This is the second half of the interview with Mickey Richardson from ShareMyGuitar.com, and if you liked the first part then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it from start to finish. Mickey gets to talk about the music he’s been inspired by, and all of his favorite artists.
It must be said that he’s got an excellent taste in music. Read on, I’m certain that if you check MusicKO regularly you’ll find he’s keen on the very same artists that you love.
PART II
MUSIC & YOU
When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?
I have been interested in music for as far back as I can remember. My parents had an old piano in the house. I gravitated to the piano and taught myself to play by ear. Then around 13 years of age I acquired a drum kit and messed around for a few years before migrating to the bass guitar. I played bass for many years and joined a bunch of bands that gigged all over Los Angeles and Orange County. Listening to music, playing and creating original music has always been very important to me. Funny enough it wasn’t until I started SMG that I really ever even tried playing guitar!
The first album I can remember purchasing was Van Halen’s “1984” on vinyl from a record store called “Best Records” in Simi Valley, California. But before that, I would listen to my Dad’s old records. I remember listening to stuff like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, various Beatles albums and all kinds of other 50s and 60s music. The music was great and it left a strong impression on me from a really young age.
Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch?
I’m not in a band currently. There are songs posted on my SMG profile from a previous band that I co-wrote and recorded on and I still enjoy listening to those songs. Hopefully I can find the time to play live again sometime soon.
Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?
My favorite music includes anything that sounds good to my ears. I used to rule out county and rap music when I was a kid. But I have heard some amazing country artists and some good rap too. I think it’s important to keep an open mind but if you checked my iPhone you would find music from Alice in Chains, Guns N Roses, The Beatles, AC/DC, Bad Religion, Ozzy, Queen, The Sex Pistols, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin… okay, this list gets pretty long, so I will leave it at that.
If you had to name the song that moves you the most, what would it be? Can you pinpoint the reason why?
Going back to when I was a kid and sifting thru my Dad’s record collection. I remember finding his Simon and Garfunkel album that had a song called “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” on it. I listened to that song over and over because I recognized that the music was able to strike emotion. It really wasn’t about the lyrics, not that the lyrics weren’t great, but the music itself invoked an emotional response and that was just amazing to me. Since that moment, I realized that a song could trigger happiness, sadness, fear and anything in between. It’s all about hitting that special note and drawing feeling from the listener.
Is there a song that – to you – captures the spirit of your startup and what you have set out to do? What would it be?
“A Day In The Life” by the Beatles because it’s my favorite Beatles song and sharemyguitar.com is also a place for musicians to keep an online journal of a day in their life… so the song seems fitting!