Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to CJ Teffner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
CJ, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I had convinced myself by 13 or 14 years old that I would be a rock star, like my hero Jeff beck or Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. I didn’t know there was a path, or what it was, I didn’t care…I just expected it would happen.
CJ, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Originally I was a drummer before learning guitar, my mom pawned her silver flute to by me a drum set when I was nine or ten, after I ruined the coffee table, using spoons as drumsticks. When I got to junior high I started playing in my high school rock band, where I picked up the guitar player’s guitar and hit a E chord through it and his new amp. It was magic, I still remember that moment, it was like being hit by lightning- I just knew the guitar was for me. I played my first bar gig when I was fifteen with a note from my parents. Since I was in band, jazz ensemble and marching band (drums/percussion) I started switching to guitar instead of drum set. In jazz ensemble I also started playing bass ass well, which started my love of bass, which would come in handy since there was a glut of guitar players where I lived, so I took a gig playing bass. I auditioned and got the gig and there band leader told me I had two weeks to learn the material…because then we were going on tour! I learned a lot with that band. I thought the guitar player ran the band, or the drummer but it turns out its mainly the bass player- holding back the tempo and making the groove happen. Or just holding the whole band and song together. In my late twenties I moved from my home state of Vermont to North Carolina. In NC I turned myself in a “hired gun” by being a “fill in guy” for bands needing a guitar or bass player for a night. One night I’d play electric guitar in a corporate band, bass the next night in a rock band, and then acoustic 12 string the next nights accompanying a vocalist. For a while I was the guitarist in a 60’s and 70’s Mowtown R&B style band there and learned so many classics I had heard a million times and many I had never heard before, it was ear opening. I became very useful as I played many instruments in various styles. I ended up setting up a recording studio and recording local bands, which lead to a gig mastering cd’s for a replication company. Mastering is the last thing in the music recording chain, it’s a process where we make the songs the same loudness and tone, and wow did I learn! I mastered symphonies, rap, heavy metal, country, singer songwriter, pop…everything. I ended up mastering a project that was a very influential European jazz band Summerflood as well as the hi resolution digital release of Live In Munich by the CTI Allstars. After a few decades of touring I’ve settled into a groove of writing and recording with other artists as well as producing songs with different singers of different genres. I’ve fell into being a all around kind of player/writer/performer helping artists create their vision, be it rock with big guitars, Americana with mandolin, 6 and 12 string guitars, cello to fill out a track or simple shaker and tambourine, whatever the song dictates! I just love working with artists to help them with their songs and have received many industry awards, as well as having songs licensed to MTV, Discovery Channnel and Fox Sports, as well as working with publishers for TV, ad and film. With my songwriting partner, Jimena Arroyo, we usually write and record 40 to 60 songs a year, for both artist placement and for TV, film and ads. In my career so far I’ve found the most satisfaction to be in working with others and getting a great result.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Even though I came from along line of musicians and was in band I really didn’t know music theory or guitar techniques that well. I knew enough to be trouble, but I didn’t know enough to do what I heard in my head, and what I was capable of doing. I bought a book called Challenge The Masters which was Bach, Paganini, Debussy, Mozart and so on- the lead lines transcribed for guitar. I started playing these and all of a sudden it clicked musically in my head and I could see my fingers playing what I heard in my head. Awesome! Except I quickly realized my technique was terrible, as I never learned the proper techniques, I had to take a step back and analyze what I was doing and how I could be more economical in my picking and finger to be able to take on The Masters!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I arrived at the age of 42 I decided that 23 years on the road touring was enough, and that I’d like to spend more time in the studio, and with my wife. I had been on the road 80-90 nights a year and one year 131 nights! That’s when I channeled my efforts into songwriting and production. I built a recording studio and started writing and finding collaborators and artists to work with, from all over the world. I’ve had the pleasure of working with people from different countries and cultures, it all just adds to the creativity. Now that I’ve got myself established as a producer, songwriter and player things are falling into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: Cjteffner.com
- Instagram: @cjteffner
- Facebook: /cjteffner