YOU a unique individual, you will

Interesting article: What I took from it was not so much that again music lyrics are put on trial as being "unethical" in an educational setting (which of course is ludicrous if used in the right context), but that this school district has classes that have to be taught from both a Hispanic perspective and African-American perspective. Doesn't that just create more separation of people and values and furthering an ideology of class system or rank? I want my child to go to a s

An ispirational work of art by master metal artist Mr. Sawbladehead @NAMM 2014 It's easy to get yourself amped up and rockin' when you are learning your craft as a guitarist. When you strap on your favorite axe, plug in to your amp, hit that first note and feel the vibration surge through the air, it's electrifying! At that point the adrenaline kicks in and you are on fire! But there often comes a time when you have reached a peak and the creative juices seem to lie stagnate

There have been numerous studies about the effects of music and sound on the human body, all of which seem to conclude in one way or another that sound (or at least the frequencies and waves it gives off) does indeed have some influence over our physicality. If this is the case, then imagine how much more "in-tune" we would be if we we're able to recognize which sounds (or for that matter what kinds of music) have an ill effect on us, as we could then re-tune to a pitch that

Metal has long been hailed for it’s deep and dark sound and no other single genre has explored the depths of tuning down like Metal has. During the days of Metals inception, standard A440 (E, A, D, G, B.E) was beefed up with heavy overdrive and increased low end equalization to achieve that low heavy sound but as time passed and music evolved, a desire for a deeper and more rich bottom end guitar sound was building. This vision for a deeper musical tonality had musicians look

For several decades many scientific studies have been conducted to better understand what physically and neurologically forms a habit in one’s life. The majority of these studies say it takes at least 21 days to break a habit, so it will take at least that long to form a new one. Repeated actions build up a memory within your body’s muscles and neurological pathways and these sensations eventually become what we have come to know as a habit. Whether it's moving the fingers to

Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood The law of the five elements has long been a huge part of martial arts, philosophy, mystical and alchemical practices and many areas of the healing arts and Eastern medicine. By understanding the properties of each element we can unlock the nature of its power. We can then explore the idea of this power and use it as a strategy or we can conceptualize an expression of its energy. There are many different interpretations of the five elements

What is Self-Discovery? The name implies a journey or a quest that will end in the finding of a personal treasure buried deep within oneself. This is esoterically correct indeed as self-discovery becomes a journey and the jewels in which we un-earth do come from within. So often though, our tendency is to get stuck on the concept of the journey, always seeking another map that will lead you to your treasure, ready to cast off for shores beyond the farthest horizons in search

No matter how much raw talent or ability one innately possesses the one thing that always makes particular artists stand out is their individual technique. So what does it take to really become a master of technique? Well it takes a keen attention to detail. By dissecting each little nuance of playing we can tap into it’s essence and make a deeper connection to our own creativity. This deeper connectivity will help us hone in on weaknesses and strengths and we will be better

YouTube Videos Equal Instant Gratification The other day, before my band mates and I left for our latest tour, we sat around a laptop and searched out some crazy shred videos on YouTube. From Jason Becker, to Paul Gilbert, and even Ritchie Blackmore and Allan Holdsworth were sweep picking coming out of the 1960's! Video Killed the Radio Star! In the 80's, we entered the video age, with the advent of MTV, listeners where then able to visualize music in a whole new way. But tod