Inspirational Interview - Tommy Odetto

Chasing your dreams is an act of bravery that so many people take. Staring them in the face and not knowing whether the outcome will be what you see in your mind is the risk that you have to take. Every day, people around the world take that deep breath and whisper to themselves, “I'm going to do this.”. Those voices that speak to your soul can become so overwhelming that they're painful. And they keep talking and talking until you have no option but to listen.

I've been blessed to meet some incredible people over the years. Dreamers and risk takers, people who've given up everything to listen to their heart and go for it. They serve as an inspiration for when the fear of failure begins to rise.

Tommy Odetto is one of those people, a man whose music is so beautiful that it makes you wonder if it's created in a place that's not of this Earth. Like so many others, he's chasing his dreams and knitting them into a wonderful reality.

Hi, Tommy! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about who you are and where you're from.

Hello! My name is Tommy Odetto. I'm 28 years old, and I'm born and raised in beautiful Northern California. Little about me? I'm a music freak. I love music. I live to play guitar, write songs, and sing. As well as listening and just enjoying music in a daily basis! I like meeting new people, good food, and good movies.

Young Tommy

What first prompted you to pick up a guitar and start playing?

My best friend Pat, and some older family members of friends I was introduced to the music of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Cream, and it literally felt like a beautiful spell was cast on me. I knew I was going to dedicate the rest of my life playing music upon hearing that.

Who are your musical influences?

I'm a Beatles freak. They're my all time favorite. I have and do, study their music a lot. Their music is the tapestry to my life pretty much!

The first time ever in my life where music really hit me was watching early footage of Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. It just gave me the chills as a kid, and I immediately started dressing and combing my hair like Elvis from age 8-10 years old about. That opened the door to all 50's Rock and Roll. I loved Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, and guys like that. I also loved all Pop from late 50's early 60's. My dad always listened to The Everly Brothers, British Invasion groups, Motown, Bobby Darin. Great stuff like that was my first exposure to music that really moved me.

Now I love so much stuff. I love all music. I love Blues, Jazz, Indian music, Classical, 60s Pop, Rock and Roll from every period. Anything heartfelt and good!

Creative people don't tend to have “typical” days. Some have set routines while others just go with the flow. What's a day in the life of a musician like? Do you stick to a routine? Or do you see what happens?

Haha! Yes I'm all over the place. I'm a total night owl. Always have been. I love writing and creating at night and into the wee hours. I'm sure other professional musicians are a lot more organized. I'd forget my guitar if I actually put it down once in a while.

At Conejo Valley Days 2016

Your life story, as documented on your website, is one that so many creative people can relate to. How do you feel that your life has set you up for the road that you're on now? At what point did you know the exact path that you wanted to take in life?

Wow good question. Well first I have to say I'm beyond blessed to have parents that believed in me, and knew music was my destiny as much as I did. Secondly, growing up in Fairfax, California with some of the most talented musicians around. Fairfax has really courted me as a community, and help me develop my skills as a musician no doubt.

With all of that said, There's also been a lot of trying times, and still are challenges. I mean, I really believe music chose me. I didn't have a choice. The passion was so strong, is so strong, that my heart would never let me veer off that track, even for a second. That doesn't always fit in with day to day realities, but I knew, and know that it's what I need to do on this earth, so you figure it out! I took a leap of faith, and never turned back from day one, and I've been lucky to get some really great opportunities so far.

Music is your passion and your life. Do you find that there's anything in particular that inspires you? Are there any particular themes or lyrical images that you find yourself returning to?

Yes! Anything that moves me. Whether it's a song that gets my juices going, or just life occurrences, and going through the things that you experience in life. It's all about real emotion thought. If something moves me, that's all I need.

Your songs are beautiful and I implore anyone to go and listen. How do you feel about the 21st Century music industry? Is there a big difference between good and bad days?

Thank you so much. Another good question. Honestly, at least in what's big in the mainstream, is garbage. Total garbage. Not everything, but most. The biggest thing for me is a lot of it is ego based. How much swag they have, how cool they are. It disgusts me. Artists like Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, The Beatles and people like that, were about lifting people up. Their music was real. Humanity poured out of them. Opened people's hearts up. Changed people's lives. That's why great art, and artists are all about. Real true emotion.

Today's artists I see are no different then a Pepsi commercial. Not to mention, artist originality, songwriting, production is pretty sophomoric. At least to me. To be a major recording artist in the 30s 40s and 50s, you truly had to have something really special to offer. You had to truly be a great artist. That's the gold standard for me. All of the old stuff. Whether it's Benny Goodman, or Brian Wilson.

For anyone who hasn't heard you before, how would you describe your music?

Rock music that's basically a combination of everything I like! Definitely some Blues, and Funk in there too.

At the 2016 Conejo Valley Days you fulfilled one of your dreams. Please tell us about that and how it made you feel.

What a day that was. I still think about almost everyday. It was truly magical, and I'm so grateful. For those that don't know, I made YouTube video that it was my dream to jam with Dave Grohl. Luckily, and amazingly, it reached his attention. Through a couple of very special people to me, I was booked for CVD. We met backstage and he was really nice, really complementary, and just such a gentleman. On stage, it was such a rush, and it didn't fully hit me until after the performance. But in a way, I felt like I was jamming with the big brother I never had. It was one of the best days of my life.

You're currently running a crowdfunding campaign. What's it for? And what will the end product be?

