Well, unless you hit either stop or pause (why would you do such thing? LOL) on the MySpace MP3 player, you already have an idea what my music is about and hopefully you're enjoying it! If you are, the first thing you should do is just click the big button right below...
Now the next step: I've made things easier for you by showing some links where you can buy my CDs. You have the choice of getting the physical CD or MP3 files. If my latest release "Liquid Piece of Me" is your choice, I highly recommend getting the physical CD - read all about this project on the right column of this page and you'll understand why this is my suggestion. But even if you buy only a single MP3 file, it will make me really happy because by purchasing my music you are helping me as an independent artist to continue recording and releasing music on my own! Thank you very very much.
If you choose to buy my music from either CD Baby or iTunes Store, I am going to ask you for a really tiny tiny favor: Please do not forget to leave a review (a nice one, hopefully... actually, you know what???? Just go for the "5 star" review... readers will think you're the nicest person ever and so will I!) You don't have to be a professional journalist or write a 10-page review... a short "Amazing stuff!!! Buy it!" does the job. But hey... if you're really inspired don't let my silly words stop you: go ahead and tell the world how my music changed your life for the better and now you're the happiest person ever just because of my guitar melodies... LOL ! No, for real: Just write something from the heart. We, independent artists, rely a lot on our fans so this is why I don't feel bad about being honest with you guys. I really really appreciate your valuable help.
Ops! Almost forgot: for the iTunes Store links to work properly you'll need iTunes installed on your computer (kind of obvious, right? Well, it doesn't hurt to mention it...). iTunes can be downloaded for free from the Apple website. Oh, and the first time you try to use any of these links you should get an automatic warning message from MySpace... do not worry... the links are exactly what I say they are and the safety message is just a MySpace thing... you have nothing to worry about. I am not a Brazilian weirdo trying to trick you so I can spy on your computer or send you some kind of "kill the HD" lethal virus. That would be bad karma and also a dumb idea because MySpace would delete my profile in no time. ;-P
This is for the ones who were paying attention to the text talking about "Liquid Piece of Me" in the column on the right. Below you'll be able to see all the 17 works of art from the CD's booklet. Amazing stuff... and it's a really nice experience when you go through them (the whole 30-page booklet actually) as you listen to the CD. Mmmmm... the idea sounds appealing to you? Well, the links for buying the CD are right above...
Alright... you'll have to trust me on this one... just click on the picture below and you will be redirected to an amazingly kick-ass webpage: mine ! LOL!
The website is a cross in between a "standard" one and a blog so the really cool thing is that, just like here, you can interact by leaving comments on my posts. Another cool thing about it is that I don't only talk about music, guitars, strings and stuff like that. Check it out... you might bump into some subjects you'd not expect from a guitar player's website. Yes, sometimes I just write about life in general and things that interest me like cooking, F1 races, maybe a few jokes here and there, my friends, my dog, things that I've done over the weekend... but of course you'll also find tons of interesting information about my music career. Just keep in mind that English is not my native language so you might see a few mistakes here and there... I promise I'm working to fix them AND improve my English skills so please stop by and participate by leaving comments if you have the chance. Also, if you have any suggestions on how to improve the site, let me know...my personal email is right there in the main menu.
These are some other websites where you can add me as a friend:
Yes, I do have my own signature guitar which is made by the best Brazilian luthier, Marcio Zaganin. We started talking about this instrument back in 1996 and after a few prototypes the guitar was ready to hit the streets. If you want one of theses babies all you have to do is get in touch with them and place an order. You get to choose between the SERJ SIGNATURE (the instrument will be built exactly according to my specs) or SERJ CUSTOM (you get to choose the woods, finishing, pickup configuration, hardware...) which is really cool, huh? www.nzaganin.com.br
I thought about it for a long time before posting a video here on the main page because in order for you to watch it you'd have to stop the MP3 player... Yeah, very selfish, huh? But I did decide to post this video here and I want you to fully understand why before hitting PAUSE and watching the video...
