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After one of the songs, we briefly introduce ourselves. The lead singer tells us they go on break
after the next song and wants to talk to us. "Secretly". Now it's break time, we find a table. The
singer comes over. He asks if we're producers. We tell him we write and produce our own material,
but we have a band, etc. The singer just swears up and down; we're scouts. Then he goes on to tell
us how he's not really with this group and he's looking to get out and he hopes we sign him. Now
the drummer is on his way over. The singer leaves like we're in a spy movie, swears us to secrecy.
The drummer sits down. Asks us what the singer said. We're like, "uhhh". Drummer asks if we're
A&R, then tells us about the singer's ego and how he's not to be trusted. Drummer tells us how
"he's" not with the band and wants us to sign him. By the end of the break, almost every member
of the band was "not with the band" and wanted us to "sign him/her".
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Who are your influences?
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As far as wanting to do music as a way of life, it was everything that was going on when I was
15/16: Michael Jackson, Prince, George Clinton, Rick James, Teena Marie, The Original 7ven/The Time.
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For guitar: Nile Rodgers, Jimmy Nolen, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, Jesse
Johnson, Eddie Hazel.
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For Bass: James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Rusty Allen (later
Sly and the Family Stone).
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For Songwriting: John Lennon/Paul McCartney, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Almost
everything that was on Solar Records.
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What is your musical background like?
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Totally self taught. Became a bass player by McCartney-like default playing with PC Munoz. His
guitar player Marc Weibel is amazing. On guitar I'm mostly a rhythm player. During this time of
writing for the album, I'm getting more into my guitar playing. Just want to explore it more. My
bass is fine. On bass I've gotten into listening to Rusty Allen lately. He has this perfect blend
of James Jamerson and Larry Graham in his style, which I think is similar to the sound I go for in
my playing.
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Any other members in your family that are musicians?
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My wife Sallie duMaine is a very accomplished piano player and keyboardist. She and her siblings
come from a very trained and disciplined musical background. She'll be playing on the album and
may be in the backing band too.
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What is the top reason why you want to play music?
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It's the need to do it. To be creative. To continue on some level to express myself freely. It's
a result of the impression left from hearing "Revolver" or "Dirty Mind" or any obscure album track
or b-side.
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What has been your best show?
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The most moving was as a musician with Playback Theatre Workshop. We did a series of workshops for
the Juvenile Center. We would do some music and some improv and get the kids to participate in the
acting. A lot of the music is improv too. So I was playing everything from Dr. Dre inspired riffs,
some jazz, mostly some classic funk. The overall experience really inspired the kids. They enjoyed
the music and a few of them volunteered to be in the workshop. When the kids did their solo workshop.
They were amazing. The experience really moved us because we saw hope in their faces, a glimpse that
there is more to life than the conditions that brought them there and that you can go another way.
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