We recently connected with Tom Vincent and have shared our conversation below.

Tom, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Well my music journey began when I was 16 years old. I had asked my parents for a guitar for my birthday and when that day came, their gift to me was an all black Ibenez PF-15 acoustic guitar. From that point on I did not put that guitar down. Every day I would take the time to learn all the basic chords and tablature. Id practice day and night non stop. Soon enough I was playing full songs from some of my favorite artists….

I grew up on a lot of folk and classic rock music. Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young were usually playing in house. I was also heavily influenced by punk rock music at the time, and at the age of 19 I formed my own original punk band, The Ironbound.

I had named the band after my home town in the East Ward of Newark NJ. Its a small and tightly knit community that was given the name “The Ironbound” because of the railway system that surrounds it.

The band did quite well, despite that fact that we were so young and most of us inexperienced musicians at that time. We went on to win a battle of the bands against over 300 bands from NJ, NY, and PA, and earned a slot at the Bamboozle Festival that was held yearly at the Meadowlands.

After a year The Ironbound disbanded , but I knew from that point on, music is what I wanted to do for a living. So I began doing solo shows at local bars, and restaurants. Anywhere that would give me work.

Tom, 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?

I’ve been playing throughout the Jersey bar scene now for a solid 14 years.. I am self taught in both guitar and vocal ability. I have never taken a single guitar or vocal lesson in my life. I just kept on playing and learned to mold my craft in my own sort of way. At this time I have memorized about 200+ songs. I never use any ipad or music sheet to remember the songs that I choose to play.

I also have a duo I play in, along with my long time friend Dan Traglia. Dan sort of brings what I like to call “raw power” to the band, and he also adds some sweet vocal harmonies as well. Together, the two of us together produce a lot of sound for 2 guys. At least many who have seen us have said. “You guys sound like a full band up there” they sometimes say. And I usually reply with “we are a full band” lol.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Well one book in particular that resonated with me was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I found it when i was down in the dumps and I was looking for some inspiration. I had heard about the book on a couple podcasts i listen to so i decided to give it a read. And it was just the kind of book i needed at the time. I recommend it to anyone on a spiritual path, and/or someone in pursuit of their dream, or “personal legend” as it is stated in the book.

Fav quote: “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

-The Alchemist

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

I would say the most rewarding part is connecting with people who appreciate good music. I’ve met so many great people on this journey, people who have impacted my life in a positive way. And plus I get to do what I love for a living. And for that i am truly blessed.

Contact Info:

• Website: Tomvincentmusic.com
• Instagram: Tomvincentmusic
• Facebook: Facebook.com/tomvincentmusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@tomvincent1154

Image Credits
Jodi Rothfeld