Joe WalkerMy name is Joe Walker. This is my blog on practicing guitar. In July 2007, I left my day job to practice guitar full-time for a year. I started this blog during that period in order to share the best of my ideas and epiphanies.

I'm currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in jazz studies at San Diego State University. I teach private lessons and play out as much as I can in my spare time, including with Zeppelin tribute band Dazed and Confused.

Background

I started playing in 1998, age 15, fooling around with grunge, alternative, and blues. I began taking my practice time seriously in college, committing 2 hours every day (no small feat; I was studying computer science, not music). I played in a couple college jazz bands (one with Bobby Bradford) and co-founded Blue Judy, an LA-based indie rock band. After college, I worked in audio post-production while playing with Blue Judy for 2 more years.

Influences

Stevie Ray Vaughan, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Nels Cline, Steve Vai, Al Di Meola, Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater, The Bad Plus, Kneebody, Thelonious Monk. There are always more.

Listening Habits

Via my Last.fm profile, here's what I've been listening to, sorted by tracks played: