With one foot in classical music and the other pressing the heavy petal of metal music, musical virtuoso Brennan Dylan takes a few minutes to answer some questions for AskANewYorker.com. Among many fascinating insights from his earliest experiences in his musical development, he explains some of the consequences of music piracy, shares the number one lesson of becoming a music star: “develop and maintain a high level of discipline” and ultimately, confirms that despite the opinions of others, what really matters, is the music that a person makes.
1. What is your earliest memory of music and how were you exposed to music at a young age?
Music has always been around me. My Dad likes to listen to rock and metal so whenever we drove somewhere without my Mum the tunes rocked. Also he used to hold me when I was really little and dance around to MTV music videos. When my Dad was at work my Mum and I were always going to a creative arts thing. I really liked dancing.
2. When did you realize you wanted to create music yourself?
As well as being exposed to the arts at a very young age, sports was a big part of my life particularly swimming and later on competitive swimming. After swimming practice I’d watch the Simpsons and eat a snack. What really caught my attention was the sound that came from Lisa’s sax. So when I was 10 I bugged my parents for 2 weeks until I got one. My Dad wanted me to try the guitar but I wanted the sax which turned out to be the best choice because you have to play play single note melodies with a sax as there are no chords. The sax set the groundwork for shredding the guitar as well as composing original music. I started writing songs when I was 10.
3. Tell us about the first time you picked up a guitar.
I was 14 and it was magic. A couple of guys renovating our house were rooting around the basement when they discovered a dust covered case. Inside was a one-off handmade mahogany, ebony inlaid Odyssey guitar. It was my Dad’s guitar which he’d had for 20 years and tried to sell twice because he has the dexterity of an axe wielding lumberjack and all the finesse that goes with it. The 2 dudes had a go at it then passed it to me. It was really comfortable and lightning in a bottle for me. Right at that moment I decided I was going to be a guitar player and recording artist.
4. Through my own experiences, I recall as a child the magic of sitting at the piano and playing a recognizably melody for the first time and this felt to be an overwhelming sensation and indelible memory for me. Do you have any particular experience where music initially coincided with your life in a profound and resonant way?
When I studied the sax I played, performed and listened to only jazz, swing and classical works. No more blasting rock for me man. Then when I was handed the guitar I switched my focus to rock and metal. I studied artists like Van Halen, Malmsteen, AC/DC, Deep Purple etc with a guy who’d been playing for 20 years. After a couple of months of lessons I went to my 1st jam and had to sit on a stool to play. I got booed and laughed at because I couldn’t stand up to perform. I just smiled until I got out side then I cursed like a trucker on steroids. That experience made me very determined to be a good guitar player. I studied and practiced for 5 months before I came back. I burned the place to the ground that Saturday in April 2003 and even had a patron from out of town grab the mike from the host getting the audience chanting my name until the host gave in and let me play an encore. I was a regular 2 – 3 times a week for 3 years after that.
5. From your classical training, what influenced you in the directions you are currently taking in music?
I really like Paganini, Bach and Mozart and think that the complexity of their compositions and the precision that one has to have to play their works has really influenced not only my writing but also my playing style.
6. How has your classical training benefited you?
Its benefited me in several ways. First, it has helped me develop & maintain a high level of discipline which I believe is something you need if you want to be recognized as a great artist and that is something I’m aiming for and have been since I first picked up a guitar. Secondly, it taught me to read music as well as speak the language of music which is very important when working with a high caliber producer in the studio and/or very talented musicians on stage. It has also helped me develop my creativity and has made me fearless when I perform and compose. I think that nothing is too daunting if you study and enjoy classical artists, I mean those dudes have set the bar really high. What have I got to lose if I drive a few miles outside the box? Not my confidence because its been my experience that people who see me perform really appreciate my technical approach to music. Classical training has made me look in the mirror creatively and strive to get more out of my guitar every time I pick it up.
7. Do you have a preference for playing music live or working in the studio?
That answer depends upon whether I’ve just recorded or not. When I’m in the studio its all business for me and I’m there to create something that no one has ever created before. I really wouldn’t want to live in a studio but when I’m there I love it. Then again I really like performing live because I get to interact with the audience and feed off their energy. That is why I write and perform.
8. How do you feel the current trends of music piracy on the internet are affecting the livelihoods of musicians and their ability to produce music for the public?
Just look at the rock/metal guitar players that the 70’s and 80’s kicked out………Richie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Randy Rhoads, Jeff Beck, Mick Mars, Joe Walsh, Dimebag Darrell just to name a few. Record labels threw money at bands and artists because they had money to fund and develop those they believed were talented and had potential. Now labels are very cautious with their money and who can blame them. Labels spend millions to get their artists out there and with a major segment of the market vaporized, it hurts not only the artists but also the consumer. Sure free downloads are awesome……I mean awesome in an insane fashion. They are destroying art. People think its cool to spend $5 on a cup of java but refuse to pay a dime to buy their favorite artist’s work. Maybe Guitar Hero is the future………no I truly doubt that because people like talent and will pay for it. Look, a few years ago Revolver Magazine came out with their top 100 guitarists of all time. Skrillex made the cut and he’s an electronic artist who doesn’t even play the guitar. That’s insane but I think it was the tipping point. Just as Napster was born so will it die because quality never does. Just ask Mozart.
9. There have been some interesting developments in the performance of music on a multi-media basis ranging from music festivals showing the works of visual artists and the development of music videos over the past 30 years. These often provide opportunities for audiences to be exposed to other media they may not directly pursue but that may correspond to their tastes and offer new avenues to develop their interest. Do you see any other ways that music may collaborate with other artists of other media in the future to create a richer experience of artistic expression for the artist, and even collaborative experiences such as Bjork’s Volta and Beck’s Song Reader?
I’d like to be a visionary and say something brilliant here but unfortunately that just isn’t in the cards. I will say that collaborations between artists and different art forms is very important and helps us all evolve into a more tolerant society. It also pushes the envelope of creativity which can lead to something new and exciting to see and listen to. Some people enjoy only one or 2 music genres and then maybe only one or 2 styles within a particular genre. When I lived in LA I played the Whisky regularly, performing as a solo artist fusing rock, metal and neoclassical guitar to techno and industrial. Because I was a hard rock/metal guitar player I was billed with metal bands. Whenever I arrived to set up I got snickers from the metal bands because they saw this skinny dude walk in with a guitar case and DJ gear so their 1st take on me was I was some kind of mutant geek freak. That all stopped when I plugged in to do my sound check. When they saw and heard how I handled a guitar, their view of me changed. You know the saying “Never judge a book by its cover.” Usually I performed 5 – 7 sets between acts 15 to 20 minutes each. After each set I always had some of the other guitarists come over and talk to me. The arts have to collide. My most successful Youtube video to date is not mine at all but me ripping to Jay-Z: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ms_4KIn3_8#aid=P8NDzv0K_mg I really like collaborating with artists from other genres.
10. If you could have anyone in the world as the #1 fan of your music, who would it be?
Mozart
