Sam Wegman [Video]

This is something a little closer to home. At my university, the University of Portland, we have a lot of on campus musicians. One of the more prominent musicians is Sam Wegman, a junior business major, from Seattle, Wash. Recently I was able to visit his house, interview him and listen to him play a one of his songs acoustically. See below to watch the interview and a clip of his new song "A Riddle".

More from this session:
Full Interview
"A Riddle" by Sam Wegman

Frank DeFeliccia [Interview]

Knowing how much some close friends of mine love music I decided to interview one of them. My friend Frank DeFelicca, who I mentioned introduced me to the band Faded Paper Figures, let me interview him. In this interview I ask him about his love for music, some of his favorite music, and what new music he recommends.

FROM THE GROUND DOWN: Why do you love music?
FRANK DEFELICCIA: Music is a release. It seems to be a way for people to express emotions in a way that they can never do in everyday life.

FTGD: What type of emotions do you mean?
FD: Any kind of emotion that somebody has because a lot of times people have emotions bottled up inside of them. They all have a way of getting it out. Some people choose music.

FTGD: Who is your favorite band or musician? Why?
FD: Well, Sum 41, just because they’re music is extremely relatable. You can listen to their songs and listen to the lyrics and understand where their lead singer [Deryck Whibley] is coming form. You can feel all the emotions in their music.

FTGD: Has any of their music related to your life? If so, what song(s) in particular?
FD: Asking to pick one song is impossible.

FTGD: Why is it impossible?
FD: It just seems that all of their recent work, like Screaming Bloody Murder, Underclass Hero and Chuck, the songs just remind me of different aspects of my life. It’s kind of nice when I am feeling certain way and I am not sure how to put words to it and I can find a song that can describe exactly how I feel.

FTGD: Are you able to pick your favorite song form the band? If so, which is it and why?
FD: “Pieces”, a hundred percent completely hands down. The song talks about somebody who tries to be a different person to everybody around them to gain acceptance. They never take the time to try and consider who they are from their own point of view. They never try to be happy for themselves. They only make the effort to please other people.

FTGD: Can you relate to this?
FD: For me personally, I spent a majority of my life trying to do things for other people, doing things to make other people happy, rather than to try and do things to make myself happy.

FTGD: Switching gears from your favorite band, is there any new music you have been listening to lately?
FD: Let me think. I’d have to say that I’ve been listening to a wide variety of music that just jumps from genre to genre

FTGD: Any bands you are particularly interested in of that new music.
FD: Mumford and Sons, Panic! At The Disco, The Starting Line, Starfucker. It’s just completely random.

FTGD: With your love of music, do you happen to make your own?
FD: I’ve only experimented before with writing songs, but only recently have I decided to seriously pursue writing music. I’m in the process of writing my first album.

FTGD: What genre your first album be? What do you hope it to sound like?
FD: It definitely has to have some punk in it. Maybe if it goes a little dark that will be fine as long as it still stays true to punk.

FTGD: Do you intend to record this album for others to hear?
FD: If I have the opportunity I would love to.

FTGD: Some musicians do not put their music out under their own name and use a band name instead. Would you be doing the same?
FD: Not a band name per se, but I would definitely have to use a stage name. With how difficult and how often mispronounced my last name is, I think I have no choice but to take a stage name.

FTGD: Lastly, what band or musician do you wish more people knew about? And what is one thing you wish more people knew about music?
FD: The Superjesus. They’re a former Australian rock band who never really got notoriety outside of Australia. [I wish more people knew] That music is something that is undefined, even though it has notes, people can play it, the thing is that it can take on any form that people choose. It is not limited to just one thing.

FTGD: Thanks for letting me interview you.
FD: No problem.

Interview: Roger Kuan

I came across Roger Kuan's music when I met him last year. He attended my university at the time. He told me of the interesting way he made music. He did not use normal instruments, such as guitars and drums, he used Nintendo Gameboys and other systems like it. He calls himself a "chiptune musician." I recently got a chance to interview him on the music he makes, when he started making music, and more.

Introduce yourself.
Hello my name is Roger, I am an independent chiptune musician. I'm not your ordinary instrument bound musician, I reprogram Nintendo systems and Gameboys to produce my whole unique style of music. Chiptune, or 8-Bit Music, is the product of hacking into an old video game console to try and make something creative with the sounds of the machine.

How did you start making music? When?
I started around my sophomore year in high school, when a friend introduced me to this Gameboy cartridge that can manipulate its own chip sounds, to different pitches, to create music. LSDJ, or Little Sound Disc Jockey, was this such cartridge, that acts as both a music tracker and synthesizer as well. He gave me a few tips to get familiar with how everything works, but the rest was all up to me. I started researching how to make music like this, what equipment was necessary for me to use, and if there are others out there with the same field of music. I came across this community of chiptune artists called 8bitpeoples, and they too create music with Nintendo products. It's all part of a new music revolution, haha!

Why do you make music? Why do you make the genre you do?
Well it dint start with video games, for the most part. It wasn't one of those things where it was like, " Oh yea, video games are my life. So I want to make music of all the video game stuff." It want like that at all. What got my hooked on chiptune was the fact that I could take something that doesn't even have anything to do with music at all, and incorporate it into something that is. All throughout middle and high school, I was always involved with the band. So it was more of a natural habit of wanting to make music. When I'm playing chiptune, it's kinda confusing for others when they ask, "What kind of music do you play?" and most would respond that they play the guitar, or sing. Awkward to say, "Oh, I play the Gameboy," which leaves them with their minds blown as if they didn't expect anyone to create such a ridiculous answer. But when they actually listen to the music, they begin to truly appreciate the sole purpose of chiptune music and not just what it once was entirely for. I make chiptune music, not because I want to be a video game programmer...I make music because I love music.

What is next for you?
I'm not sure at the moment, I plan on getting involved with a Korean magazine called Mocit-Magazine http://mocit-magazine.com/

This specific magazine features a select few of professional independent media stuff makers, that range from chiptune to techno. Needless to say that everyone on this site has a purpose to make music, I'm mostly likely featured on this site as well.

I also have a website which you can access at http://insilicomusic.bandcamp.com/ and this is basically my portfolio of all of the music I have created since my first release on iTunes in February 2010. I have been posting new music every month, even providing free downloads for special occasions. My latest release is "Paper Heart".