Joe Theismann Interview

If you are a long time Redskin’s fan, have seen the recent movie Blindside or have been to the restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia bearing the name “Theismann's”, then you most likely know of whom I was privileged to speak with the other day. Known for having the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History”, Joe Theismann has accomplished and conquered many goals and obstacles in his life. From an amazing football career which included a single tackle that ended it, to owning a restaurant and working for NFL.TV and hosting his own Sunday morning sports show in the DC area, Joe Theismann is definitely someone to be admired and respected. Below is a selection of questions from my phone interview with Joe Theismann.

Ashley: What was your favorite sport to play in high school?

Theismann: My Favorite sport was actually baseball. I grew up doing it before I played football. I started playing organized baseball before I was 7 years old and I aspired to become a professional Baseball player.

Ashley: What were your top choices for colleges to play football?

Theismann: I had 5 that I narrowed it down to. Penn State, UNC, NC State, Wakeforest. I originally signed at University of North Carolina. It has always been a great mystery to me as to why I chose that school. But then I took a trip to Notre Dame and I can't really give you a specific reason other then I felt like that’s where I belonged. It was a gloomy Indiana day when I went to visit to the school but it just felt right...so that’s where I decided to go.

Ashley: Why did you decide to turn down a major league baseball offer to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League?

Theismann: In baseball you have A, AA, AAA ball and all the different graduating grades of being able to play at the professional level. Where as, in football you are either in or you are out. I felt that if things didn’t work out in a year or so, I could fall back on baseball but you cant go the other way around. But it turned out football was ok and worked for me.

Ashley: How did the CFL prepare you to play for the Redskins?

Theismann: It allowed me to continue to work on my physical skills. The games are a little different; In Canada you only have 3 downs and the field's bigger. Yet, I was still able to run and throw and think my way through football games and I think that helped me.

Ashley: Can you describe what it is like to play in a Superbowl game.

Theismann: It's indescribable. If anyone could just dream a dream, whatever it is, and all of the sudden the imagine that you dream is coming true, that’s what it feels like. I have wonderful memories from playing in the Superbowl.

Ashley: What do you feel is your greatest football accomplishment?

Theismann: Oh I would say winning the world championship. Its something you dream about as a kid. To be part of a world championship football team is very special. To be apart of any organization that is the best at what it does is very special. So that is my favorite football memory.

Ashley: Do you have a record you are most proud of?

Theismann: Yeah I played in 163 consecutive football games as a professional. I am a big believer in showing up for work no matter what. I say this to young people - if you go to school everyday, you will learn something. So, if you show up for work your going to learn something. If you are an athlete and you show up at practice, you will learn something new everyday.

Ashley: I’m sure you get asked this question all the time, but can you still remember and describe what happened the day that Lawrence Taylor sacked you and broke your leg.

Theismann: I remember it like it was yesterday. As a matter of fact, if you see the Blindside you can see it in the first few seconds of the movie.

Ashley: Have you seen the Blindside?

Theismann: Yes, it’s a great movie. They called me and told me they were going to use that clip and I had no problem with it. I have to tell you I couldn’t watch it, but I closed my eyes and listened to the audience reactions.

Ashley: Did you know at that point that your career would be over?

Theismann: No, not at all. I had broken a number of bones in my body. As a matter of fact, I had broken my right leg in 1972 when I was playing in the CFL. So for me, I thought it would be overcoming another injury.

Ashley: What is your relationship like with Lawrence Taylor now? Did you guys keep in touch after the injury?

Theismann: We are friends and we play golf together. We laugh about it. He always gives me a lot of grief saying, oh I wasn’t very good anyway and because of the insurance policy I owe him 10% because he made me a lot of money.

Ashley: How did you bounce back from the Injury that ended your football career?

Theismann: I just went back to my training as an athlete and dealt with the situation with perseverance. It was like when I went to the University of Notre Dame, I was 152 pounds and they told me I was too small. So when you get hurt you have people telling you that your career is over and you can't accomplish anything. I have always been a person who is very prideful. If you tell me I can’t do something, you are motivating me to do it.

Ashley: What made you want to open up a restaurant while you were playing in the NFL?

Theismann: Some guys came to me about putting my name on a restaurant. I thought about it and it seemed like a fun thing to do. I didn’t have an economic commitment to it. It was sort of neat having your name up on a sign. I would have my teammates come in and they could eat for free the first time but then had to pay for it. I used to go a lot but not so much anymore. Being involved in the restaurant business, really for me, was a great opportunity to learn about people and the world of business. It was a great lesson for me.

