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Lead singer and guitarist for Third Eye Blind, Stephan Jenkins, started his musical career early in life. He recalls banging out original works at the age of five, pulling out pots and pans on the floor of his kitchen at home in Southern California. Stephan got his first drum set when he was nine and alternated between envisioning a future as a rock star and as a marine biologist. Stephan tried the trumpet as a child, but reportedly had trouble reading the notes. "Everybody said I was pretty much unteachable," Stephan explains in reference to his school band experiences. Stephan has probably surprised a lot of teachers in the last few years with the incredible success of Third Eye Blind's debut album. Jenkins creates songs that are heartfelt and intense. The songs tell stories people who are both flawed and radiant, of making sense of the fates life hands you. "I wanted to be a storyteller," says Jenkins. "I see music and drama and writing and poetry as all being connected to the same idea, which is storytelling. Music has always been the thing that compelled me the most. There's something about a four-minute song that creates this complete world you can step into." Arion Salazar first picked up his first instrument around the age of three. "As soon as I was old enough to lift it," he explains. Salazar came from a musical family, and his dad played in bands throughout Arion's childhood. He got into playing bass after he'd been playing guitar for a couple of months. "It seemed like everyone was playing guitar, bass is like drums and guitar in one." He states, "I never really took bass lessons, I just learned the Rush album, Exit Stage Left." His friends were shocked at the speed with which he learned the entire album, but, "I've been listening to music more than anything else-watching T.V. playing outside, or anything since I was born," Salazar explains. "So it just kind of comes easy to me." Salazar joined Third Eye Blind in 1993 after playing in various local bands since he was eighteen. Grateful for the experience he gained throughout those years, Salazar had the opportunity to "work with really talented musicians that pushed and inspired me to be better myself. I learned a whole lot." He continues to stay creative by drawing inspiration from simply playing music. "I'm always down to play for the song and that's my number one priority, but right there along with that I want to do something interesting; something beautiful, and something that makes a statement." Salazar looks to see the value and art in all kinds of music. "You get to the point where you just have to grow up and realize that there is great music all around you and it could be in any format." He also gets inspiration from watching films. The twenty-eight year old drummer for Third Eye Blind, Brad Hargreaves recalls picking up drumsticks for the first time at he age of five. He played on a homemade drum set until he'd saved enough money to buy a true set at age thirteen. He started official drum lessons in seventh grade, and began learning jazz styles. Under different teachers, he learned to approach drums both intellectually and emotionally. Before joining up with Third Eye Blind, Brad played solely jazz. He was involved with various jazz projects in the Bay Area's underground jazz scene creating more progressive, avant-garde works. He worked with jazz musician, Vijay Iyer, for pieces on the "Memorophilia" and "Architextures" albums, and then with Liberty Ellman on the "Orthodoxy" album. Hargreaves lived and worked with Ellman for five years, playing music day in and day out in a converted garage in Oakland. "This was a huge growth period for me," he explains. In working with both Iyer and Ellman, Hargreaves felt challenged rhythmically. |
Third Eye Blind
