We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Armin Basha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Armin below.
Armin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
When I was 11 I heard the band Kiss for the first time and knew I wanted to play guitar in a band for superficial reasons. That was my first perception of a life of an artist. Not long after I experienced that, my parents bought me a cheap classical guitar from a random store and I couldn’t get my hands off it. I strummed it every day and was driving everyone crazy around me as I didn’t even know that you actually have to tune the guitar before you start doing anything with it. Thank god I had this friend of mine that went to the music school and he tuned it for me so I can finally start learning my craft. After he taught me how to play the C major scale I wanted to learn more and so I did. Various people around me showed me things like open chords and even some barres but nothing educated me more than books about guitar playing and the holy internet where I could watch videos on YouTube and learn about tabs etc. I definitely could have sped up the process of acquiring knowledge by not jumping straight to playing metal music and complex solos that were out of my abilities. I wasted some time on that but I don’t regret it as now when I have to play fast music, it seems more natural to me. Also, I was kinda afraid of barre chords so if I have learned them sooner, It would open some doors for me to practice some new stuff. In the beginning, I was struggling to get out of my comfort zone.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a kid, I always saw the musicians in their music videos or on stage having so much fun and them not giving a damn about conservative things which was a huge catalyst for my rebellion against the good old “normal” stuff I was surrounded by in my town and school. Everyone was so stiff and I could not handle it, I knew there was more in life than suffering from the “poor man’s syndrome” and the good old “finish your education and get a well-payed job” mentality. Eventually, my passion for getting a band together and performing live was even more substantial so I aimed to move to a bigger city to meet more like-minded people. So I did. I am proud of every band I had in Rijeka, Croatia as we were smashing the stage at every opportunity. Skipping classes for a gig in a different part of the country and traveling for free felt pretty good for us. I am grateful for these things you know, as I can’t imagine pushing it so far without those experiences. By pushing it so far I mean still making music and performing in clubs and smaller venues, pure satisfaction.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
In these times we get served everything we want: we can go on Spotify, Netflix or some people even download content illegally, so my answer is pretty straightforward, Buy the art folks, and support the artists by buying something now and then. If you go to Bandcamp or a merch stand I am sure you will find some neat stuff you will like. The prices shouldn’t be more than a pack of cigarettes or two beers idk. Go to local shows and exhibitions. as it means the world to us.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
It’s definitely watching how somebody connects with your art. It means that you managed to inspire somebody and make the person feel something.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/armin.basha
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armin_basha/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armin-basha-93b99b20a/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HCherussci
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgLyvRaaR4Q7vLHA65qs7qw