Ashley: What did you learn about the Restaurant industry?

Theismann: You learn how to buy, learn how to order food, about people showing up and not showing up to work, keeping a place clean. My whole motto with the restaurant is basically what we want to do is have a home for people. The cleanliness, quality of food, and the way people should be treated are all very important to the restaurant. Those are just some of the things you learn.

Ashley: What is your favorite item on the menu?

Theismann: I do, it’s the Spiral chicken. It’s a Spiral cream-based pasta with chunks of chicken in it. For the 27 odd years I have had the restaurant, the food consistency has been the same. That is actually what I am most proud of for my restaurant; the quality of the food has never changed.

Ashley: How did you get involved working at NFL TV? What is your job like there?

Theismann: They came to me and offered me an opportunity to be on the play book show. I had been out of professional football for three years and so it gave me a chance to get back into the game I loved. We talk about all the football games and the NFL. We break down the games and talk about the concepts and players. You know, football is a very complex game and you can take it a lot deeper then people just doing television.

Ashley: Do you have advice for future football players trying to go to the NFL?

Theismann: Yeah, get your education because it’s a game that requires a lot of intellect. Also, understand your responsibility to society. You’re going to be a role model and treat people like you want to be treated. Respect the game and respect the people that play the game and respect the people that are involved in the game. And finally, there is absolutely no substitute for hard work.

Ashley: Do you have advice for people trying to break into media, especially sports?

Theismann: If you want to get involved in broadcasting, the important thing to do is really find a job with a local television channel. Learn what it's like behind the camera and in front of the camera. Truthfully, if your school offers courses in broadcast journalism, I would advise that. Also, take speaking courses because even though we are in a world of texting and emails, if your going into broadcasting, you still have to open your mouth and something has to come out.

Ashley: Do you have any future plans or goals?

Theismann: Oh yeah, I think life is all about goals. I would like to help more people enjoy their life. I would like to be able to spend time with my grandchildren and I would like to be able to put a smile on someone’s face at least everyday.

Feature on James Johnston

Although this is another new and unusual format to the blog, we thought it might be a good story to share with all the readers. James Johnston came to Virginia Tech and spoke about his experiences as an Independent Film Producer and Director. Here is my article I wrote for our online newspaper on his experiences and advise for future filmmakers.

From a rap artist to a chef to a maker of music videos, James M. Johnston has traveled a different path to becoming an established independent and feature filmmaker. The Department of Theatre and Cinema hosted Johnston on Wednesday afternoon in the performance arts building. He spoke about how he got into the film industry, experiences as an independent film artist and gave advice for upcoming filmmakers.

Johnston’s overall theme of the presentation was that he is more interested in being a creative artist than a Hollywood film icon.

“ I want to make films as an artist not as a paycheck,” said Johnston. “I feel like I have something to say and [I want to produce] what matters to me as an artist and not what is hot at the time.”

Professors Paul Harrill and Ashley Maynor chose to have Johnston come speak at Virginia Tech. Both say they know him personally because of their travels to various film festivals and respect for his work.

“The short-films he's made as a writer-director, as well as the feature films he's produced, have been made in Texas with small crews and small budgets. Yet, they have more humanity than most movies made with 10-times the resources,” said Harrill. “We place an emphasis on self-reliant filmmaking at Tech, so he's a filmmaker that we want our students to learn from.”

About 15-20 cinema students showed up to the presentation eager to hear what Johnston had to say, as well as, a couple of Associated Movie Producers (AMP) students.

There was no sign of Johnston five minutes before the presentation until all of the sudden a tall man with gold shoes and a long beard stepped into the room. The mysterious man was then introduced as James Johnston.

Johnston began the presentation by explaining how he got into the film industry. Johnston started out his career as a want-to-be hip-hop rap artist at 18. It was not until a friend brought home a video of independent short films that he even began to consider work in the film industry.

“The thought never even crossed my mind that people could make films outside of Hollywood,” said Johnston. “Seeing [these films] really changed my life and I started getting into film and dove in head first.”

Johnston then advised the audience that volunteering for low-budget films was his next step in learning about the film industry. He worked every job imaginable from catering to lighting, personal assisting and eventually directing and producing.

