webcast 2005 contest
Nickname: Do The Stu (member info) Location: Costa Mesa, CA
Qualifications:

Hi everyone... My name is Austin Lewis. I'm 21 years old and am a student at California State University Long Beach.

I've been a Joe Satriani fan since the mid-1990s. I've seen Satch in concert 10 times (it will be 12 times after this tour's concerts in Anaheim and Ventura).

I joined satriani.com in 2000 and have been a part of the Talk To Joe community ever since. Over the years I've become friends with other Satch fans worldwide, and I talk to many of them on a regular basis outside of the site. Also, I was involved with the first Talk To Joe CD--I wrote the liner notes and helped with some other things related to the project.

I am very familiar with all aspects of Joe's musical career (his solo career, teaching, playing in The Squares, touring with Mick Jagger and Deep Purple, etc.). I know what he has talked about in past interviews, so I would be sure to ask questions that are new. Also, I will gladly accept questions from satriani.com members worldwide and ask them during the interview.

I would ask Joe a variety of questions in addition to the ones I have submitted here. Specifically, I would ask about some of the side projects he has been involved with (both individual guest appearances such as with Jordan Rudess, and more "band"-related things such as Planet Us). Also, I would ask a few questions about his teaching...but instead of focusing on what he taught students such as Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett, I would ask about what he learned while teaching them.

Thank you for considering me for the Talk To Joe / 2005 Webcast interview contest.

...Austin...

Submitted 2005-03-12 15:19:06

Question 1:

What was your life like when you were working on your early albums (the Joe Satriani EP and Not Of This Earth), and how does that compare to the albums you make today? Could you talk about the changes you've gone through over the years in how you like to write and record your music?
Question 2:

In what directions do you see your music going in the future? In recent years you've talked about wanting to do an acoustic album and work with an orchestra. Have you further developed these ideas, and have you thought about any other projects?
Question 3:

You've said in the past that it's hard to work out a live arrangement for some of the songs on Engines Of Creation, so you don't play them in concert. Would you ever consider recording a similar album (not necessarily techno-based, but one with a lot of layers of music that would be just as difficult to play live) in the future? Is it enough to just get the music recorded onto a CD, or is the whole process not "worth it" unless you can play your music in a live setting?
Question 4:

Have you written any songs you feel should have been hits with your fans but never were, and are you surprised to find out that sometimes fans love songs that you aren't as happy with? Do you factor "fan reaction" into your writing and recording process at all?
Question 5:

For my last question, I would pick a song (chosen by the Talk To Joe community prior to the interview) and ask Joe to describe the song's history. How and where was it written? What was the demo version like, and what changes were made? How was it recorded, and what ideas did the other band members have? Looking back, what do you think of the song now?

[ Vote! ] [ View Currently Top 10 Ranked ]