Conversation With Vlad By Debi Fee "Vladosphere is a place where I feel safe, secure, loved, balanced, happy and optimistic. It's a place where your childhood comes back." ….Vlad, August 2004 Q: What lead you to play the drums at age 7? VLAD: Since I was about 5, I was fascinated with rhythm and especially drum sounds. I remember my brother had a Donna Summer record playing and I couldn't resist listening to the actual drumbeats and the dynamics of drums. They made me move physically as well as it moved my mind. Then I heard The Eagles, "The Long Run" album and I definitely decided to become a drummer J! I started "drumming" everything that was in front of me: books, plates, silverware and my feet played parts by smacking the floor. I always got in trouble because of that J Eventually my school was looking to make a junior ensemble. So I was the one that had to get the "drummer" position and I got! It was one of the happiest moments of my life because I had real drums set up in front of me and I was playing Eagles' songs! Loved it! Q: At age 13, you discovered the guitar. Explain why you have said it changed your life. VLAD: That's an interesting question. One rehearsal my school band tried to learn a song that had a guitar solo in it. I was still playing drums at that time. After several rehearsals a guitarist couldn't play well. I thought it was pretty straightforward in my head. Well, I took his guitar home for a week and learned the solo to show him. The next rehearsal I showed him the solo, and after that everyone said I should be the guitarist! J And I agreed. I have to confess though, during that week of studying the guitar solo, I really fell in love with that instrument! Since that time my life did change forever. I took guitar lessons (from classical to jazz), and loved every second of it. I practiced all the time. I don't remember when I did not have a guitar with me. It was everywhere, I was obsessed with it. I even slept with it, as it was there to comfort me J I tried to get every sound and note I had heard either on the radio or record or live, I had to learn everything. I played Bach, Debussy, Kern, Gershwin, Scofield as well as Led Zeppelin, Queen, etc. There was no style or sound I wanted to stick with; I wanted it all - as long as it made me feel good. One day when I was 15, I went to the bank and withdrew $5000 that my grandmother left me before she passed away. I bought a beautiful Gibson guitar!!! My parents were so shocked that my dad couldn't even say anything about it. He knew it was serious. J Yes it was! I wanted to be a guitarist, a musician playing music I was composing. I heard music in my head all the time --- arrangements, strings, chords. My room was bigger than the entire world outside!!! It was for me to discover it! Q: Growing up, who inspired you? VLAD: Well, I get inspired fairly easy I think. I guess my brother was the one who, not knowingly, introduced me to the world of beautiful harmonies. My dad was a trumpeter, so I heard a lot of Louis Armstrong. My mom played piano, so I heard some excellent piano tunes. Our family always sang whether it was a Birthday or Christmas or just a get together with friends. As a child, I had to perform in front of guests, usually singing. Just thinking about it now puts a smile on my face J. But I guess my family inspired me to sing and perform. Little did they know that it would become my life. Growing up in Europe I usually heard classical or European music like Queen, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Abba, etc. My parents liked 30-40s jazz. For me it was very interesting to play jazz. I was drawn to it like a magnet. I loved John McLoughlin, Al Di Meola, Scofield, Weather Report, etc. The biggest inspiration came to me when I heard Stanley Jordan. I knew I could bring something new as well to the world. Q: You came to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. How did that impact your life? VLAD: Impact? It turned my life upside down, turned me around, and spun me fast enough that I didn't know where the entry or exit was J! When I came to the States, I was so inspired to be in Manhattan and suddenly see Joe Lovano playing in a park!!! It was a dream come true! After arriving at Berklee in Boston, I had never seen so many guitarists gathered in one place. They were everywhere! From all over the world! I saw people for whom jazz was not from books or records, it was but a part of culture, they were jazz! I knew I belonged here. I felt oxygen streaming through my inspirations - my head was spinning! Next »