Getting to know AJ Ferreira!

We went ahead and took our time to ask some questions on getting to know more about AJ Ferreira and his musical journey! Here are his answers!

1.) When did you first start doing music?

I started writing music when I was around 10 years old, but started taking music more seriously when I was 15 years old in 2012

2.) What are your thoughts about the music industry now?

I think that right now the music industry has become very innovative in different ways. Music production and distribution has become so much easier and more widely available to people than ever before, which is a great thing for every artist!

Live performances have been becoming so much more of an immersive experience for both the musicians on stage and the audience with sound, video, and lighting technology, as well as the ability to live stream concerts – which could perhaps allow for more people to view concerts without being physically at the concert.

I do think, however, that artists in the mainstream currently, need a bit more musical freedom. I see a lot of the same recycled themes, which is not a bad thing, but perhaps having more varieties of musical talent, and individual freedom as songwriters in the mainstream would create more authenticity within the music industry.

I see a lot of young artists that become famous by producing the same themes in music as other artists, which is not a bad thing, I have done it as well, but I’m sure that they have more authentic content that they would like to create.

Freedom in music is what makes the most beautiful and important music.

3.) Who are your top five favorite music artists of all time?

My top 5 favourite music artists of all time are:

1. Pink Floyd

2. The Doors

3. Jimi Hendrix

4. Led Zeppelin

5. Smith (with Gale McCormack 1968/1969)

4.) What are your thoughts about auto tune?

Autotune is a good and useful tool, and can add to the sound of specific genres of music, but artists should rely more on their own voice rather than autotune.

5.) If you could collaborate with three artists in your life, who would they be?

If I could collaborate with three artists I would love to collaborate with Roger Waters and David Gilmour, originally from Pink Floyd.

Also I would have loved to collaborate with Jim Morrison from the Doors, God rest his soul.

6.) How much have you changed musically from when you first started until now?

I have changed so much as an artist since I first began in 2012!

I have learned how to play multiple instruments including guitar (acoustic/ electric), bass guitar, drum set, various hand drums, keyboards, electronic pads, and my vocals have developed significantly as well.

I also learned how to record, edit, and mix and master my music using GarageBand (which can be used to create more professional sounding music with the proper knowledge), and I have also learned how to distribute my music and market and showcase my music and content on social media.

Learning how to use social media is an ongoing learning process for me, as I personally am not always 100% social media savvy.

7.) Where do you see yourself five years from now with your music career?

In five years I can see myself playing shows across the country and establishing my very own recording studios and variety art studios for up and coming artists to be able to create their music and art with complete authenticity and control over their personal artistic craft.

I also see myself establishing nonprofit organisations to help various causes for people with different kinds of needs.

I would like to help veterans of war (if you have served our country, thank you!), people who struggle with mental illness and addiction, people who are homeless, and I would like to support all kinds of people who would like to better themselves through education and learning skills that would be useful in order for them to transition out of a life of struggle and into a life of prosperity.

8.) Do you get stage fright or no?

Sometimes I do get stage fright. It’s not because I am afraid of judgment, but more so I think about how I can best present myself in a way that can impact people positively.

9.) Where are top three places that you would want to perform in the world?

The top three places in the world I would like to perform are – The Great Sphinx in Egypt; Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, USA, to commemorate those men and women who have fought and died to protect our country; and Pompeii, Italy, to pay tribute to the band Pink Floyd.