Interview with Luke Totte
We recently interviewed a teen bassist for the Cliché Teen Journal Interview Blog page.
Read about the interview below!
*A conversation between Anna L. and Luke Totte a teen bassist/musician.*
Question 1: How long have you been playing your instruments.
Luke: I’ve been playing bass for about four and half years now. It’s so much fun and it’s my escape from everything I’ve recently picked up drums. I’m currently trying to develop my voice more so I can properly do backup vocals in my band.
Question 2: What first got you into music?
Luke: I was first exposed to music through my dad, we always listened to Van Halen and guns and roses. I went on a bit of a musical slump until I found led zepplin and Iron Maiden. That was my building block getting into metal. Steve Harris (the bassist for Iron Maiden) inspired me to do it myself cause he seemed to have so much fun on stage. Ever since then I’ve been getting into more progressive metal bands like opeth and gojira.
Question 3: What do you enjoy the most about playing music?
Luke: I love the thrill of it. Whether I’m alone in my room or in front of 300 people I do my best to put on a show and get them invested, and hearing their reaction is the best. Just knowing I’m good enough to play my instrument well and have people see me do it is an incredible feeling.
Question 4: Do you prefer playing in a group or solo?
Luke: Groups hands down. Alone can be a little boring (especially as a bassist). I love the dynamic and different personalities everyone brings. A big thing for me is the chemistry a band has on stage. It’s fun to work together and make something beautiful.
Question 5: What is your favorite genre of music to play?
Luke: Rock and Metal. It’s here your heart racing and you lose yourself playing it. One of the most satisfying things for me is learning a difficult song, memorizing and playing it without flaw. Some of my favorite lines to play are rats by ghost, aces high by Iron Maiden and rock the casbah by the clash.
Question 6: What is your goal in the musical career pathway?
Luke: Well I’m totally original in saying I would love to be in a band. Put out a few albums, play some gigs and experience the “life on the road” for myself. If that doesn’t happen teaching music would be pretty cool too.
Question 7: What’s the best advice you have ever gotten regarding music?\
Luke: Slow down😂
Anna: That’s good advice😂
Question 8: What qualities do you believe a good musician should have?
Luke: Patience and determination. It genuinely annoys me when people complain about not being able to play an acoustic guitar well because they’ve been practicing for a few months. It takes YEARS to play your desired instrument decently. But practicing every day will get you to the point where you’re good a it. I for one practice about two hours every day. And practicing is fun you’re just playing the songs you know!
Question 9: What do you enjoy the most about being a musician?
Luke: I love entertaining people. My goal when I’m on stage is to take them somewhere else. To give them a good show. After all they paid for it. Making people dance or headbang or get them to clap along is so much fun to me
Question 10: What musicians inspire you?
Luke: Steve Harris is the one who got me into bass in the first. But Jason Newstead from Metallica and Mikeal Akerfelt from opeth are also really big inspirations for me.
Question 11: Do you have any things that make it hard for you to do music? If so how do you juggle that and music?
Luke: It’s mostly just a mental block most of the time. When I see complex string of notes or a scale I’ve never seen before I panic and play something else. They way I overcome it is thinking to myself how bad I used to be and now I can play songs by Tool, so how hard can this be? It’s all about perspective on how much better I’ve become from what I used to be.
Question 12: Who has been your biggest “cheerleader” by supporting your music career?
Luke: Of course my parents. They keep it very realistic for me. But besides them, the singer in the band I’m in is insanely talented and for her to tell me I’m good is a real honor. Other people along the way but I mostly just try to block it out and get to a point where I believe I’m good enough because there is always a possibility that people are are only saying it to be nice.
Question 13:What’s the best advice you would give someone who also wants to pursue music?
Luke: Be realistic but also be driven. Have the drive to be the best and go down as one of the best, but doing get to ahead of yourself because life works in strange ways so if may not work out. But if you’re just doing it for fun, be patient. If you practice hard enough and you are having a blast learning and trying new things, the technique and skill will come.
Last Question: Thank you for doing this interview! Anything else to add?
