Which musician has influenced you the most?
If I had to pick one, it would have to be John Mayer. Despite having started out my musical journey playing hard rock and heavy metal, I always had a melodic, more "pop" influence coming from somewhere (likely from my father's collection of records of The Beatles, and from the songs of Pino Daniele and Zucchero always playing in my mother's car).
When I first listened to "Continuum" by John Mayer, I thought it was a perfect meeting point of guitar-driven music with melodic pop songwriting, all with a modern sound I was very much used to. Not only that, it inspired me to go backwards in time to explore the roots of what inspired him, and doing so I discovered some of my other favourite artists today.
What can you teach me about your instruments different than any other teacher?
Since I started out, I was lucky enough to always play with other people, often much better musicians than I was at the time. This was an incredible advantage, which allowed me (together of course with my studies) to grow into a "practical" guitarist: I have learned very soon in my career that rhythm and groove are the principal skills that every musician should learn to cultivate and constantly improve
How did you learn to play your instrument?
It was a bass player's fault! It was a good friend of mine, a beginner bass player, and he wanted to start a band, and he basically decided that I should be the guitarist, despite me having never played any instrument before. The funny thing is, my friend quit playing bass after a couple of years, but for me, this thing that started almost as a joke became one of the biggest parts of my life.
How do you go about writing a song or composing a piece yourself?
My best friend is my phone's audio recorder. Even before I had a smartphone (yes, I'm that old), I always carried some kind of portable recorder with me, as it was always the easiest way to jot down ideas that I would develop as soon as I could grab a guitar. This has not changed much over the years: I still record a lot of hummed or whistled melodies, grooves and such, and then (very important) I make a conscious effort of going through my recordings from time to time: if the inspiration to finish something wasn't immediately there in the first place, it can always come later, with a fresh mind.
On what equipment do you play today?
I'm mainly a Fender Stratocaster player, because I believe it's the most versatile, recognizable and still individual guitar sound to ever have existed. Even if countless players have played and continue to play the same instrument, there's space in there for the sound of Eric Clapton, for the one of Ritchie Blackmore, and for the one of Stevie Ray Vaughan. So maybe there's space for my sound as well. And yours.
What personal trait has helped you when you practice the most?
Being a scientist in my other life, I have learned to be fairly methodical and decently organized, so I planned my studying routines, took note of my progress, and kept track of my journey with the instrument. Moreover, having learned fairly early in my journey how to record myself and to work with digital audio workstations, I was able to observe directly my improvements on my timing, solidity and quality of sound over time.
What does your instrument have that others don't?
The guitar has the privileged position of being both a rhythmic and melodic instrument. It can be loud, present, protagonist, but it may also be sitting in the background, doing almost nothing. Whatever serves the song. Having all these possibilities in one instrument is a fantastic opportunity, and learning how to use them is the core of a guitarist's journey.
What you pay special attention to when you teach?
Rhythm (timing and groove), sound (your voice through the instrument), and interplay (listening and understanding before playing). Such things are controlled by your head of course, and then by your picking hand, which is the hand that unfortunately receives less attention when learning guitar. Sure, the fretting hand "looks" more complicated and allows for more spectacular acrobatics, and I'm not going to understate the importance of having a good articulation and control (bendings and vibratos are a huge part of each guitarist's unique sound), BUT your picking hand controls your timing, your pronunciation and your dynamics, which are essential parts of playing.
How do you build up your music lessons?
Of course each lesson is very individual, according to each student's needs, but in general I like to start with some warm up or technique exercises, playing with a metronome or drum beat, I try to leave space for questions or requests by the student, and I always like to end by playing at least a song, as music should never be absent from any music lesson.
What do you do with children?
I try to understand what makes them curious and intrigued by music and the instrument, and try to play on that, maybe going even more into the songs and music aspects of the lesson, and try to make sure they have fun doing it, and don't perceive it as a chore.
What was until now your greatest experience as a musician?
I'm gonna pick a recent one, and choose the first time I played at an Open-Air festival (in Germany) with my band PeeLu. We did a full set of completely original songs, for an audience that never heard us before, and the response was really invigorating.
What was the largest stage that you've performed on?
I played on a great stage back in Italy, in the city of Volterra, with Italian singer Federica Marinari. Everything had the marks of the perfect gig: great musicians on stage with me, great sound and technicians, very partecipative audience, and great location (we were playing in the main square inside the medieval walls of the city)
Which musician would you like to play with?
Aside from the already mentioned John Mayer, I'd really like to play with Paulo Mendonça: he's a funk/rock machine and has a great energy when playing. And he seems like a great guy to hang around with!
Which record would you bring to a desert island?
Aside from the already mentioned Continuum... this is something that changes quite frequently for me, as I like to always explore new stuff... and getting extremely fond of it! So at the moment I would say "Let It Lie" by The Bros. Landreth, which has some incredible guitar sounds and playing, together with very thoughtful songwriting and lyrics. Chef's kiss!
On which stage do you prefer to perform?
Royal Albert Hall? Jokes aside (although I would love to!), I think even given the chance I would still prefer playing in relatively small (but possibly packed!) venues, in which you stand still close to the audience and you can really interact and receive back, which always makes for the best possible performance.
After music, what is important in your life?
Aside from being a musician, I'm also a chemist, and I like working in a laboratory and doing research. And I love cats!