Johnston explained that, in order to start out as a filmmaker, you often have to have additional jobs to make money and pay the mortgage. In fact, most paid filmmakers who are known in the industry still have other jobs on the side.

In Johnston’s presentation, he proceeded to show two of his short films called "Merrily, Merrily" and "Receive Bacon". He used the films to broadcast promote some of his work and also to explain the importance of editing and peer sharing.

When asked about peer feedback on films Johnston said, “Some of my friends' films are not the type of films I make but [when they review my film] they know what I am going for as a creative filmmaker. You will know your group when you find it and [that group relationship] becomes like creative soul mates.”

Johnston’s final points in the presentation had to do with his thoughts of what it is like to be a producer. He explained that in the independent film world the role of the producer is very different than in Hollywood.

In Hollywood, the producers are the bosses and own everything, but with independent films it is a partnership with the director and is overall more artist-driven.

As far as current projects go, Johnston said he produced with director David Lowery for his recent film, "St. Nick".

“When David brought 'St. Nick' to me it was just an outline, but I knew exactly what he wanted to do with it,” said Johnston. “I told David, ‘Hey look there is a certain way we are going to do this with a budget we can afford.’”

Now that St. Nick has played at many film festivals and has won many awards, it has become known all over the world. Virginia Tech was the first Virginia and academic premier of the film. The film premiered in Pamplin Hall in the evening after his presentation.

Only time will tell what new projects and films Johnston will work on in the future. But one thing is for sure and that is Johnston loves “working on anything creative and getting [his work] out in the world.”

Notes from Ashley:

Websites for St. Nick:

http://www.stnickfilm.com/stnick_presskit.pdf

http://www.stnickfilm.com

Meeting Maroon 5

As most of you know I have been working for a month now to try and get a phone or face-to-face interview with Maroon 5. The sad news is that there are many complications that happen to prevent interviews from taking place, and unfortunately I was unable to obtain that interview. The good news is, instead of an interview I am excited to say I met the band one-on-one before their concert last night and was able to watch the whole show on the side of the stage. Even though there is no interview, I want to share my amazing experience with our audience.

The story began when Rachel, one of Maroon 5’s public relations representatives, who tried for a month to set up the interview. She worked so hard and I am so thankful to have someone put in that much effort on my behalf. It certainly gave me the perspective of what someone in her role goes through when it comes to the challenges of scheduling. The day of the interview, the drummer had an emergency before their show in Rochester, NY, so they had to cancel all interviews for that day (eight total!). We tried to reschedule but with the band's tour and other scheduled appointments, it became impossible. While I was taking a test, right before the concert, I received a “missed call” on my cell from Rachel. What a great voice mail – her message said that while she couldn't get me an interview, she in fact had pulled some strings and got me a quick meet and greet before the show! I was bummed that I wouldn't have a chance to ask the questions we prepared, but I immediately became both excited and nervous to meet MAROON 5! Arrangements were made for me to meet the band's tour manager.

Of course when you’re waiting for something so exciting to happen time passes as slow as it possibly can. I walked (a.k.a. ran with excitement) over to the loading gate to make my appointed meet time with Shawn, the band's tour manager. I called Shawn, as instructed, and since the band was meeting with those affected by the April 16^th shootings, there was a bit of a delay. He said he would call me or meet me when they were done. More waiting...but there was a guy smoking a cigarette outside. Since you never know whom you are going to meet – we began to chat and it turned out that his name was Teal and he was a crew member for the band. We talked all about what it was like to be on tour and how he got the job. One of the most interesting facts he told me was about the entourage that travels with the band, which includes a yoga instructor. Teal had to get back to work and other crew members came and went and I took an opportunity to speak to each one. Everyone was so friendly and it was a real bonus to speak with them. Finally, a woman came out and asked if I was looking for someone. I told her I was waiting for Shawn and she took me back stage with her.

I was waiting at the doorway to the stage when all the sudden 6 men slammed opened the door and ran in all pumped up and messing around with each other. I did a double-take and was like, wait wasn’t that Adam Levine (not believing what I was seeing)? The tour manager said, “Well there they go, you want to go say hi?” He introduced each band member to me individually and then some of the band went out to watch the opening act and the others went to get ready. I walked over to the side of the stage and was able to hang out with James and Jesse. We talked about what I was studying and what they thought of Virginia Tech. It was great they were so down to earth, and in the end, it wasn’t nerve-racking at all to speak with them. They all thought it was so funny that people think our school looks like Hogwarts, from Harry Potter. When it was time to go out on stage they were all right next to me and I watched as they walked out in the dark then you could just hear everyone going nuts.