A while ago I was being interviewed by a Brazilian guitar magazine and I was telling them that in my opinion all artists (not only musicians) have the obligation to struggle as much as possible so they can deliver their absolutely best and make the audience feel something... the artist has to make the audience THINK and with this process, GROW as human beings. And this is the main concept behind "Liquid Piece of Me". The CD is actually a tribute to the people who create, the people who give up their night of sleep to go after an original concept, the people who will not rest until they deliver their best . . . people whom I call “Thinking Heads”. There's even a song on the CD with this title.
Well, today I was browsing the internet and I found this video that actually speaks about the same situation... I call them "Thinking Heads", the guys at Apple call them "the crazy ones" but I'm pretty sure we're making an homage to the same kind of human beings. So please watch it and get inspired to do and be always your best. To never give up. And to deliver nothing less than 100% of what you possibly can.
So go ahead and watch the video... and then right back to the MP3 player!!! LOL! And from there directly to the links right above so you can buy the CD! ;-P
PS: Yes, coincidence or not I am a proud owner of 7 Mac computers and 2 iPods. And I do think Steve Jobs rules. I've been a Mac fan forever and I can not imagine life without Apple computers. Just picturing myself stuck to a PC scares me to death. (PANIC ATTACK!!!! PANIC ATTACK!!!!!!!!)
PS2: Yes, I do think I gave 100% my best while conceiving and making my CD and this is why I named it "Liquid Piece of Me".
"Here's to the crazy ones...
The misfits...
The rebels...
The troublemakers...
The round pegs in the square holes...
The ones who see things differently.
They're not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."
Just like I said before this is not a "friends collector" musician's page. It's just a place for me to hang, make friends... and of course, have the opportunity to show you guys some of my music. Well, since this is (as the website name says) MY SPACE I can do whatever I want on it! I love my dog so much so I decided to post a picture of him on the front page. Guys, this is PQ, my Yorkshire.
Last but not least... about band requests: I am a performing artist so I offer my friendship and support to like-minded artists everywhere. But what really bunches my shorts is that every single band request that I got in the past year came without as much as a "Hello, how are you, wanna be friends?" Most bands just added me without even pretending to be nice. Now, why would I stop what I'm doing and go read a profile from a band that couldn't care less about me?
Guys - MySpace is a great way to promote your music but if you don't even take the time to say hello to your audience, trust me, you're not making a good impression in the eyes of most MySpace users, even if you sound GREAT! Yes, I could go and hit the "do not accept band requests" feature, but I think this would be unfair to the rare people who actually take the time to write a note and deserve to be heard and known. So from now on this is the deal: If you're a musician or band and would like me to add you to my profile (even if you're just collecting numbers) at least be nice and leave a message first and I'll add you. If you take it a step further, actually listen to my songs and leave a nice and genuine comment, I'll do the same for you. Otherwise I'll not be accepting your request.
Sorry but to me MySpace is still about making new friends and meeting nice people.
Hi there! My name is Sergio but my friends call me SERJ. Yes, this is a musician's page but I am here to make friends. Of course, if you decide to listen to my music and end up enjoying it, that's a bonus. Go ahead, spread the word and tell your friends that it's worth a visit here. But again, this is not a space just for showing my music so don't be shy -- get in touch if you're interested in making new friends.
I’m known as a guitar player but I actually consider myself to be a composer who happens to play guitar. I write music for TV and that takes a huge chunk of my time. I’m always dealing with deadlines so I don't get to practice and play as much as I would like.
I was born in Joinville, a small town in southern Brazil. I'm a Libra with a touch of ADD, so I have a hard time memorizing stuff. I always explain myself through analogies. I love pizza and F1 races. I also enjoy cooking and one of my guilty pleasures is to watch all of Jamie Oliver's TV shows. I keep forgetting my friends’ birthdays and that's why I don't get cranky when they forget mine. I think Jellyfish is the greatest band ever.
I like waking up really early in the morning and I enjoy washing my car on a sunny afternoon. I get frustrated when I'm trying to concentrate and somebody interrupts me with something that’s not important. Well, maybe it’s important to them, but it’s just soooo hard for me to get back into the groove of whatever I was working on.
