DJs Spotligh: An interview with BannerElk

Hello everyone DJ Dizzy here this time its another interview once again this time from a group called Benner Elk. Who are an indie band. Enjoy!

How'd you get started in music?

I began with music as a fluke. I was 5 years old, started playing the piano

randomly in our living room, and my parents and their friends thought it was

cool that I memorized the tune they were singing and played it note for note

on the piano just to do that. I had no idea what all of the fuss was about when I did that, and at

5 years old, (my mom tells me) I walked away so nobody would bother me. 

Who are your main inspirations or influences?

The list is huge! 

For vocals it is: Nina Simone, Etta James,

Ella Fitzgerald, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles,

Patsy Cline, Nat King Cole, 

James Taylor, Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, 

Ann Wilson, too many to list.

Guitar is: Steve Morse, Jimi Hendrix, and

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Songwriting: the Beatles, Paul McCartney,

Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder, Joni Mitchell, 

Jaco Pastorius, Miles Davis, Soundgarden,

Chris Cornell, too many to list, I'm sure I'm leaving out so many.

How would you say music has impacted your life?

When things were tough age 5, age 6, I'd hum, and if

things in the house were insane, I'd sing to myself, or lock

myself in a room and play music to calm down.

Then my 2 brothers would play the Beatles, Led Zeppelin,

McCarntney/Wings, and also, in my dad's car I'd hear Billy

Joel and jazz, so I was drawn to music, 

plus piano, it was always

something I needed somehow, or something with me.

Music pretty much saved my life. I've been told I was so lucky

I didn't have addiction in my family and I do believe that cause

I had a hell of a time. 

By age 14 I just went to the piano to get out feelings and it helped.

And it all stayed with me, through lonely times, depression, breakups, family stuff,

losing people (and by the time I was 27 I had lost so many people to illnesses.)

What advice would you offer aspiring performers? Don't give up if you love

it and feel like you have to do it. Do your own thing, craft your own style.

Work the craft. If you are songwriter, write it, rehearse it and be ready.

If you are singer, work it (I studied classical, jazz, blues and so much and I'm still

learning on guitar and keyboards, all of the time.) 

Performers have to get comfortable by being in front of 

people a lot til you can get to where it is (after the first 20 seconds of nerves)

like you are right at home doing your thing. Preparation, loving the moments,

videotaping your show to see what you wanna change, knowing how to do your sets, it takes time but for performers, it is key. Don't pass up any big, real opportunities and link to other musicians all of the time, too. 

Any new gigs or works in the future?

Me and the guys are going back in to record 12 brand new originals I wrote

(I'm a crazy radiohead girl walking around)

from June through the summer into Fall we hope to release those or have someone help us with mgmt/promotion . I'll be backstage for Rockfest so looking forward to that next week and it's so great cause it will be Ozzy Osbourne and Halestorm and I'm very excited to be doing that with Fretboard Magazine.

One friend helping the band just linked us to a National promo company for shows and events for South Florida, yet...ahead, our goal now is the right promo/mgmt co. and opening for big things, 

shows, colleges, tours, festivals, events, etc.. 

Some originals

are online at www.bannerelk.band    

We have May-June local gigs and...

our buddies are working a Fall schedule out for events

I hear yet the dates will be posted soon so stay tuned.

So here's to you Banner Elk Nothing but luck in your music & your career. So until then I'll be seeing you so be radically righteous!