I'm sure you all know the feeling, that pure level of energy we experience growing up. It's a feeling that we refuse to stifle, something we try to hang onto as long we can. From spending time with of friends, family, and immediate enemies, one would think that we would to create limitations to the noise we experience on a daily basis. But with those loud roaring guitar sounds, and pulsating drums, we find an escape from our lives.

When I first heard Radiohead's 'Kid A' record, I was stunned. Of course my immediate reaction was mere confusion, because I wasn't quite sure what I was hhearing. I guess I expected something totally different, and needless to say I was shocked. But not disappointed, although I was expcting to hear a return to their classic early rock days, I felt something very special. For the first time in a long time, with listening to this record, it was almost like a motion picture. As I closed my eyes, the visual images that came to mind were amazing. You have to listen to this record straight through without any interruptions to experience it's full effect.

I think that's a major accomplishment for a band to provoke that type of reaction with their listeners, it's a monumental occasion, it's something that we only dream of. But it's important to find comfort in our creations, and despite what others think, all that matters is if we were able to see our visions all the way through. I think what truly matters is if you can reach out to that one person, and help them discover new aspects of their reality through sound. And just leave millions stunned, challenging them to discover what it is they have come across.

Today, there aren't many musicians who are willing to take that chance, but still we have to respect that, because we all need to put food on our table. However, I think sometimes we get a bit too greedy. Music, it's an art, it's a way to reach out to others, and most importantly, it helps us comes to terms with who we are as individuals.

For the most part, we feel that our musical tastes will stay the same forever, and that our direction (as a musicians) will never change. I swear, throughout my life, all I wanted to do was to transfer the music that was going on inside my head onto the fretboard (guitar), it's a mission that we all strive for as guitarists. We simply strive to be the best. But not to satisfy the standards of others, but simply to understand what's going on inside our brains.

We listen to vaious types of music, and we question exactly what it takes for us to feel inspired. Well, that's something that we'll question until the end of eternity. *But I think everything starts to fall into place when we stop questioning ourselves, *when we simply just begun to go with the flow. Without fear of failure, or fear of rejection.

Do I write music that suits my age? Not really... Have my tastes in music changed drastically over the past few years? Well, it depends on how you look at it. Do I have an open mind? Most definitely... As a musician, I never ask myself what type of song I'm going to write, or what direction I'll go in, I just let the musuc do the talking. Lately the music I've been writing is very different from what I'm normally used to, but it's an honest represenation of my thoughts, and how I'm feeling. And I'm proud.

So, do you feel that age has a lot to do with the rapid progression of your musical tastes, or is age just merely a state of mind? Do you write music that fits your age?

-Joseph