The show itself was amazing! They played every song you would want and expect to hear, including an acoustic version of “She Will Be Loved”, which was my personal favorite. They also brought all of their own light sets, which was amazing with the music. I got to see everything going on back stage from the testing of guitars, to making sure band members didn’t trip over their wires. It was an incredible experience. Shawn was also personable and friendly and he kept telling me I could stay as long as I wanted and asked how I was doing. Of course, I stayed the whole show! At the end of the show, they ran off and had people waiting to give them towels and anything else needed. Then they went on for an amazing encore and it was over. My phone died before the show so I was unable to take any pictures with the band or during the show on stage, but I still have the memories and a guitar pick to remember the concert by.

It’s almost impossible to describe how amazing the show was and how amazing the band is, not to mention the opportunity to have this experience. They really are normal people with amazing talent and I have to say meeting them in person and being so close to the behind the scenes activities, sure beats a telephone interview any day!

Interview with Lindsey Ward

Both working and going to school helped prepare Lindsey Ward for the tough media industry. Now Ward is a reputable reporter and anchor for WSLS 10 thanks to her hard work and determination.

Wards biggest piece of advice for aspiring anchors is to become a one-man band because it is “ the future of this industry.”

Below is a selection of question and answers from my recent interview with Lindsey Ward.

Ashley: What inspired you to want to go into the media industry?

Ward: Around my junior year, it all of a sudden hit me that I wanted to be a TV reporter, and until that point I didn’t give any thought to it. I went to journalism school after senior year to pursue that route and wanted to find a school that had a great journalism and communication program. One of the big things that drew me to this industry was that you are “in the know” within the community, etc.

Ashley: What activities do you like to do outside of working at WSLS?

Ward: I love shopping. Whenever I leave work I go home and sit on the couch and watch mindless TV. All day long you just work, work, work and it’s such a stressful job. You are always on your toes, so when I go home I watch a ton of reality TV.

Ashley: How did college prepare you for the media industry?

Ward: I was a little different. I worked a full time job while I was in college so I used both of those (college and a job) to bounce off each other which really helped me. Something I was doing at school I would be doing at work so it really helped me to have both of those. For me, it just worked out because it was a better situation that just going to school.

Ashley: What job you have during school?

Ward: Started at channel 12 in Richmond as a teleprompter. By the time I left, I moved up to working assignment desk on weekends. It gave me much more a hand in assignments and stories and being apart of a newsroom. I started editing for shows and that helped me because I had to read every single script so that helped me learn how to write. Then I asked if I could help write scripts and they said yes.

Ashley: What did college not prepare you for in industry?

Ward: The biggest thing it didn’t prepare me for was delivery and appearance. I didn’t have a class where they went over your voice, what you wear, how to look, and your hair/makeup. That was one thing that I gathered from my job. I see so many times where students coming out of college who don’t look professional. Just stuff like the appropriateness for the job. And that’s the news director’s first impression so it’s something to be aware of.

Ashley: What was your first job right out of college?

Ward: My first reporting job in Charlottesville at WCAV, which worked for four stations in one. I was a one-man band and it was tough, really really tough, because you don’t always get the training you need, and you get thrown into the pond. I remember sitting there on Saturday morning and I only had one weekend of training and I had no direction of how to get around Charlottesville. I had a package due at six and I had no idea where I was going. It's sink or swim and so many people get out of the business in their first job because they can’t do it. If you can make it to your second job, I consider it an accomplishment.

Ashley: While you worked in Charlottesville you had many roles such as producer, anchor, photographer, and reporter. What was it like doing so many things for one company and which role did you enjoy the most?

Anchor. I really like reporting but there you do reporting and photography and I was the worst at photography. I would come back with blue, green and orange video (laughs). I could hear my news director in his office saying, “ WHO DID THIS!?”

Ashley: Why you like anchoring the most?

Ward: I think because you connect with the viewers either they love you or they don’t. You really have an opportunity to show them your personality. Whenever you are on the desk you can really connect with your viewers.

Ashley: What was it like being arena host for women’s basketball at UVA? How did you get this job?

