When did you start your band?
I actually don’t have a band. I am a solo artist and I play electric guitar since 1993. I am now working on my debut solo album now and it will be available in few weeks.
Which instruments do you play?
Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Piano/Keyboards, Bass, Mandolin, & Drum programming.
Describe your music interests and abilities.
I am interested in many different styles, but I prefer progressive rock. It gives many opportunities to mix interesting and colorful parts and approaches, which can be very challenging at certain points. Especially when you try to integrate very different styles into a single track.
What famous musicians inspire you?
Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Tony MacAlpine, Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Dream Theater, Rush, Yes, Metallica, Pink Floyd, J.S.Bach, Roland De Lassus.
What is some of your best musical memories?
Of course, one of the best and memorable things about music is getting my first guitar, when I was 7… It was a small classical guitar, because I was a kid. I played for like a year and I got bored by the exercises and the pieces I had to play. My mom hid my guitar and I thought she threw it away, because I wasn’t dedicated to it. I cried so much… It was the moment, which I realized, that I love the guitar and I will never leave it.
I don’t really remember my first appearances in front of a crowd, because they were some small concerts in the local music facility, where I was studying guitar, also because I was playing pieces I don’t like. I always wanted to play rock on electric guitar, so maybe the most notable public performance in my early stages of the electric guitar was me playing Paganini’s 24th Caprice… I was so stiff, that I still wonder how I played it… I was 14 years old then. These were the years that I saw Steve Vai, and John Petrucci playing on 7-string guitars, and I became possessed by the idea of having an extra low string. There were many years of struggle, because I live in Bulgaria, and these years it was very hard, because the communistic regime had just ended.
I got my current 7-string Ibanez in 2005, and I still play on it – it is one of my favorite guitars. Of course, I was extremely happy when I bought it. Now I am waiting for my new 8-string to arrive and I feel the same fever as when I got any of my guitars – I actually do not own many – Two acoustics – a 6 and a 12-string, two electric – 6, and 7-strings and one 5-string bass.
What public events do you have coming up?
I am not playing any gigs, because here you pay more to reach the point to have a gig, than to actually profit from the gig. Of course, there are a couple of cover bands, that succeed to earn some money, but that’s all. I won’t play in a cover band, so I am working as a guitarist, music teacher, and session guitar player. I don’t play live, but I stay busy working on my music, which is about to be released very soon.
What would you say to beginners to the Music Industry, who are nervous?
They must be patient and dedicated to what they do. They must have a passion and never give up, because the struggle is long and hard, but it is rewarding. Also, they must stand their principles and not sell themselves for cents. The artist must have a soul and a dignity, because the art is a higher level of communication, and it needs to be pure, despite all the “pop stars”, that drown the world in mediocrity and triteness.
How do you balance your music with your family and friends?
Most of my friends are musicians, so it is easy… There is no need to balance, because it’s happening on its own. My family is just my mother and my sister, who support me in everything I do, so it is very easy, and nice.
Should we be expecting anything new to be released
My début solo album “Nine Stories” is almost ready and it will be released in few weeks and will be available in iTunes.
What do you think about Another Destiny Project?
I am very excited about Another Destiny Project, because it has wonderful opportunities to work with many interesting people from all over the world, and there are no limits, which I find amazing. This is another proof, that music is a higher level of communication.
Are you excited to be working with other artists’ from around the world?
Yes, of course. It is challenging and helps you to understand many different approaches and points of view, also the art itself is so colorful, individual, and unpredictable, so such interaction can give you a whole new world.
Where can we follow your career at?
http://alexandrazerner.com/
http://www.facebook.com/alexandrazernerrocks
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexandraZernerRocks
Alexandra Zerner – The Seducer’s Diary (Guitar Playthrough)
About Johnny Naylor:
Johnny Naylor is the founder and owner of 1st Shot Music and a feature writer for Jammerzine. His work can also be found on 1st Shot Music and Naylor’s Notes. You can also get his latest updates on his facebook page.
