that my man right here Alex Skolnick
start this next song alright you know
him best from his days with Testament
trans-siberian Orchestra and his
self-titled jazz trio
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
with Alex Skolnick about his career
you’ve been in a lot of groups bands
ensembles how would you say each one
effects your creative process and what
does each one represent in your career I
think each each situation has been very
different there’s all been learning
experiences Testament is probably the
you know the most obviously the most
well-known one it’s also the most
interesting one because yeah I really
just watch the band from the ground up
and I’m really making a lot of mistakes
but but getting through while other
bands in the same scene made more
mistakes I didn’t learn from
with Testament was definitely this
experience you know going into the
studio the first time learning how all
these things that I didn’t know how do
you interact in the studio on a tour
what is the process how to interact with
people on tour we were all very
sheltered we’ve come all come from these
suburbs and the San Francisco Bay Area
so to suddenly be thrown out into the
world doing this tour was you know when
I was 18 when we did our first tour that
was quite the learning experience
with the other projects I’m most well
known for with my yeah my trio
I really learned how to be a band leader
how to be a decision maker how to make
difficult decisions sometimes I had to
fire a couple people that’s no fun but
you know what it hat it has to happen
sometimes it sucks
you get to these points where especially
when there’s friendships and walls you
have to look and say okay well I could
just you know keep my buddy in the band
but you know realize the musical
limitations or I can really try to do it
again what’s best for the music the
other project I’m really well known for
his chance I hear an orchestra that was
fascinating because then this is a
situation where I really got plugged
into something where it’s actually run
by a core creative team that are more
business people than musicians but
effective business people and creative
people
it was sort of like stepping into a
situation where you have arena rock
production you have this whole program
that you need to follow and that you do
have some input it was a big learning
experience I really developed some stage
presence doing that in ways that I
wouldn’t have otherwise with that show
we would have occasional special guests
I’d say the most famous special guests
we had were Steven Tyler linear and
Roger Daltrey and for me the most
intimidating was John Anderson of yes or
you know I had to play I had to play the
acoustic intro to roundabout with him
standing next to me you know in front of
14,000 people and we have the head of
the creator of the show Paul in the L am
wishing me luck and telling me don’t
screw it up
so you know experiences like that you
really really learn from but I also
learned that I like to be creative
person so as great as that was and I did
that for many years ultimately I need to
be one of the creative people I don’t
take direction that well
great thank you very much are you
welcome my pleasure
start this next song alright you know
him best from his days with Testament
trans-siberian Orchestra and his
self-titled jazz trio
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking
with Alex Skolnick about his career
you’ve been in a lot of groups bands
ensembles how would you say each one
effects your creative process and what
does each one represent in your career I
think each each situation has been very
different there’s all been learning
experiences Testament is probably the
you know the most obviously the most
well-known one it’s also the most
interesting one because yeah I really
just watch the band from the ground up
and I’m really making a lot of mistakes
but but getting through while other
bands in the same scene made more
mistakes I didn’t learn from
with Testament was definitely this
experience you know going into the
studio the first time learning how all
these things that I didn’t know how do
you interact in the studio on a tour
what is the process how to interact with
people on tour we were all very
sheltered we’ve come all come from these
suburbs and the San Francisco Bay Area
so to suddenly be thrown out into the
world doing this tour was you know when
I was 18 when we did our first tour that
was quite the learning experience
with the other projects I’m most well
known for with my yeah my trio
I really learned how to be a band leader
how to be a decision maker how to make
difficult decisions sometimes I had to
fire a couple people that’s no fun but
you know what it hat it has to happen
sometimes it sucks
you get to these points where especially
when there’s friendships and walls you
have to look and say okay well I could
just you know keep my buddy in the band
but you know realize the musical
limitations or I can really try to do it
again what’s best for the music the
other project I’m really well known for
his chance I hear an orchestra that was
fascinating because then this is a
situation where I really got plugged
into something where it’s actually run
by a core creative team that are more
business people than musicians but
effective business people and creative
people
it was sort of like stepping into a
situation where you have arena rock
production you have this whole program
that you need to follow and that you do
have some input it was a big learning
experience I really developed some stage
presence doing that in ways that I
wouldn’t have otherwise with that show
we would have occasional special guests
I’d say the most famous special guests
we had were Steven Tyler linear and
Roger Daltrey and for me the most
intimidating was John Anderson of yes or
you know I had to play I had to play the
acoustic intro to roundabout with him
standing next to me you know in front of
14,000 people and we have the head of
the creator of the show Paul in the L am
wishing me luck and telling me don’t
screw it up
so you know experiences like that you
really really learn from but I also
learned that I like to be creative
person so as great as that was and I did
that for many years ultimately I need to
be one of the creative people I don’t
take direction that well
great thank you very much are you
welcome my pleasure
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