Vinnie Velez

My name is Vinnie Velez and I am a 21 year old musician out of NY. I write and perform all the drums, guitars and vocals in my music. Composing music is my passion, and hopefully one day, my means of speaking to the world. I have a lot to say, but like a lot of other unsigned artist, lack the funds to do so. However, I work hard self-promoting, playing gigs, getting radio play & good publicity, and trying to build up to a full length disk. It certainly feels good to have a place like this where the "up-and-comers" can present our pieces to the world. Thanks for listening, and don't forget the name!

I started as a drummer around age 8, then taught myself guitar at age 15, and started singing at 16. All throughout high school I played both in rock bands, orchestras, and in a jazz band. By 17 I had the chance to deal with a SONY records talent scout, who told me that I had great strength in composition and lyrics but needed improvement in vocals. I worked hard playing acoustic and singing at coffeehouses to improve both my performance and my vocals. I know that as a musician I will always have room for improvement in my pieces, but late 1999 I felt strong enough to lay down some tracks in a professional studio. The effort has gained me radio airplay, a great article from the editor of Rhythm and News Magazine, and a "staff favorite" showing at the popular farmclub.com site. Now that I have my foot in the door and am making worthwhile connections, I am ready to blast off with a full-length record of my new music. However, while I am waiting to start production of that new record I still have respect for my first six-song CD and am promoting it, which has the song Medusa (that is on this sight) which got me on the radio and started a good chain of events for me.

I love the live element of Rock and Roll. There is nothing like presenting your music to people and seeing them move and completely enjoy it. I am a complete Jeckyl and Hyde when it comes to life and performing, often those who know me personally as a very peaceful and calm guy come back from their first show and ask me who it was jumping off speakers and dancing around up there. The special moments for me at a show come when people shout out one of my song names and want to hear it, and then to see that they know each word and want to sing along makes me feel great. As an unsigned artist I can't say there hasn't been some gigs where absolutely nobody knows my songs out there, but you can bet that I'm going to play my heart out until anyone who is remotely interested knows that what I have to give is worth listening to. Weird experiences are when people ask for my autograph after a show. I always want to ask why, but before I can speak they say "hey, you never know, this could be worth a lot of money someday."

I am influenced by those who present the passion they have for music in their songs and performance. People like Bruce Springstein, Tom Petty, Sting, and Neil Young are great musical rolemodels for me. Bands like Aerosmith, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Our Lady Peace inspire me to keep on rocking. People say my voice is new to the ear and people in the industry say that it helps the music stand out, so don't expect to hear a familiar voice type. The music is alternative rock with the main focus on creating an original sound with lyrics people can take something from.