Recent posts: Breaking Bits

As someone who loves visual art as much as music, I jumped at the chance to attend last night’s System of a Down’s Serj Tankian’s Gibson “Foundations” Les Paul Modern Guitar launch event at Serj’s Kavat Café/Eye for Sound Gallery in Los Angeles. Building upon the release of Serj’s 2024 ‘Foundations’ EP and his other career as a multi-talented visual artist, there were no “empty walls” as several of Serj’s personal memorable stage photos and paintings stood on display including the original “Sunburst” artwork featured on his new color-popping guitar. Getting to view the attention-grabbing models in person remained the highlight as Serj mingled with the chill crowd throughout the night.

Scouring the 2025 NAMM Show performance schedule, I eagerly set out to pack my show itinerary with hidden gem artists I’d not seen anywhere else. My eyes zeroed in when I saw Caro aka “La Flamenkita” on the bill and knew she’d be a must-see. Reading The Culture OC’s recent profile of the Mexican-American rising guitar phenom, I excitedly anticipated viewing the California native flamenco guitarist as she took the Westin Hotel stage on NAMM Show’s Wednesday night. Captivating the audience, the crowd hung on every note as you could hear a pin drop as she played. Those in attendance sonically transported to the Spanish Mediterranean in an instant.

As a casual daily music listener, it’s easy to take for granted why your favorite songs sound so good. All you know is that when you turn the volume up and hear the rattling bass that gets you hyped or the crisp blend of choruses, to which you sing along in the shower, they transport you elsewhere on an album’s journey. Developing a new curiosity about how critical mixing and engineering impact music’s final product, I recently discovered a fascinating world that’s as much artistic as it is technical which deserves utmost respect. Delving into my favorite albums and songs throughout the years with this lens, one name popped up over and over again- Neal Pogue.

Every NAMM Show to which I’m blessed to attend, I excitedly peruse the performing booth/room schedules from companies like D’Angelico Guitars who are bound to have amazing guitarists imperative to check out. One such guitarist’s name caught my eye -Noé Socha. From the first video I’d seen of Italian-born Brooklyn-based musician Noé playing with Marcus Machado and Clark Sims on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”, I needed to know more. Listening to his brilliant harmonica and blues guitar filled 2024 album ‘Simplebluesboy’ and seeing him play to a packed room with fellow guitarist Rock Choi further confirmed my belief everyone needs to peep this dude’s music immediately.

Perusing the 2025 NAMM Show schedule, my eyes immediately locked into musical trio, The String Revolution’s name. Coming across their Grammy Award-winning blazing phenomenal cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” last year, I knew I needed to connect with the group’s fascinating mastermind Janet Robin. Setting forth on her musical path early on in North Hollywood, California, being taught for four years under the tutelage of none other than future guitar legend Randy Rhoads, she’d eventually live many musical phases, moving on to serve as lead guitarist in Precious Metal, working with Heart, Poison and Cheap Trick.

Viewing the 2025 NAMM Show performance schedule, I devoted time each day to peep live amazing live acts from a myriad of music genres. Arriving on Wednesday, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch hip-hop and R&B/soul string quartet wholesoul at the cozy Westin Hotel which served as the perfect venue to showcase the group’s skills as their music floated in the air from afar. Featuring Julliard classically trained violist Drew Forde aka “ThatViolaKid” among the foursome, their short set flew by.

Closing a sensitive and action-packed activity filled NAMM Show week, the 13th Annual She Rocks Awards gathered business and artistic powerhouses together to acknowledge this year’s selected eclectic group of women’s significant achievements. Each honoree could not be more different from each other in terms of their paths into music, but all shared a visible passion that they bring to their respective careers daily.

Returning to NAMM Show held annually by the largest world non-profit music trade org, 1852 companies representing 4300 brands descended upon Anaheim and excitedly displayed the latest and greatest music technology as you might expect. This year, however, the LA Fires which wreaked unexpected havoc and smoldered an hour away were on attendees’ minds as some Angelenos there naturally wanted to swap survivor stories in the convention center hallways and LA Wildfire Relief Fund donations were collected via QR code. Immediately acknowledged on NAMM’s Media Day, the music community’s outpouring of support for their affected brethren set the tone for the next five days as a tragedy such as this is an obvious reminder now, more than ever, to live in the moment and cherish the joy creating and listening to music brings.