Ward: I LOVED that job. It was awesome. In Charlottesville my station was a station for UVA. We had a contract to do certain things like shows on their sports for spring and fall. We basically had certain obligations to them. When they needed a host they asked me and it was great. I REALLY enjoyed it and it was a lot of fun. It was nice because you get to see your viewers outside, and get to meet them and be one-on-one with them. It really shows your personality.

Ashley: What do you believe is a common misconception that people have about working in the media industry?

That you make a lot of money, hands down. They think you make so much money and are wealthy. They look at you like you are ridiculous if you don’t donate to charities, but you don’t have a lot to give.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry in your opinion?

Ward: Just keeping up. It takes a lot out of you… so much out of you. It’s really easy to get burnt out quickly. A lot of people don’t make it past the first job. It takes so much out of you. You realize that you are making very little money and you are working holidays, weekends, giving up a lot of things that may be important to some people. A lot of women don’t make it because if you are anchoring, you are going in at 2:30 p.m and get off at 11:30 p.m. And if you work a morning show, you are going to bed super early. It is just not family friendly.

Ashley: What’s your favorite part about your job?

Ward: I really enjoy anchoring and reporting. Being able to do both. On Friday nights, I have to do sports feature pieces and I really enjoy that because it’s not all serious like sitting in a city council meeting. You're going out and putting together a creative piece. What I enjoy the most is being creative with the job, like writing the video. At our station, we have great photographers who really help you put together some really good stories.

Ashley: Do you have any major goals or future plans?

Ward: Honestly, I have been somebody who has been so goal orientated. Literally there hasn’t been a moment in my life where I haven’t had a goal. Since I have been anchoring here, I haven’t had a goal yet. I have no idea what I want to do beyond this. I just want to get better at anchoring and hopefully our viewers will like it.

Ashley: What advise do you have for aspiring anchors/ reporters?

Ward: One-man band. It makes you better and we made bigger jumps than a lot of the other people at other stations. You are doing so many jobs at one time and if you can still put together a decent tape, they will know you can do multiple tasks. It is the future of this business and it would be silly for graduates who leave college and find a job where they already have photographers because this media is so big into mutli-media journalism.

Interview With Barry Drake

Want to hear what it was like to work with Rock and Roll legends in the 70's? Singer/Songwriter Barry Drake played alongside Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Emmylou Harris, Loudon Wainwright III, Richie Havens, James Taylor and many more legends of that historic rock time period. He will be presenting his multimedia lecture of the 70's at Virginia Tech on November 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Colonial Hall. His goal is to keep music alive and have students "vicariously live through the decade with me". Below is an interivew that I conducted with him to learn more about his credibility and rock & roll career!

Perrin: Which lecture do you enjoy presenting the most?
Barry: Actually, I love doing them all. They're like my children. I'm always doing all four decades when I'm on tour, so as long as I don't do too many of the same ones in a row, I'm happy. It may sound funny but as I'm doing each show, I'm reliving how I felt during those decades and enjoying the ups and downs all over again. I guess it's like therapy for me.

Perrin: How do you get your presentations to emotionally connect with the audience?
Barry: I try to do them from the perspective of a college age person when I'm doing a show on a campus. This way they can vicariously live through the decade with me. I'm also very emotionally connected to the music which I think they can feel. I try to make my enthusiasm contageous.

Perrin: Do you enjoy presenting at Virginia Tech?
Barry: Yes, of course. I've been coming to Tech for many years and I have a great relationship with the staff and students. I also have met students and community people at my shows at Virginia Tech who keep in touch with me throughout the year and show up on other campuses when I'm in the area. What more could a performer want?

Perrin: What type of multimedia presentation do you put on? Powerpoint?
Barry: It's funny, but all 4 of my shows were originally put together before there was Powerpoint, or home computers for that matter!!! As I upgraded my technology over the years, I kept the video editing capabilities of a computer combined with the visual strength of good old photographic slides. It's combination that works for me.

Perrin: How do you keep up the intensity for each lecture? Does it get repetitive?
Barry: I always manage to amuse myself every night. Maybe I'm a simple person, but I love watching my images and videos on the screen. Also, doing a show like mine is like a trapeze act, you never exactly know what's going to happen. I also perform my shows like a jazz musician. I know the song well but I put different little twist on it every night and in the process learn something new with each show.

Perrin: Who was your favorite artist that you performed with as a performer/songwriter?