I really admire creative minds and just put out a new album (Liquid piece of me) that is actually an homage to creative souls in their many forms. I don't enjoy clubbing as much as I enjoy a couple bottles of wine with my close friends. TV shows? "Lost", "Criss Angel-Mindfreak", "Overhaulin" and "Miami Ink". I daydream... a lot!
Peace !
The 70’s are better known as the years that rocked. Topless, A Clockwork Orange, Playboy, Dona Flor and her two husbands, punk rock explosion, Saturday Night Fever and so on. The decade of a lively alternative scene, underground, independent newspapers, magazines, books and records. It exchanged the desire of changing the world for an urgent need to find itself. For many it was the decade of cultural emptiness. In the early days, the Beatles broke up and went their separate ways. On the other hand, The Woodstock festival held in August 1970 came to prove that no dream was over, it had just begun. Loving the Beatles was very common for someone who was born in 1971 even though his parents were still mourning the band’s split.
Like any other boy, Sergio “Serj” Buss grew up listening to the band that influenced most of his youth. By chance or not, John and Serj were born on the same day (October 9th) and it was Lennon’s song and the guitar solo in “Can’t buy me love” that made little Serj a professional musician. This Santa Catarina State native comes from a family of musicians and would listen to Beatles records until they wore thin. He decided to make music his profession at the age of 17 when he left home to study music in The United States.
While there was an impeachment movement in the early 90s, Serj was working as a guitar teacher and studying Music at Musiarte (one of the most recognized music schools in Rio de Janeiro) and at Escola Nacional de Música (UFRJ). Later on, seeking better professional qualification, Serj moved to California and enrolled at the Guitar Institute of Technology and at the Recording Institute of Technology. “Moving to the USA opened lots of doors to me and also gave me the chance to work for big names of the global music scene such as Eddie Kramer, Ugly Kid Joe, Chick Corea, Simon Phillips, Scott Henderson, TJ Helmerich/Brett Garsed, Rudy Sarzo” tells Serj.
However, one of the most remarkable achievement was the time spent with Steve Vai (considered by many to be the greatest guitar player of all time). He worked as Steve Vai’s assistant sound engineer and as guitarist for four years. “I had the opportunity to be invited to work with my biggest music idol and even now I considered myself extremely blessed for that. After having the opportunity to learn, I also had the opportunity to share the stage with him. It was a priceless experience and I am extremely thankful for that”says Serj.
In 1996, SERJ returned to Brazil, where he was inspired to start working on his own album, Incarcerated Scream, which got rave reviews from the Brazilian music press. In an interview for Cover Guitarra magazine (30), Steve Vai said, "I can honestly say that this is one of the most interesting records I've ever heard . . . certainly the best of the year.”. He also put together a guita trio called Tritone and their first record, Just For Fun was another huge hit on the Brazilian music scene and the band was featured on the cover of Cover Guitarra magazine (43).
Besides his solo career, SERJ composes short, memorable pieces for radio and TV advertising. You’ve heard his work in commercials for clients like Ford, Volkswagen, Fiat, Gatorade, Pepsi, Coke, Banco do Brasil, Caixa econômica, Banco Real, Haagen Dazs, Unimed, Tim, Claro, Global Telecom, GVT, Lucky Strike, Levis, Kodak among others.
I started this project with a goal in mind: to write good songs. This might sound obvious to you but unfortunately most instrumental projects are, in my opinion, merely a way to show-off technical abilities to other musicians. Nothing wrong with that but as a side-effect the writing skills are often forgotten and you end up with a project that is not interesting to the average music lover. That’s a shame because I really believe that instrumental music can be really fun to listen to: since you have no lyrics, you have more room for your personal interpretation. It’s just like having a great book in your hands and picturing the scenes, shapes, colors and even smells in your head as you’re reading it.
