Jimmy Page, the guitarist of Led Zeppelin, said: “I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.” Led Zeppelin is one of the most significant artists to me; their music gave me an escape from pain, inspiring me musically to learn both guitar, and pushing me to identify and develop a unique style in my own recording. I remember buying my first Led Zeppelin songs in middle school, and for some reason they were largely unnoticed in my musical repertoire until I rediscovered them during sophomore year of high school. After hearing “Stairway to Heaven” and “When the Levee Breaks” for the first time in years, I biked to the local CD store and …show more content…
Around this time I discovered my love for these classic rock bands, particularly Led Zeppelin. Towards the end of my sophomore year, after a week at a pain clinic at Mayo Clinic, I grew better at coping with the chronic pain of my migraines and was able to function somewhat normally again. However, I did not abandon my love for the bands that I had found. Being able to play the music that I love has always been important to me; when I was really interested in jazz and classical music, trombone was the perfect thing for …show more content…
Since I started listening to them my sophomore year, I was convinced that I was destined to be a drummer. Then, towards the end of my sophomore year I watched Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same, a 1976 concert film. When the band played “Stairway to Heaven,” my musical world changed. About six minutes into the song, Jimmy Page erupts in an improvisation built upon the studio solo. For about three minutes he goes on, finding the perfect blend of slow, emotional notes, and fast outbursts. Unlike the mindless shredding heard in some bands, while the notes fly by, each one seems to fit in as harmonies bridge from the previous note to the next. Jimmy Page, eyes closed, was feeling the music that he was playing. I was in awe the first time I saw it, and still am whenever I see it again. My only thought was, “I really wish I could do that.” After watching his performance I knew that I wanted to play guitar, and hoped to learn to play as beautifully as he