Music is my door to happiness. Who is coming with me?? :) The music is based on a feeling or a mood, an experience or story or something i really need to get off my chest. Born in Ukraine living in the United States Taras The Artist.
1. Describe your first instrument. Other instruments? 1. My first instrument I ever put my hands on was an accordion. I was about 6 years old and my grandpa would always play it at family parties in Ukraine. I couldn’t quite play it because my hands were a little too small to actually hold a chord. but I tried..
2. What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town? 2. I remember the first time I performed live. It was the 8th grade talent show and I started a band just a month before the show with some friends. I look back at it now and know it was horrible.. but we got a standing applause and the whole crowd yelled encore. The most amazing feeling in the world. From there I was hooked… Then other shows, battle of the bands, and concerts followed which were all amazing memories I treasure very dearly.
3. Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones? 3. Yes. Most of the stuff is Russian or Ukrainian music that no one ever heard before but a select few cultures in Europe. I got very influenced by Elvis, Jazz, Blues and the Beatles as well but nothing specific.
4. Who are your favorite musicians? Groups? CD’s? 4. I started listening to Eminem before I could speak English. So he is the main reason why I’m doing all this. I really liked his story and I could relate to it a lot so it started a flame in me that hasn’t died since. Other artists I love listening to are Tupac, Macklemore, G-Eazy, Atmosphere, Kid cudi, B.o.B
5. Have you been in competitions? 5. I’ve been in competitions with my old band. Now that I produce and write as a solo artist I have not competed anywhere, but I kind of like it that way.
6. Do you perform in public? Describe those occasions? Concerts, radio, TV? 6. Recently I performed acoustic sets of my music around the area but nothing major till finish a few more solid performance projects. I love to mess around on the acoustic guitar making up songs as I go at camp fires or parties.
7. Do you play for dances? Step-dances? Describe the differences. 7. Nope my music doesn’t fit that criterion, all though when I first started off producing I made dubstep and techno. Not my passion though.
8. How do you handle mistakes during a performance? 8. Work around them! and have fun with it might as well have a good laugh. Most importantly prepare better so next time the mistake won’t happen.
9. Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition? 9. Yes, the feeling is satisfactory to me. The adrenaline rush can make the show
10. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous? 10. Its okay to be nervous! if you’re not, then you’re in your comfort zone. No one can improve in it. Take a deep breath and go for it. It only gets better from there.
11. Do you attend sessions? What makes a good session? 11. Iva attended many sessions in home studios and professional studios with other artist in Chicago. If you want a good session you have to be in the right mind set, the right mood, and the people that you are working with must be on the same level. Even someone on the side lines just listing to the artist doing their thing must keep positive and vibrant. The same track or bit of a track playing 200 times over again can get pretty boring, unless you are deeply involved in it.
12. How often and for how long do you practice? 12. Anytime I can. Anytime I’m near my studio. Anytime I’m near a guitar. Or anytime I’m alone in silence I write concepts to future music. So.. all the time.
13. What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc.? 13. I practice writing and producing the most. Trying to get a song to sound as close to my emotions and my thoughts as possible so it can express a powerful and clear message to the listener.
14. Do you teach music? 14. I think you can only teach music theory, how to read sheet music, scales and group harmonies. You cannot teach real music. It can only be expressed.
15. How do you balance your music with other obligations – mate, children, job? 15. I work to pay the bills at the moment. My goal is to be financially free from slave labor. Working for someone else’s benefit making barely enough but just enough to pay for the gas to get to the place of labor that you’re a slave to. Fuck that. That’s why I work hard at what I love to do and spend as much time with people that I care for. So the way I balance it is by asking one question…”what’s more important?”
16. Where can fans find your stuff? 16. Fans can find my music on you tube by simply typing in “Taras The Artist”. Also Soundcloud.com A few tunes on there are up for a free download. Also I have an album released on I tunes Titled “You”. Fans can listen to the whole thing on spotify before they buy. They can keep up with what I’m working on next on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tarastheartist. Shortly a free mixTape will be available on DatPiff.com and a launching of Taras the Artist Web site in the next two months.
Give it a good listen. Pay attention. I tell a lot of stories. I only write the truth. I promise you will not be disappointed if you just “Listen”.
Thanks
-Taras The Artist
