Disclaimer: Minor edits have been made to the interview for grammar and spelling purposes. The only spelling errors left untouched are phrases written in British English.
As a writer, I am always impressed by different artists. Music is one of those areas where I feel awestruck. Part of it is probably because I can never read music. However, creativity is not always an easy skill. I speak from someone who studies creative writing–creativity is hard. Creating art takes time and patience. It takes a lot of practice to get better too.
So I reached out to someone I met in Scotland over the summer. Unlike me, he is way better at understanding music. I really wanted to see it through the lens of someone who has taken the time to practice it and even find a passion for it. But I’ll let him introduce himself.
- Tell me about yourself and what you do.
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Hey! My name is David Graham, though I go online by OhNoPhoton, and I’m from Scotland! I create cover songs on my bass for my YouTube channel, though I am working towards getting a foothold in the industry to become a session bassist. I’m also working towards getting a degree in Music Technology, which I should hopefully be achieving by the end of this year.
- What inspired your interest in music?
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My interest in music started at a very young age, when my Dad first introduced me to his classic rock albums, stuff like Deep Purple, AC/DC, Guns and Roses, bands like that. I actually started out by learning the guitar first! My Dad got me a cheap guitar set for my birthday one year, and I was instantly hooked. It came with a beginning guitar sheet music book, because, since I was like nine, I couldn’t read the sheet music. So what I felt was that I was an amazing player already, but what my parents heard was me playing random notes to a MIDI backing track!
- What instruments do you play? Why?
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The main instrument I play now is bass, though I do still play guitar. I did have a friend teach me how to play the flute and the cello slightly, though I wouldn’t say I’m any good at them! I also have a slight understanding of how to play drums and keyboard! It was a bit coincidental I picked up the bass in the first place, as in high school we had to take two instruments to learn in music, so, knowing that my parents would hate me if I took up the drums as they wouldn’t want a drumkit in the house, I chose the drums. Fortunately for them, I was awful at the drums, so I moved on to playing the bass. I began enjoying bass a lot more than guitar over time, making it my main focus, and that’s how I got to where I am today with it!
- What are the challenges you’ve come across? How have you overcome it?
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As with any skill, there are bound to be challenges. My journey with bass was no exception, there were many times when I had a mental block and thought that I’d never progress any further. This often happened after I tried a particularly difficult song at the time. There really is no set way to deal with mental blocks, everyone deals with them in their own way. As for me though, I found that just pushing through and persevering was the way to go. There’s no better feeling than finally playing that part of a song you thought would be impossible just a few days back!
- What kind of music do you listen to versus what music do you play?
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When it comes to the music I listen to, it’s hard to say because I listen to so many different genres. I’ll listen to everything from Heavy metal to Drum n’ Bass, from Funk to Scottish Pirate Metal, everything is game for me! That also sort of applies to the songs that I play, my thought process is “if I like the song, I’ll usually try to learn it!” If I was to say what bands influenced my playing styles, however, I would have to say that Royal Blood is a massive influence for me, alongside Biffy Clyro, Shadow Academy, Avenged Sevenfold, and Blue Oyster Cult! There are so many more bands that I could name but I wouldn’t want you to be stuck reading this part forever!
- Have you ever created an original song?
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Oh boy, the only original song I’ve created was in high school as it was part of our assessment criteria. Back at the time I made it, I thought it was the greatest song ever made, but listening back to it now, it’s out of time, not mixed at all, the same guitar sounds different in both parts I recorded since they were recorded on different days, it’s a mess… I have been thinking of making a new original song though, though I’m still in the process of thinking of what it should be like, so maybe keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for when I upload it (wink wink!)
- What is a memory you enjoy during your history with music?
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My favourite memory with music has to be performing live on stage. This was in college, we had planned a college gig where we all split into separate bands and got to choose what songs we played. The songs my band had chosen were “Reptilia” by The Strokes, “Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits, and “Hotel California” by The Eagles. It was an amazing show night with all the bands performing, but the point that sticks out in my mind was that during Reptilia, near the end I got the sudden urge to just hoist my bass right in the air while playing, just to swing it down when the last note hits. The feeling that I got from the crowd cheering even louder after I raised my bass up was downright addicting, and I’ve been chasing that feeling again ever since!
- What have you recently been working on?
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I’m currently working on another cover for my YouTube channel, and this one is special. My girlfriend made a special request for me to pick a song for her, so I do hope she’s looking forward to what I’ve chosen. The cover may be out before this article is posted, so go and check it out if you can! It’s an amazing song I think, and I believe you’ll all really enjoy it!*
*He indeed, in fact, posted the video before the article was posted. Here is the link!
- What are your goals for the future?
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In the future, I’m hoping to be a successful session musician, playing with other bands as well as hopefully my own! That would be the dream end goal for me. The first step in that plan, however, would be forming or joining a band to begin with! It always seems to be the first step that’s the hardest to take.
- Lastly, what advice would you give to someone in your position?
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For anyone looking to make their break into the music industry, making connections is important. Musicians talk, a lot. If you’re looking to get into recording, however, there are plenty of recording studios that would be more than happy to offer work experience, so don’t be afraid to ask around! My Twitter DMs are always open to any questions about music or if you’d like to hopefully work together. I may not be an industry expert, but I’m always happy to help!
Thank you David for sharing about his creative and musical journey. To reiterate David’s words, if you are looking for a way to connect with someone for anything music-related, check out David’s Twitter! And definitely check out some of the covers he’s done on YouTube linked in this article.
Wherever you are, I believe you do what you can to pursue your dreams. It doesn’t always come easy for everyone. In fact, there are many times when you will come across challenges, but that’s alright. You’re going to have your fun times, and you’re going to have times when you have to face an obstacle. Keep fighting for what you enjoy. For that reason, I really admire what David is doing with his YouTube channel and am excited to see it grow!