We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Wood recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Aaron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

At 16 years old, I took some Christmas money and decided to buy myself a guitar. I’ve always been fascinated by the instrument. There is something about those six steel strings. They are magical!

Back then (around 2003), I began teaching myself to play guitar and sing. I used the infancy of the internet to help propel my learning. This was before all the neat tools we have today. There weren’t guitar tutorial videos, or online lessons. I taught myself to read guitar tab, and started learning some of my favorite songs. I would come across things that were way too complex, so I would migrate from those and move on to something else when I got frustrated. Teaching yourself to play is kind of like swinging at a pinata in the dark. Sometimes you hit your target, but most of the time just spend your time swinging and missing. What you can’t do though, is give up. And I didn’t!

Senior year of high school, I started a rock band with my brother and began writing songs. We played some shows in the local area and even won a couple competitions. I gained a lot of experience performing and playing music during this time.

Knowing what I know now, it would have benefited me to take private lessons. We did deal with some financial struggles growing up, and I’m not sure my parents would have been able to support that. But the private lessons would have helped me close the gaps in my learning. I spent the majority of my time digging around in the dark and getting lost in the dead ends. Even the easy things like string changes, strumming patterns, and playing in time I ended up learning on my own. If I had a mentor or teacher, it would have made this process so much easier.

Overall, this experience helped me out tremendously in the long run, but it wasn’t the most efficient use of my time. Most importantly, what I learned is that resiliency is essential when learning any new skills.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Aaron Wood and I provide musical entertainment in the Southern Michigan area. I have played guitar and sang for about 20 years. I specialize in cover songs in the 90s and early 2000s.

I think the biggest thing that separates me from others in the industry is my ability to put on an energetic performance. It doesn’t matter if you have played something again and again, the audience deserves lively entertainment every single time. I love to get lost in the song. Sometimes, I forget I am playing and enjoy the song right along with the audience. It is a therapeutic, out-of-body type experience. I love that about performing.

What I am most proud of is my song choices. I love to take on songs that others either choose not to, or have forgotten about. I love to perform ballads, especially those that are vocally challenging. I am also known for incorporating loops into my performances. This is where I create a musical loop of a guitar track, then play over it with improvisation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It is those people who come up to you after the performance to thank you, or give you a compliment. I read somewhere that only 1% of people choose to give a compliment for a service. If I happen to receive a compliment, I always thank them for letting me know and use that knowledge to gauge the quality of the performance. If truly only 1% come to see you after a performance, that feedback is crucial and is a huge confidence booster. This kind of thing lets me know I am on the right track.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to continue to grow as a musician and perform in new places in the area. I’d like to keep growing the business and keep getting the word out. I hope to acquire some additional income on the side of my full-time teaching career. Overall, I would love to have local businesses and event leaders contact me about possible performances.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaaronwoodproject
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGPCaFYfXixx-SU2gr0-nzg
• Other: Spotify
  

Image Credits

Jessica Wood Photography