Spotlight #2: Austin

This week’s first feature is on Austin, a high school Freshman whose relationship with rock music spans into all aspects of his life.

Interviewer: What does your bedroom mean to you?

Austin: My bedroom is really a creative space for me. When I go to my bedroom with an instrument, I really open up and feel more creative. 

Interviewer: How does your bedroom represent you as a person?

 Austin:   There was no moment where I sat down and decorated my bedroom. It really happened gradually. So I think my bedroom really represents my progression as a person. It shows a few different sides of me, and I like that. It also has all my records in it, so I think that makes a difference. That’s able to work my musical taste into it.

Interviewer: Who are your favorite rock artists/bands that you enjoy?

Austin: I will listen to anything under the sun, so to say what my favorite artist is very different from my favorite artist within each genre. But I’d probably have to say The Strokes. At least right now. It changes pretty much daily, but I think they have a really cool sound and it really appeals to me as a guitarist. 

Interviewer: People have different ways rock music has been brought into their lives. Whether that’s if you were raised on it or discovered it on your own. What is your relationship with rock music?

Austin: I would say that music as a whole really inspires me and helps me everyday. Specifically for rock, I feel like there’s really no other genre that’s so diverse. Rock has so many different forms. There’s classic rock, hard rock, soft rock, alt rock, metal. There’s really endless supplies of rock. I think that makes it really accesible. If one thing isn’t your cup of tea, there’s something that you’ll like. I probably got into rock off of my grandma. She would play old rock and roll in the car, probably starting when I was three. My favorite was Buddy Holly. I still think he was the best. I was definitely raised on rock. There was always music in my house, and still is, so I really think that was introduced to me at a young age. I think there wasn’t really one person who introduced me to rock, but there were definitely some people I can name. Definitely my guitar teacher, Tony Harrison. He’s always been introducing me to new stuff. He’s my favorite person to play with and he’s really made me the player I am. I also really think it’s on my mom for just always playing music from such a young age. My first real rock band was probably Queen. I got into them in early elementary and they were really the first band I listened to on my own. Them or the Beatles. 

Interviewer: Have you ever been to a live rock show? If so, what’s the craziest or most memorable experience you’ve had?

Austin: Concerts are my favorite experience. I’m so lucky to have been to so many concerts and I feel really grateful towards my mom for always encouraging that. Even though I’ve been to a bunch of stadium shows, I find that my favorite experiences are the really small venues. I was lucky enough to see The Walters in DC and I just really loved that small environment. It couldn’t have been more the 50 people. It just felt so personal.  

Interviewer: Have you played an instrument? If so, how long?

Austin: I’ve played guitar for close to 11 years now. It’s my favorite thing in the world. It’s really easy to just sit down and use it to decompress or de stress. It really is the greatest experience to create something that you did all alone, and I think there’s a lot of that with guitar.  I also play piano and bass, so I think that experience is really easy to obtain. If I’m not with one instrument, I’m with another. It doesn’t matter anyway because I always have a tune in my head. 

Interviewer: If you were trapped on an Island, what three albums are you bringing?

Austin:  This is a really tricky one. I think I’d definitely have to bring Otis Redding Live in Europe. That’s my favorite live album of all time. There’s just a definite energy there that I can’t find anywhere else. The only other live album I could think to rival that would be Queen at Wembley ‘86. I honestly think it’s better than their Live Aid stuff. So that’s the first one. I really have no clue what else I’d bring. I listen to so much it’s really hard to narrow it down. Maybe something Elton John. I love Live at the Hammersmith Odeon. It was only released in 1976 for one pressing, but it was reissued with the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 40th Anniversary Edition. It sounds beautiful remastered. I also love Northern Lights/Southern Cross by The Band and Who’s Next by The Who. I’m a sucker for that dad rock stuff. All in all, I think my final choice would be Otis Redding Live in Europe, The Stranger by Billy Joel, and Young Men by The Walters. I wouldn’t mind switching out The Walters for The Normal Album by Will Wood. I love that Avant-Garde pop stuff. I know those choices aren’t really the epitome of what people think of as rock, but it’s so hard to chose. 

Interviewer: Which rock artists are you bringing to a family dinner?  Why?

Austin: I would definitely bring Freddie. He’s such a character and I would love to meet him and talk about music. But if we’re talking alive, I think Mick Jagger would be hysterical. 

Interviewer: What’s one thing off your musical bucket list you’d like to do?

Austin:  I’d definitely want to play a stadium. I’ve played shows before and it’s such an adrenaline rush. I just think it would be crazy to play for all those people.