Barry: There were so many. Van Morrison for his intensity. James Taylor for his great guitar playing. Emmylou Harris for her harmonies. Loudon Wainwright for his zanyness. Bruce Springsteen for his clear vision and focus. Ritchie Havens for his heart.........I could go on!

Perrin: What is advice that you would give to an aspiring singer/songwriter?
Barry: Good luck! LOL! I always ask them what they want. Believe it or not, every performer wants a little something different. Do they want to be famous? Do they want to get work and make a living? Do they want a Major Record deal? Do they want radio play? Do they want to stay home and write and record in their basement? Do they want to be a musician for their whole lives?

Back in 1972, I gave Bruce Springsteen some advice which fortunately he didnt take.

Perrin: Why did you choose to use multimedia in your presentation?
Barry: I always tried to make my presentations look like a Ken Burns, PBS documentary. It makes the subject much easier to absorb. For example, most students know the song "Born To Be Wild" but how many have actually seen a picture or video of Steppenwolf who created it. With my shows you get to do that.

Perrin: Why did you add rock and roll lectures to your already busy schedule?
Barry: I was always a closet Rock & Roll Historian and when I finally settled into a successful career as a singer / songwriter, it gave me the opportunity to express myself with something else I always loved. For many years I was doing both concerts and lectures, until it just became too overwhelming and I let nature take it's course. But I still play my guitar and sing every day. I love it more than ever.

Perrin: What is your favorite award that you have won?
Barry: I guess the 5 NACA Campus Lecturer Of The Year Awards! I was ecstatic with the first one. The next 4 just pushed me over the top.

Perrin: What made you want to perform on just college campuses?
Barry: Performing on College Campuses has always been a perfect fit for me. I started playing in the Coffeehouses of Greenwich Village in New York and students from colleges in the NY / NJ / PA / CT area used to come into The City and book me to play on their campuses. It felt so good to me, I just kept doing it. I still do Corporate or Community Shows also.

Perrin: If you could describe your lecture in a simple phrase, what would it be?
Barry: A multimedia trip through the 60s. The sights, the sounds and the smells of 10 incredible years all wrapped up in a fun, fast paced hour and 20 minutes.

Read more about Barry Drake's career at: www.barrydrake.com

Interview with Brendan James

Starting out as being “ broke as a joke” in NYC, Brendan James is now an inspiring singer-songwriter. With the help of becoming a self-taught piano master,, his gifted voice and various song inspirations in his life, James is truly an artist to watch out for.

James said,” I want to be a musician and be someone who people can depend on to make good music and perform live.”

James has signed with Decca Records and is hoping to release a second album in March of 2010.

In a recent interview, I talked with Brendan James who discussed his struggles, triumphs and advice in the music industry. What follows is a selection of question and answers from that recent interview.

Ashley: How did you get started in the music industry?

Brendan: I had always been a singer. I always loved singing but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I started to get interested in the piano and song writing. It really was because of a mentor who discovered me early on when I was in New Hampshire at home on college break. He was very encouraging. He told me I should be more than a singer, and that I should try to learn an instrument and write my own songs. He was a pretty pivotal person in my early development. So he was my initial inspiration and then it took some years of song writing and honing in on my own stills. I moved to NYC after college and had to do my best to get noticed on my own.

Ashley: How did you get noticed?

Brendan: Well there were several things that led to where I am now, but I guess it started out the old fashioned way. I was living in NYC in a five-bedroom apartment with four girls, which was …interesting. I was broke as a joke living on canned tuna and Kraft macaroni and cheese. I would just go to all open mics in NYC (had nine plotted out). I cycled through them awaiting to be “discovered”.. Open mics can sometimes lead to gigs at those places and it helped me out that way. I started to play live shows but it was not until years later that I got my first record deal and I met my first manager, then it was a matter of meeting a producer.

Ashley: How did you learn to play the piano?

Brendan: Hours of sitting by myself and trying to figure it out. When I was around 20, I was focused on trying to figure that piano out. I always enjoyed it and taught myself.

Ashley: What was your experience like touring on the John Mayercraft. How did that differ from playing in a venue on the road? Would you do it again?

Brendan: The Mayercraft, and I have to laugh and say this with a smile, it was a crazy five days. It was really great. It brought out a different performer in me. It was a lot of outdoor shows and all about playing to the crowd and having a fun time. On a tour like that, people want to escape normal lives and jobs and want to have a drink in hand and listen to great music. The tour brought out the fun performer in myself and others…. I would definitely do it again!

