Dark and melancholy atmospheres for a trip to the wasteland of Wintersieg's mind...

Mike Tracy - Song Writer
I always had a passion for music ever since I could remember life itself. I started playing and learning music at the age of 8 years old. My family had an old piano in my basement nobody cared about, but I would try to play it and I thought I was pretty good at for being self-taught. My dad also had 2 guitars a 1958 Gretsch Anniversary edition with a Bigsby whammy bar and a 1958 Martin D18 I would always pick up and try to play. They are still my prize possessions with my father passing away this year. Miss him…. This is why I started my new project.
I studied reading music with a private instructor at the age of 9 wanting to play like Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen. My teacher was an amazing jazz player so he steered me to focus on reading music, learning theory, and developing my own style. At the age of 12 most teenager’s idea of having fun was to jam with his/her buddies and make some noise not sitting alone in a room and site reading, but in the long run it made me who I am today. 
I know just enough music theory to understand there are no boundaries in music. Whereas if you are a musician that mastered theory it possibly could give you limitations where I personally think “you can tell yourself that a certain note chord or progression will not work together.” I don’t think of music this way. For me music is about feelings and emotions. If it sounds pleasant to my ear but it’s not musically proper or correct I’m ok with it.

From the age of 10 to fifteen I practiced every day, got together with any friend that would make some noise with me. I didn't care who it was, I just wanted to play and create my own music. 
I remember my high school music teacher would let me sit in a tiny room and play the schools classical guitar all day because it kept me out of trouble. So, after playing every high school dance and talent show I got to play my first club at the age of 15 years old forged my parents’ signature to play. It was an all original band I learned all their original songs in a week to play the gig for them. The gig was at a club called Septembers in Massachusetts. Feels like yesterday 35 years ago.

Ever since that night I pretty much played live every week or weekend of my life. Starting off with most nights to people with their backs to us to a filled Bushnell Park with all eyes on us over 10,000 people.
I was never great at learning another musicians’ music because I was always focused on creating my own. That is how I get my satisfaction in life. Creating something from nothing. The funny thing is you work so hard at it and your excited to show people but their busy with their own lives and they never really understand. 

I have written original songs for WCCC morning shows that received daily airtime on our Local Radio stations, I have creating songs for clubs to use on their main page websites. My band The Degenerates came in second place out of 1600 entries in Boston for (Bodog battle of bands) for a Million-dollar Record deal. So, close you could smell it. Competing and winning over multiple hometown bands during a span of four different nights at The Middle East. Everyone from Chris Cornell to Jaden Smith, and even Ryan Gosling, has trod these hallowed bohemian boards. To finally walk out on the main stage of The Roxy with a full crowd was the best feeling in my life. This is who I am and what I am supposed to be doing with my life.

Jerry Dakota is following