Read the entire interview from Music Industry Examiner. It's a super-long road and you're going to hit the ground, but at the end of the day, what makes you a true guitarist is honing in on a unique style and never giving up. Guitar is an art and it takes a lot of years and dedication. You can lie to yourself, but others will see through it. The answer to that question - the difference between the two is that being a guitarist means being true to what you do. They'd rather sit back, rip off somebody else's style and claim it as their own.
That's the difference: they don't want to put in the many years of hard work and dedication. I hate bands that literally clone other bands because they're not original enough to put in the hard work to develop a style. Making money now is the icing on the cake. I spent most of my life starving and I didn't care because I loved what I did. I didn't get into this … I didn't know I could make money at this. To be a true guitarist isn't about anything except the art of playing guitar. But there are definitely people out there … it's almost like they're into it for the wrong reasons, and that's sad. I respect anybody who wants to be any type of musician and I would never discourage anybody. Putting everything into a song and knowing when to go for it and when to pull back. Music Industry Examiner: What is the difference between playing guitar and being a guitarist?ĭj Ashba: I think the difference is being mature in what you do and in the choices you make. I had to learn just to produce what I was writing. I didn't know it was classified as producing.
I always learned the gear, and when Pro Tools came out, I learned that. It was really crappy, but I was young and learning. I think it's super-important to learn the gear you use every day for your business, so every day since I was little I would record a guitar riff in my tape deck and then play along and record that in another deck. Music Industry Examiner: What led you to production work?ĭj Ashba: I had done some before SIXX: A.M., but not a whole lot. I'm building Ashba Media up with good clients, and my brand with Ashbaland and Ashba Music. I was into film music as a kid, and now I'm getting into making that music. My influences are Danny Elfman and John Williams. My mom is a classical piano teacher and I grew up listening to that music. I love scoring movies, and while we were doing The Heroin Diaries, I knew I could do orchestral music. Ashba Media is my graphic design agency for wallpapers and desktops for mobiles. Ashbaland is the world of my music and Ashbaland Studio. I was always into painting and drawing, and then I got into Photoshop. Music Industry Examiner: When did you become interested in graphic design?ĭj Ashba: I had a cartoon in the newspaper for four years when I was young. I'm not a Bible thumper, but at the same time, it was instilled in me at such a young age and it has helped me get through a lot. I thank God every night and it makes me feel good. I really could get hit by a car and it would all be over. I work very hard and I'm very lucky to have two arms, two legs, two hands, and I don't take that for granted. I don't go to church every Sunday, just on Christmas, but I still pray every night and thank God for everything I have, because it could all be gone tomorrow. Does your faith play a great part in your life?ĭj Ashba: It does. Music Industry Examiner: You were raised in a religious household. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Please Note: Duff will only be signing copies of "It' So Easy (and other lies)" Any memorabilia or outside items will not be signed.Īlison Richter of the Music Industry Examiner recently conducted an interview with guitarist Dj Ashba.