Thank you for asking. I've been given the opportunity to record an EP, at Foo Fighters' private studio and Headquarters, Studio 606. Long time Grohl collaborator, and Producer of Foo Fighters/Nirvana, Barrett Jones, agreed to Produce the EP. We will be recording on the Neve Console that was documented in the Grohl documentary, "Sound City". Nirvana recorded "Nevermind" on this console, among countless other landmark albums. We still have a ways to go, and you can donate here! https://www.gofundme.com/tommy606

Some people find crowdfunding to be very easy, while others struggle with it. How are you finding the process?

Interesting question. I find it to be quite a challenge in a lot of ways. It's a daily thing. Checking in with everyone, thanking everyone who's donated, making sure you get rewards to those who are owed them. It's a complete leap of faith, but I'm constantly moved by how many have stepped up to back me. So no, I don't find it easy!

Every recording studio is different, each having qualities that others don't. You've chosen to record your next project at Studio 606. Is there a reason for choosing that particular studio?

Yes! The Neve recording Console! Great room! Great engineers!

Bar the project that you're currently crowdfunding for, if you could have one other dream come true, which one would it be and why?

Be the opening act on tour with Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Or Clapton!! On tour with my heroes would be amazing!

Do you have a personal motto that you live by?

The only thing standing between you, and your dreams, is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself.

2017 - Photo by Rich W Chapman

What advice would you give to someone who's chasing their dreams?

Giving up is not an option.

Finally, where can find you, and your music, online?

www.TommyOdettomusic.com Spotify, ITunes

You can donate to Tommy's 606 Recording Dream at:

https://www.gofundme.com/tommy606

Go With The Flow

Life is like an ocean with the waves of different emotions and situations coming and going. There are things that we want to happen in our lives. And things that we'd rather keep moored to the shore.

2017 has, for me, felt like it's started slowly. Yet there's already three finished pieces of work ready to go and find new homes. The one that I really want to work on has, for the moment, stalled. I've gone to pick it up again only for road blocks to get in the way. Losing my voice, cancellations, or a sudden back log of work mean that it's been impossible to sit and talk to anyone.

So I decided to see where else the ocean of life would take me. And, surprisingly, it guided me to several pieces that I'd started last year and never had the chance to finish. The road blocks were just that – minor inconveniences that meant my mind could wander elsewhere for a while.

There may be something that you want to happen in your life; a job change or holiday, perhaps. You may find that getting to that point is a struggle and that achieving that dream, no matter how small, is so tantalisingly out of reach. You may feel like your fingers are grazing the edges of your dream but, no matter how hard you try, you just can't reel it in.

Telling someone to let go of their dream feels like an awful thing to say. It sounds as though you're telling that person that their dreams are not worthy of being granted, that they don't deserve the happiness that others enjoy.

You don't have to let go. Instead, go with the ebb and flow of the world around you. Keep working towards your dream, whether it's applying for a job every week or putting away a little money towards your holiday. Giving yourself in to the flow of the world can be hard. It can be a struggle and you'll find yourself wanting to work on your dream 24/7. But even doing a little a day is great. Seeds don't sprout overnight. Great oaks don't suddenly go from an acorn to a fully matured tree in an hour. In the same way, your dream may not happen overnight.

As someone recently said to me, “Achieving your dreams is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time and enjoy the process.”

For me, these quiet periods mean that, by the end of the year, I should have several new projects ready to go out in to the world.

Relax, sit back, and do what you can. Because you never know what's going to happen two days, two months, or two years from now.

Dreams Can Come True

After many months, this is FINALLY on the top of my "To Watch" pile.

 

For those who haven't heard of it, here's the synopsis:

I already know the outcome so I won't spoil it. But it's a film which shows that if you get your head down and work you can achieve your dreams. Want something? Don't just sit around and wait. Work on it until you get to where you want to be. Sure, it's a long hard mountain to climb but, I hate to break it to people, life ain't no reality show. Dreams take blood, sweat, and tears to achieve. It doesn't happen overnight.

Another reason I'm looking forward to this film is the faith in the human spirit. It doesn't rely on cheap thrills, blood, or sex. It's a film about a family whose bonds are strong enough to do something like this. Something we're lacking in this materialistic world where everyone seems to be out for themselves. It's a story of love and how far it'll go for another. Spread the word and spread the love!

Mission to Lars

Achievement

It takes a lot of work to achieve anything in life. From going to school, to forging a career, to building a marriage, it all takes time, effort, energy and, quite often, tears.

Unfortunately we don't see a lot of that any more. With reality TV shows promising fame overnight and publishers snatching fan fictions from the internet, we now think that what we want should come to us in the blink of an eye.

But if you take a look around yourself, you'll see this isn't true. People slave for years to build something. Some succeed, some don't; it's a sad fact of life. And one of the things which tires me is the assumption that, because someone has done something with their life (whatever that may be), that they're "lucky", that they're "successful".

If you want to do something amazing, it doesn't happen overnight. It never does. It may happen in a few weeks, or a few months but, contrary to what the media would like you to think, it doesn't happen in an instant.

Take, for example, the Redbull Stratos Jump which happened in October 2012. Even with the backing of a huge, multi-national, and extremely rich company, it was many, many years in the planning. There were so many things which had to be considered, pods, parachutes, and camera which had to be built. Felix Baumgartner, who made the jump, was training from the inception of the project.


You can do whatever you put your mind to. It'll take time, it'll take effort, it'll take blood, sweat and tears, but you can do it. Don't give up on your dreams. Just don't let the media rip them from under you.