Luke: Nothing else!
Luke's Insta: @Luke.totte.music
For some of his playing: Click button below!
Luke: I’ve been playing bass for about four and half years now. It’s so much fun and it’s my escape from everything I’ve recently picked up drums. I’m currently trying to develop my voice more so I can properly do backup vocals in my band.
Question 2: What first got you into music?
Luke: I was first exposed to music through my dad, we always listened to Van Halen and guns and roses. I went on a bit of a musical slump until I found led zepplin and Iron Maiden. That was my building block getting into metal. Steve Harris (the bassist for Iron Maiden) inspired me to do it myself cause he seemed to have so much fun on stage. Ever since then I’ve been getting into more progressive metal bands like opeth and gojira.
Question 3: What do you enjoy the most about playing music?
Luke: I love the thrill of it. Whether I’m alone in my room or in front of 300 people I do my best to put on a show and get them invested, and hearing their reaction is the best. Just knowing I’m good enough to play my instrument well and have people see me do it is an incredible feeling.
Question 4: Do you prefer playing in a group or solo?
Luke: Groups hands down. Alone can be a little boring (especially as a bassist). I love the dynamic and different personalities everyone brings. A big thing for me is the chemistry a band has on stage. It’s fun to work together and make something beautiful.
Question 5: What is your favorite genre of music to play?
Luke: Rock and Metal. It’s here your heart racing and you lose yourself playing it. One of the most satisfying things for me is learning a difficult song, memorizing and playing it without flaw. Some of my favorite lines to play are rats by ghost, aces high by Iron Maiden and rock the casbah by the clash.
Question 6: What is your goal in the musical career pathway?
Luke: Well I’m totally original in saying I would love to be in a band. Put out a few albums, play some gigs and experience the “life on the road” for myself. If that doesn’t happen teaching music would be pretty cool too.
Question 7: What’s the best advice you have ever gotten regarding music?\
Luke: Slow down😂
Anna: That’s good advice😂
Question 8: What qualities do you believe a good musician should have?
Luke: Patience and determination. It genuinely annoys me when people complain about not being able to play an acoustic guitar well because they’ve been practicing for a few months. It takes YEARS to play your desired instrument decently. But practicing every day will get you to the point where you’re good a it. I for one practice about two hours every day. And practicing is fun you’re just playing the songs you know!
Question 9: What do you enjoy the most about being a musician?
Luke: I love entertaining people. My goal when I’m on stage is to take them somewhere else. To give them a good show. After all they paid for it. Making people dance or headbang or get them to clap along is so much fun to me
Question 10: What musicians inspire you?
Luke: Steve Harris is the one who got me into bass in the first. But Jason Newstead from Metallica and Mikeal Akerfelt from opeth are also really big inspirations for me.
Question 11: Do you have any things that make it hard for you to do music? If so how do you juggle that and music?
Luke: It’s mostly just a mental block most of the time. When I see complex string of notes or a scale I’ve never seen before I panic and play something else. They way I overcome it is thinking to myself how bad I used to be and now I can play songs by Tool, so how hard can this be? It’s all about perspective on how much better I’ve become from what I used to be.
Question 12: Who has been your biggest “cheerleader” by supporting your music career?
Luke: Of course my parents. They keep it very realistic for me. But besides them, the singer in the band I’m in is insanely talented and for her to tell me I’m good is a real honor. Other people along the way but I mostly just try to block it out and get to a point where I believe I’m good enough because there is always a possibility that people are are only saying it to be nice.
Question 13:What’s the best advice you would give someone who also wants to pursue music?
Luke: Be realistic but also be driven. Have the drive to be the best and go down as one of the best, but doing get to ahead of yourself because life works in strange ways so if may not work out. But if you’re just doing it for fun, be patient. If you practice hard enough and you are having a blast learning and trying new things, the technique and skill will come.
Last Question: Thank you for doing this interview! Anything else to add?
Luke: Nothing else!
Luke's Insta: @Luke.totte.music
For some of his playing: Click button below!