Music is a way of Life

From an early age, music has been a big part of my life. Growing up around music, learning music at home and school, its fair to say I acquired calluses on my fingers from guitar strings as a young boy. At the age of six, I received my first electric guitar. I can still remember the smell of the fresh strings and leather as you opened the guitar case. It was this childhood hobby that has fueled a life long passion dedicated to the various aspects of music. It’s hard not to love everything about it: the genres and styles, the scenes, the hype, the equipment, the media and the fashion.

I can still remember attending my first live concert. Successful Perth band Jebediah had come to perform at our high school gym after class. It was a big event for the school and the anticipation was killing everyone. As we walked into the gym, it was dark, with a warm glow appearing from the stage. It was hard to find a good spot and we were waiting for what felt like the longest fifteen minutes ever. The band walked out, the lights went up, and the first chord was hit for their hit song at the time, Leaving Home. The crowd went ballistic! It was hard for me not to walk out of the show thinking this is what I want to do.

Well its funny how things work out; the tables turned from being a punter to being a rocker. Over the past six years, I have been part of a not too large, but fairly prominent Perth band. This has seen me perform in small to large venues across Australia, from the once-famous, gritty small room of the Hyde Park Hotel in North Perth, to the larger Australian festivals such as Big Day Out, Southbound and Homebake. It’s a thrill to hear your song on Triple J for first time and to think of the opportunities this provides for younger bands. Touring Australia is something that has to be done for young bands. I have experienced the Australian music industry from a variety of angles and have met many interesting people. I have never had the chance to write in the capacity to provide commentary, news and opinions on the Australian music industry as a whole, which is why I have chosen to talk about emerging talent and interests of the Australian music scene though Hound-Down-Under-Ground.