Jack Gibson is a Coulsdon College student who wants to be in the music industry. He plays the guitar and is keen to improve: “Right now I'm studying music technology at Coulsdon College. I have a few song ideas that I can record at the college. They have the technology and facilities to make a whole album. I'm constantly playing guitar. I usually practice by listening to songs I like and playing what I hear.” He wanted to become a musician when he captured the emotional meaning of music: “Music makes me feel good, plain and simple..... I was always interested in learning how to play an instrument but I never really thought that I would follow it up as a career, to be perfectly honest with you. But when I finally found my taste and started getting more into the music and understanding it, I just said to myself ‘Wow, I would love to make this’. So I followed it up.”
Jack loves “multiple styles” of music which help him develop how he performs: “I'm a really big fan of blues music, it's easily my favourite style..... like Robert Johnson right up to Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'm also a big fan of classic rock, as it's usually referred to. Bands such as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Those two are my preferred favourites. I like them because I feel it connects to me both as a person and as a musician. It gives me a more positive outlook on life as a whole and has sculpted the person I am today.” In Jack’s ears music has the power to help him deal with the negative side of life. In addition, he is inspired by many musicians: “For guitar, I cite Eric Clapton, “Jimi” Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan as my main inspirations. As inspirations to my guitar playing, I referred to them as 'The Big Three'. The way they all play is just blinding and quite frankly out of this world.”
“As a musician, I would have to say that John Lennon inspires me. His messages were truly inspiring and touched me like no other musician ever did.” He also sees Kurt Cobain as a key figure of inspiration: “I think he was a great musician. Some people think that he wasn't that great because most of the time his lyrics didn't mean much, but I believe there was something more. He was a tortured soul and I think he greatly expressed that through his music. It helped me a lot in bad times. He was a great musician and a good man.”
Have you ever had the feeling you really wanted to do something but at the same time, feel petrified? Jack has had this feeling when he performed in front of a large audience for the very first time: “Terrifying, absolutely frightening. I didn't want it to happen, but at the same time I did. I was shaking so badly, like the ground underneath me was shaking. I put so much focus into what I was doing but at the same time I was thinking ‘My goodness, end already!’ Now it doesn't bother me at all. I just think of it as another opportunity to just play music, which is what I love to do.”
Most of Jack’s inspiration comes from past musicians and he believes that the present industry of music is not as emotionally powerful as it once was. “Hate it. It's lost its heart and soul nowadays it's all about advertising and being the next hottest thing. It disgusts me to know that it's all just a big scheme to make money now. Back in the day it had heart and soul. You just wanted to do it. You loved it.” Surely, the greatest strength of music is not the financial success it can bring but as a means of expression that can affect so many in recalling a time in their lives.