Ashley: Now that you are married, how does going on tour and being a musician impact your family life? Does your wife travel on the road with you?

Brendan: My wife does not travel with me. We met a few years ago, she met a musician (myself) and I was someone she knew was going to travel a lot. I think that’s the only way a relationship like this can work… when you both understand each other’s dreams and aspirations. She is amazing for that. She is very supportive and I also find time to fly out and see her and she flies out to see me when I am on tour or recording albums.

Ashley: You mention your mother in most of your songs, what influence does she have on you and your music?

Brendan: My mother has always been the most solid person that I have had in my life. I feel she has just been the ideal mother and I think in a lot of my early songs when I wanted to describe that source of strength, she was the first person that always came to mind.

Ashley: Many of your songs seem to come from personal experiences growing up. Is that where you get most of your inspiration? What else inspires you today?

Brendan: A lot of traveling that I have recently been doing has inspired me for this second album. I always draw on what I know and who I know. For a lot of my songs I am trying to tell stories that are close to me and then I tell stories that are close to other people. Most lyrics come from really searching for the truth in people’s lives around you.

Ashley: You are under contract with Decca Records, correct? How did that come about and what was it like to sign with a major record label?

Brendan: Yes, though I first signed with Capitol records 4 years ago and didn’t release my album with them. I made my own album when I left Capitol, with a producer, and then it was up to us to get me signed. Decca Records was interested in signing me, so I had to showcase for them by doing some gigs. They also had to like the album I just made and, once that was finished, we decided to work together.

Ashley: Your songs are so personal, is it hard to get on stage and sing them to a large audience?

Brendan: Funny, I have never thought of that. I don’t think so, it’s hand- in- hand for me, when I write a song I know I am going to share it with people throughthe lyrics I write. Sometimes I make lyrical choices that aren’t too personal. I make them just personal enough where I feel comfortable sharing that with the fans. It's kind of a fine balance because you don’t want to alienate the people closest to you but you want to tell others the honest story of your life.

Ashley: Which is more important to your success, getting on the radio or being seen live?

Brendan: Good question… They are two very different things, but, for someone like me, I want to get my songs on the radio to help facilitate getting my message out. I’m ready to get my music out there to as many people as possible. If you can get on the radio, it helps your recognition across the nation and across the world.. I can’t wait to tour as many places as I can and I love playing live.

Ashley: Did you ever consider playing piano in someone else’s band or did you always want to be a lead singer and sing your own songs?

Brendan: I always wanted to play my own songs. I am one of those guys who never really learned cover songs. I always wanted to sing and play my own stuff because, for some reason, they go hand- in- hand for me; the performing aspect of music and the playing part of it.

Ashley: Do you have any long-term goals for your career or do you pretty much play it one day at a time?

Brendan: I have a long-term goal of making a lifelong career in music and story-telling. It took a few years in the industry to realize that it's tough and you will have hard days but it’s what I want to do with my life. I want to be a musician and be someone who people can depend on to make good music and perform live.

Ashley: What is your favorite part of being a singer-songwriter?

Brendan: Having an outlet that allows me to vent what is going on in my life. Sometimes, even live shows can be very cathartic. When you finish a show, you feel better that whole month because something got out of you.

Ashley: What is the hardest part about the industry?

Brendan: The only consistency is inconsistency. And my parents raised me to plan things out and to always kind of have an idea of your life. So if you really want this, you have to know that it's impossible in this career. It is hard to adjust to; if you really want to do this full-time you have to be at mercy of your music. That’s the biggest challenge for me. You have to stay flexible.

Ashley: What other activities do you like to do outside of music?

Brendan: I love sports. I am a very active person. And I like outdoor activities so you can always find me on some basketball court or out hiking somewhere. It's a big deal to me to stay active.

Ashley: What are you working on right now?

Brendan: I am almost finished writing all of album two. In a couple weeks, official recording begins. I hope to release the new album in March 2010.

Ashley: What is your biggest piece of advice for upcoming artists?

Brendan: Be ready for anything and practice as much as you can by yourself. That way, you come to learn exactly who you are as an artist and a performer before other people try to tell you who you are.

Check out Brendan James online at : http://www.myspace.com/brendanjames