Think Miss Universe, only for guitar players. Ten guitarists are chosen from around the world, based on song samples they have submitted to the magazine. Smotherman’s friend Trey Alexander, last year’s Guitar Hero winner, was the one who talked him into submitting to the competition at all.
“I actually entered in at the last minute,” says Smotherman. “A friend of mine, who had actually won last year, contacted me when we were in Austin, Texas together and told me to enter into the competition. I [entered] five days before it was over.”
Having grown up in the small town of Middleburg, Florida, Smotherman was left to his own devices when it came to musical influences. At an early age he became interested in all different styles of music, from classical to Indian. Smotherman’s sound is a throwback to guitarists from the eighties, self described as “Shred Guitar Insanity” on his MySpace page with a bit of Bach and Ravi Shankar thrown into the mix.
“At a young age I started experimenting with those sounds I heard [in Bach or Shankar],” says Smotherman. “I was trying to mimic those sounds on the electric guitar without using pedals or effects.”
Smotherman had to choose one song to submit that he felt best represented his abilities as a guitarist. The song he chose was “Space Anthem,” which can be heard on his MySpace page (myspace.com/tonysmotherman).
“I picked this track because it seemed like it showed the most versatility,” says Smotherman. “It kind of hit a lot of different styles within five minutes, without going overboard and sounding like I am trying to play as many different styles at one time.”
Guitar Player Magazine recognized the unique talent right away. While driving on the interstate Michael Molenda, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, gave Smotherman the phone call of his life.
“I was driving in my car on the highway and I got this weird area code come up. I didn’t recognize it and I answered it,” explains Smotherman. “He said, ‘This is the Editor-in-Chief of Guitar Player and I want to let you know you’re in.’ I [had to] pull over to the side of the road for a second. It was a very exciting moment.”
The competition is being held in San Francisco on October 11, 2007 and can be viewed via a guitarplayer.com live webcast for those not attending. Each artist is given five minutes to play one song, backed by a band of renowned musicians. The bass player will be the Editor-in-Chief of Bass Player Magazine. The keyboardist will be the Editor-in-Chief of Keyboard Magazine. And so on.
The winner will receive a feature story in Guitar Player Magazine, along with some huge endorsements from Jim Dunlop, Mesa Boogie and Cable Company. They will also receive a ProTools system for recording.
“I come with an open mind,” says Smotherman. “Music is the most important thing in my life. For that reason I am looking at this more like a showcase than a competition. I’m going there to network with other musicians. That’s the main point of it. But if I win it, that’s a great thing, too, for my career.”
Guitar Player Magazine has done a wonderful job of bringing all the competitors together, making this event more of a great moment for great musicians to come together than just a competition. All of the competitors have already spoken to each other and are known to keep up with one another after the competition has ended.
“I don’t feel nervous at all at this point,” says Smotherman. “Maybe when I get on stage it will be a different story.”
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
