To get another insight into how a musician comes do be, grows and excels, I interviewed the creator of this lovely slideshow and my partner for this project, Keith LaFountaine.
Not being a musician myself, I was curious to understand how someone as talented and creative as Keith had first come into his own as a member of the musical community.
He was born into a family that was musically inclined to say the least. With a Grandfather as a guitarist and vocalist, an uncle as the lead guitarist and vocalist to his own band, a father who played guitar and sang, a mother who sang, and a cousin who was trained in the art of opera singing, it is no wonder that Keith picked up some musical talent of his own.
He informed me that it was at the age of twelve that he first got started. With his father’s acoustic guitar, a beginner’s book and an excitement to learn, he quickly began to pick up on some of the main chords, essential to all guitar players. Before he knew it he was strumming Highway to Hell by AC/DC and We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel.
While his biggest influences have always been his family, Keith says he was also greatly inspired by bands and artist such as Kurt Cobain, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana.
As well as being a musician, Keith is also a dedicated student, so he says that his practice time comes when it can. “I try to practice for about an hour a day. While I'm at school I sometimes stretch that to an hour every other day, depending on my workload. I'm self-taught, so I don't really do vocal exercises or anything like that. I have songs that I play to warm up my voice, and I do a lot of messing around with the guitar. I'll play a chord, see what it sounds like when I play it with different amounts of strength, and then I'll see how it sounds when I switch from that chord to another. But otherwise I pretty much just pick up and play."
His advice to beginners is to simply get started. “Just do it, and then persevere. Making music is not easy, by any stretch. It’s an extremely personal thing, to create music, and even if you’re just doing covers of other songs there’s still something innate you are exuding to make that song your own. Just remember that the music you make is for you, not anybody else.”
He was born into a family that was musically inclined to say the least. With a Grandfather as a guitarist and vocalist, an uncle as the lead guitarist and vocalist to his own band, a father who played guitar and sang, a mother who sang, and a cousin who was trained in the art of opera singing, it is no wonder that Keith picked up some musical talent of his own.
He informed me that it was at the age of twelve that he first got started. With his father’s acoustic guitar, a beginner’s book and an excitement to learn, he quickly began to pick up on some of the main chords, essential to all guitar players. Before he knew it he was strumming Highway to Hell by AC/DC and We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel.
While his biggest influences have always been his family, Keith says he was also greatly inspired by bands and artist such as Kurt Cobain, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana.
As well as being a musician, Keith is also a dedicated student, so he says that his practice time comes when it can. “I try to practice for about an hour a day. While I'm at school I sometimes stretch that to an hour every other day, depending on my workload. I'm self-taught, so I don't really do vocal exercises or anything like that. I have songs that I play to warm up my voice, and I do a lot of messing around with the guitar. I'll play a chord, see what it sounds like when I play it with different amounts of strength, and then I'll see how it sounds when I switch from that chord to another. But otherwise I pretty much just pick up and play."
His advice to beginners is to simply get started. “Just do it, and then persevere. Making music is not easy, by any stretch. It’s an extremely personal thing, to create music, and even if you’re just doing covers of other songs there’s still something innate you are exuding to make that song your own. Just remember that the music you make is for you, not anybody else.”
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