Passing the Torch: Brint Lollar

In this first edition of "Passing the Torch" I am focusing on a former student of mine named Brint Lollar. Brint is 21 years old and plays guitar in the band L.I.E. He was 16 years old when he started playing guitar. Boredom and a compulsion to do something is why he started playing. Hearing his moms Van Halen records is what got him inspired and its also what he pulled his first riffs from. I remember the meeting that got Brint started taking lessons from me. I was walking down 8th street in downtown Augusta and this kid with wide eyes and kind of nervous came up to me and said "Hey John John, you givin guitar lessons?", I told him yes and gave him my number. He said he had been at 95 Rock when Zakk Wylde had came through and was there when I was jammin with Zakk. The first lesson I gaveBrint I noticed he was extremely smart. He knew alot of theory and tons about the guitar, we needed to work on the execution. Any of my students wondering by now, yes he is the one I tell you about that knew tons about theory, tons about everything, the one that impressed me with that, we just had to get him playing it! The love of prog music and finding new, obscure bands to learn from , is what keeps him playing. He hasbeen in the band L.I.E. for 3 years now. I remember putting Brint on stage for the first time. He played a student concert at the Barnes and Noble bookstore at the Augusta Mall. I also brought him to the open mic nights i use to do at the mission.(yes he was too young but his mother brought him!!!) I remember helping him out with video auditions trying to get in Chairleg, lending him guitars and amps when he go tin L.I.E.back when LIE had Davis as a drummer.He played his first gig with L.I.E. after just one week of practice. He loves the challenge of learning the parts that fellow LIE band mate ( and contributing writer on this blog) Micheal "Dork" Dinkins writes on the keyboard that he then has to play on the guitar. He says it can take weeks to learn them. He has had the pleasure of opening up for national acts like OTEP, MOTOGRADER and Metallica tribute band BATTERY. This year L.I.E. will be on the 12 Bands of Christmas cd and concert.The concert will be in December this year and once again at the Imperial Theatre. The band is doing "Granda Ma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" for the cd. A couple shows they have coming up is October 2 at the all ages venue Sector 7 G and a halloween show October 30 at the Hard Knox in Columbia South Carolina. I askedhim what his dream guitar would be,get this, he told me it is my red 1980 Gibson Explorer that was my main guitar for many years. He would of course do his own modifications to it. He is currently playing his dream amp, the Bogner Line 6.I also asked him what he got out of taking lessons with me. His response was " A card catalog of applications of use. I came into lessons with pieces of the puzzle and came out with all the pieces and how to use them.I learned application of knowledge and a routine practice schedule." Some advice Brint has to pass on to new players and up and comers: Buy a mp3 player, fill it with music, listen to it religiously and change the music out every week. Also find as many ways as possible to transcribe music. Learn how to read standard notation. Brint would one day like to score a movie and in 5 years sees himself still playing but expanding to other instruments. I am extremely proud to have worked with him. Here's to Brint......Me Passing The Torch........

here is a video of live L.I.E.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijn-pF41N_Y