MY FIRST BAND: A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

We’ve all heard of, or been a part of the stereotypical garage band. Your first band can be a huge step for you as a musician. Its your first chance to actually play with other musicians and become a performer. For me, my first band was a huge step for my advancement in music and performing, here’s my story.

The twinkle in my eye began my sophomore year in high school. I had been playing guitar for three years now and of course, like most early musicians, I thought I was awesome. I played in the jazz band, where I met my soon-to-be best friend, Erik. Erik played guitar as well and we immediately clicked and started to spend hours jamming and playing guitar together. We quickly realized two guitars alone couldn’t make a band, we needed a drummer. Luckily for us, Erik was friends with a great drummer, Brian. The three of us had a blast. Soon after, we acquired a fourth member, Omeed, and at the time he played guitar as well(first mistake). I’m sure to others it sounded like complete crap, especially in the beginning, but to us it was magic. 

Our first “show” was actually Brian’s drum recital, and in front of an audience of about 10, we rocked out to “Afterlife” by Avenged Sevenfold which we had practiced for months. After this we realized we could write our own songs and actually book shows. We learned a lot from the first show. We needed bass and we needed a singer. Thus began singing tryouts. Omeed, Brian and Erik were not very good singers, and honestly, neither was I, but I was chosen to be the singer for the band. Needless to say, I had a lot of work to do because I knew nothing about singing. 

We began writing songs and this was one of the most beneficial parts for me. We learned how to put songs together and what works and doesn’t work. There was a lot of frustration and a lot of bad songs. Finally we played our first show and completely sucked, in front of all of our family and friends. This was a very eye-opening experience, and from there we only got better. We realized we needed to actually practice stage presence and practice our instruments.

By the end of high school, we had played more than ten shows and written more than ten songs, we actually got pretty damn good! I learned so many valuable things from the whole experience and I gained a lot as a musician and a performer. I learned the basics of writing a song and the value of PRACTICING. I’d love to hear your “first band stories” so comment below! Don’t forget to check out my store while you’re down there ;)

AN INCREDIBLE IMPACT: BOB DYLAN

Don’t think music has an impact on the world? Well president Obama sure does. The famous musician and songwriter Bob Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for “significant impact” on American culture over the past five decades. Bob Dylan is a perfect example of a musician who has not only had an incredible impact on music, but has also made a lasting impression on the world.

Dylan has written multiple hits including “The Times They Are A-Changin” and “Like a Rolling Stone”. Since his career began in 1962 with his first album release, he’s written over 600 songs! His achievements also include ELEVEN grammys (not too shabby…). Some of the other recipients of the award were Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State, physician and epidemiologist William Foege and astronaut John Glenn. After announcing the award winners, President Obama said “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our Nation. They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”

Bob Dylan was a good musician and song writer, but what made him unforgettable was what he wrote about. Songs like “Masters of war” were about war, and in the time of the world war and Vietnam, war songs were extremely popular. His songs spoke out about the hurt and pain, they inspired people to want peace and to protest against war and most of all they remained in the hearts and minds of everyone that listened.

So I don’t know about all of you, but Bob Dylan, with all his achievements and impact on the world, inspires me to become a better musician, and reassures me that my music is worthwhile. Hopefully this story influences all of you in similar ways. Scroll down to comment and check out my store!!

A GREAT PERFORMER: JASON MRAZ

What makes a performer a GREAT performer? And what makes a great performer a great entertainer? It’s hard to describe exactly what constitutes a great performer or entertainer but I believe it comes down to three essential parts of each live performance. The three parts are Musical ability, musical performance and stage presence. Someone that constantly nails all three parts and is one of my favorite entertainers is Jason Mraz.

He first caught the eye of the public with his song “The Remedy” off his album “Waiting For My Rocket to Come”. Since then, he has written other hits such as Wordplay, Lucky, I Won’t Give Up and many more. He’s created a great POSITIVE image for himself through interviews, live shows and just being himself, which means not getting involved in any celebrity crap drama. His songs and recordings are all catchy and speak to his audience in a different way. The most important thing though is not that he can sound amazing on a recording but that he can sound even BETTER during his live performances. Lets break down why exactly Mraz is such a phenomenal performer.

It all starts with good songs. Jason is a great songwriter and has a lot of top hits, many of which are really fun songs for a live show. His musical ability is incredible. He has one of the best voices of our generation and he plays guitar very well WHILE he is singing. He has years and years of practice under his belt and he still constantly practices, making his live performance incredibly tight and flawless. The last important piece to the performer puzzle is stage presence. Mraz has a way of captivating his audience and creating a bond during each show. He is smooth and well prepared with what he says and his physical movement on stage shows his confidence and friendliness, two things that the audience clings to.

So with his great musical ability, great musical performances and great stage presence, Jason Mraz easily secures the top spot on my list of favorite performers. I’ll have to let you all know how the show on August 22^nd in Nashville goes, there will be pictures and videos. You can still get tickets to see how incredible his shows are! If you want any Mraz merch, check out my store down below, I have posters and albums for sale!

GETTING STARTED: LESSONS AND PRACTICING

So you have your shiny new instrument but there is one problem, you can’t play anything…it’s time to get started. 

There are two ways to begin learning an instrument: with lessons, or without lessons. TAKE LESSONS! Especially if this is your first instrument, because you are not only learning an instrument, you’re learning the basics of music and music theory, which is the backbone of any solid musician. Trying to learn on your own or from youtube videos will take much longer and you won’t learn some essential parts about playing your instrument and playing music in general.

Youtube videos can be great to learn songs and some techniques as long as you are taking lessons as well. Finding lessons is easy. Go to your local music store, and if they don’t have lessons I’m sure they know where you can find someone who does. Also, use google or craigslist, there are plenty of professionals out there eager to teach.

This is where the dedication comes into play. So you’ve started taking lessons, you like your teacher and you are excited to be playing your instrument, but after a few weeks you get discouraged. Learning an instrument is HARD! It gets extremely frustrating and you might begin to think you may never get good. This is an important hurdle to get over. STICK WITH IT! Don’t give up. Remember how badly you want to become a good musician. Remember practicing is a part of that, and with time you will get there. Here are some tips to help you survive your next frustrating practice:

1. SLOW DOWN! If you learn it slow, you can gradually speed up until you get it.
2. Take a deep breath, RELAX, then keep going. Sometimes you just need a second to get your head together.
3. TAKE A BREAK! Practicing something new for too long can get frustrating, you just need to come back to it later.
4. Learn songs you love! Practicing is way better if you get to play songs that inspire you.
5. DON'T FORGET that you committed to learning this instrument, and with practice, you will become a great musician. Baby steps!

So find the right instrument, find the right teacher, stay dedicated and PRACTICE! Follow these guidelines and you’ll be well on your way to making beautiful music. Leave me a comment and let me know what you all decide and if you have any questions! 

If you’re having trouble finding instruments to buy, scroll down and check out my store, I have some great stuff for affordable prices. Good luck!

GETTING STARTED: FOR THE BEGINNER

Don’t ever let anyone tell you music isn’t for everybody. Music IS for everybody, you just have to have an interest! 

We all start somewhere, even the most famous musicians, paul mccartney, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Beethoven, weren’t born strumming six-strings and tickling the ivories. Yes it takes years of practice to be a solid musician, but the rewards are well worth it. So the question is: where do you begin?

The first step is DEDICATION. It is not a good idea to try to learn an instrument if you are not motivated from the start. There is a lot of practicing and hard work that is necessary for becoming a great musician. Yes, we all get discouraged sometimes and lose motivation but it takes dedication to get past the rough parts and get to the fun stuff.

Ok, so you’re dedicated. You know you want to play music and you are willing to put the hours of practice in to get there, now what? Now it’s time to ask yourself: what instrument do I want to play? This may take some trial and error but here are a few tips on how to decide:

1.     Listen to ten of your favorite songs…what instrument (or instruments) stands out to you the most? What instrument makes you love each song?

2.     What musician or artist inspires you the most? What instrument do they play?

3.     Picture yourself on stage in front of thousands. What instrument are you playing (singing counts).

4.     If you have access to a guitar or piano, hold it, feel it out, try to play a few notes.

5.     If you can’t decide, pick one and see how it goes, you can always change to a new instrument.

Now that you’ve decided which instrument you will wield, you need to BUY your very own. If you can’t borrow one from a family member or friend, you will want to start with something cheap because you never know if this is the instrument you want to stick with. You can always get a nicer guitar or keyboard later when you get a little more serious. 

GUITAR CENTER is your friend. They have everything and usually you can negotiate a great deal with one of the salesmen. Also, check your local music store, ask the guy at the front, let him know you are just starting out and he will have the “perfect one for you”. 

Check out my next post about taking lessons and practicing tips!

My death

Obituary for Anthony Daniel Salomone

Anthony D Salomone, 33, died June 9, 2025 at 2 p.m. while fighting a family of wild bears in South Africa. Salomone suffered fatal wounds to the neck while saving a local village from a bear attack. He was the son of Christopher Salomone and Michelle Salomone and was a 2010 graduate of Scioto High School in Dublin, Ohio.

Salomone spent his childhood in Dublin, Ohio with his two parents and brother, Daniel Salomone. He then moved to Nashville to pursue an education at Middle Tennessee State University and earn a degree in Digital Media Communication. After his graduation, Salomone traveled the world to save lives and fight bears.

Salomone was in South Africa staying in a local village when a family of bears attacked and tormented the village. He bravely fought the bears off and rescued the village of women and children.

He is survived by a wife Cynthia Stone of Nashville, Tenn; two sons, Jason and Spencer; brother, Daniel Salomone of Dublin, Ohio; two aunts, Marianne Kopech of Columbus, Ohio and Gretchen Neuroth of Dublin, Ohio; and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews, and many friends.

Salomone loved his music, family and friends. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, big heart and knack for putting a smile on the faces of others. He will be truly missed by all those who were in his life and he will live on through his music and life work.

Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 2025, at Liberty Presbyterian church in Dublin, Ohio. Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2025, at Liberty Presbyterian church.

Pallbearers will include Daniel Salomone, Jason Salomone, Spencer Salomone; nephew Paul Barnes; and son-in-law Phillip Jones.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mr. Salomone’s memory may be made to the South African anti-bear association of America.