chris Ramusiewicz

What do you teach at Loudlands?

Guitar, Bass, Ensembles, and Audio Production

When did you start playing?

I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old, in 1999.

What's your favorite aspect of music or your instrument?

Working together with a like minded group to nail down a piece of music is by far the most rewarding thing about being a musician. It doesn't matter if it's a cover or an original - getting together with other people who care about putting in the work, being able to find effective communication strategies for everyone involved, and working at it until you get that take where you feel how well it went, moment to moment - that's unparalleled.

Who are some of your favorite bands/musicians and why?

I'm a lover of heavy metal, pop, chilled out electronic music, video game music, and jazz fusion. Some of my all-time favorite artists and composers are, in no particular order: Casoipea Fallujah The Japanese House Daft Punk Ulcerate Nobuo Uematsu Vulfpeck The 1975 Kardashev HOME Misery Signals Emil Rottmeyer Koji Kondo HAIM Steely Dan If it's catchy, if it has groove, if you can't help but replay it over and over in your head, I'm probably into it.

What are some of your current and/or past music projects?

I've been playing in my metal band Graveborn since I founded it in 2012. We're on our 5th album. I also recently started playing with some friends in Annihilus Mundi, another metal band. I also compose music for video games, most recently as the in house composer for Ash & Adam's Games, an indie game developer duo. This really lets me flex my other influences and musical loves! My side projects include my electronica side project Yearn, and my Power Rangers themed death metal joke band (yes, really) Scourge of Eltar.

How would you describe your music and playing style?

Above all, I prize a catchy melody. Even my heavy metal work makes sure to feature a part you can't get out of your head (or, at least I hope so!) And a melody is nothing without context and support from the arrangement - finding the just right chord voicing or rhythm to fit in with the rest of the parts is paramount. It's all about creating something bigger than each part when they work together!

Can you please describe your gear of choice?

I'm endorsed by Blackat Guitars, a luthier from Warsaw, Poland, where my family is from. I use two custom 8-string guitars from them for anything that needs a heavy feel. I also love my G&L Legacy Stratocaster for my pop and electronic music, playing cover gigs, or teaching! Also can't forget my Line 6 HX Stomp, which has been the brains behind nearly all of my musical output since I bought it, as well as software like Logic Pro, Arturia Pigments, Valhalla VintageVerb, and SoundToys EchoBoy.

Any general advice you'd like to give to beginner musicians or someone looking to get started?

Remember the verb we use when talking about interacting with our instruments - we PLAY them. Yes, if you're coming to lessons, you acknowledge that learning music requires structure, discipline, and critically assessing yourself, but that's just one half of the puzzle. When we're performing, the best thing you can do is turn the part of your brain that analyzes everything OFF and try to be PLAYING. You need both the analytical and the playful to succeed as a musician! Let's get into the nitty gritty, sure, but sometimes, it's great to approach things with the mindset of "what would happen if I...?"

Aside from playing/making music, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?

I'm a huge video game guy, although I have less and less time to really dig into the latest ones. I also love books, particularly fantasy and sci fi novels. I have a long running podcast (over 10 years now) with a friend that tests the "can you judge a book by its cover" theory to the extreme. I'm also always on the hunt for good restaurants. Tell me your favorites, I will appreciate it.

If you were battling a physically identical but evil android version of yourself on top of a skyscraper during a thunderstorm and someone miraculously intervened, how would they know which one was the real you?

Ask us both to play something we're working on. I'm the one that's gonna make mistakes.