Guitar Nine Columns: Guitarists and Bands

I run my business, do my own booking, I do everything! We don`t have no managers, no agents, none of that. That`s what I tell these kids now. You`re better off making your own record, selling it at your own place and owning the rights to your own records.

Of course besides the music, there is another very important part of your musicianship, which is to learn how to market yourself. It all starts with acting professional, being on time, learning your parts. Learn to ask for advice when you need it from players that have more experience than you.

Try to become proficient in marketing, and develop a keen business sense. This includes your recordings, music book publishing, other merchandising endeavors, etc. The music industry is a very, very tough one, and it takes serious dedication and an unbelievable work ethic to survive.

Communicating Beauty, Peace, And Joy

Having The Guts To Play What They Feel

Old School Metal Rises Up

One Of New York's Best Kept Secrets

Mixed Bag Of Metallic Instrumentals

Soloist Adept In Jazz, Latin, Funk & Pop

Superb Italian Instrumental Rock

Playing With Technique And Passion

Argentinian Metalizes Paganini

Master Of Bulgarian Shred

Acoustic Bluegrass From Barcelona, Spain

Finnish Guitarist Releases Rock Demo

I never thought I`d be CEO of Virgin Independent, nor would I want to. I had material to release. No major or indie label wanted to hear about it, so I did it myself. And let`s face it: guitar music is a tough sell, so most majors won`t cut you any slack.

I love it at home, but you can`t play here. You can`t play in L.A. every night. We`re lucky to play once a week here. It`s just the nature of being a musician. People won`t pay to see you every single week. You have to travel and change your audience to be able to play every night.

Being independent allows you to totally escape A&R, and do whatever you want. In the next three years I am releasing a solo acoustic guitar record, a fusion record, and a record with no guitar on it. I would never be allowed to do that with PolyGram. Being independent allows you to always be in control of your own music.

Chicago's Guitarist & Drummer Go Live

Frightening Chops Abound At The Baked Potato

The U.K.'s Triple Threat

Ripping Metal Instrumentals

Constructing New Hard Rock

Musical Impressionism With Acoustic Guitar

Going Beyond Categorization With First CD

Persisting With A Hard Rock Vision

Solo Enhanced Rock/Blues Demo

Fade To (Digital) Black

Sorta Purple Hard Rock

Blazing Through Quandrant 69

There`s very few radio stations who play surf, rockabilly or blues, together with current folk or roots music. It`s always Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or the Backstreet Boys. I just wish that the kids coming up would have a choice to be able to hear everything on the radio and be exposed to that stuff.

A Passion For Making & Sharing The Music

Brazilian Musical Treat, With Nilson Matta

Arlen Roth's Second Guitarist Goes Solo

Aggressively Pursuing The Hard Rock Agenda

Sweden's Instrumental Storyteller

Settling The Score... With Metal

A Heaping Helping Of Shredded Bliss

16-Year-Old Neo-Classicist Cranks Out Demo

Practicing Instrumental Metallurgist

Appealing To The Emotions & The Intellect

Jazz/Fusion Tone King