Ok... so how would I make an instrumental project that the general audience could relate to? Well, instead of getting inspired by other guitar players’ work (which is what I’ve been doing up to this point) I decided to search for inspiration somewhere else: pictures, sculptures, books, movies, car races, cooking . . . you name it, I’ve been there! I was after a different concept and I decided that a cool one would be to write a screenplay and make the CD as the soundtrack for it. Why not? I’ve always wanted to write music for a movie but I’ve never had the chance. Even if it’s a soundtrack for an imaginary movie, it’s still a soundtrack! So I spent a few months writing my own screenplay. The story has a very special meaning to me but I’ll let you decide for yourself what it’s about. The script had 17 chapters so I decided to write a song representing each of the chapters. And that’s it! Right?
Wrong! Being as neurotic and perfectionist as I am I decided to go a few steps further. I knew it would be a good idea to include the story’s script in the CD’s booklet, but to make it even more interesting I decided to include an image of each character in the form of 17 original works of art representing each of the songs/chapters of the project.
And why not giving even more life to the project by actually hiring actors and recording some of the lines of the script? It makes perfect sense that if the listener is able to open the booklet and see how the characters look, the listener should be able to hear their voices! And why not some sound effects here and there to help create the mood? Done!
Being a fan of old LPs, I remember how much fun it was to go through the album cover as I listened to the music. That’s a forgotten concept that I wanted to bring back to life on this project, so the ideas that I just described turned into a beautiful full color 30-page booklet. It ended up looking just like a mini-book with its soundtrack enclosed. I am aware that nowadays some people would rather buy MP3 files than the actual CD but in this case I highly encourage you to get the CD just because the whole package and graphics are so, so beautiful. Trust me, it’s worth the money. Or as some people say "The juice is worth the squeeze".
For the music itself I am very proud to say that I’m fortunate to have some of my great friends (and heroes) as guests on this album: Blues Saraceno, Brett Garsed, TJ Helmerich and Steve Blucher played some beautiful guitar and pedal steel. Eduardo Ardanuy, Marcelo Barbosa, Luiz Sacoman and Alex Mihanovich are my Brazilian friends who also played some serious guitar tracks. Three different drummers and bass players: Aquiles Prister (Angra), Otávio de Moraes, Claudinho Infante, Serginho Carvalho, Fabio Zaganin and Diego Porres were just incredible and made my songs really shine. My great friends Lauro de Castro and Bruno Bona played keyboards. Yes, this CD is filled with very talented people so please pay attention to every detail, every note, every hit that these guys made. You won’t be disappointed!
The best way to listen to this project (at least the first time): get a pair of headphones, lie down on your favorite couch, have the booklet in hand and hit play. Listen to it as you would watch a DVD: from beginning to end, no interruptions. Go through the booklet as you listen to the songs. It’s a fun experience. So there you have it: all the pieces of this weird puzzle are in your hands. Even if you put them together and they don’t become the same story I intended, it will still be a totally new and very cool story. Created by you! That’s the beauty of instrumental music: since there are no lyrics, you have a blank canvas to fill with your own personal interpretation of the music.
My friends keep asking me: "Serj, why go instrumental? Why don't you sing so you can finally make some money?" Let me explain: When you listen to somebody sing a song, you hear the lyrics and you get the exact picture of what he/she is talking about. If you relate to the lyrics, you start loving the song, right? Nothing wrong with that! But with instrumental music things work in a different way because you don't have lyrics to tell you the whole story. This is where the fun begins. You get to make up your own story. The sounds and the arrangement can bring different people to different places, so listening to instrumental music can be a uniquely personal and thrilling experience.
If music with vocals is like going to the movies – here comes another Serj analogy – then instrumental music is like reading a book. The writer describes a scene or a character and you get to imagine the whole thing and fill in the details the way you want. It is open to different interpretations, and this is why I love instrumental music. Since you're here, give instrumental music a try... take a short break, grab a snack, lay down on your favorite spot at home and just let the MySpace MP3 player do the work... You might end up enjoying it and your iPod (and ears) may be grateful for life . . . LOL!
Alright! Tons of pictures here... friends from all over the globe, some of my trips, guitars, dogs, nice shots of me onstage, recording sessions, silly shots... you name, it's here. The slideshow plays randomly, there are over 200 pictures on it and I'm always posting new stuff so keep checking it out! There'll always be some fresh neat stuff waiting for you. Cheers!
04/24/2008: I got some notes from people who said that the slideshow is really cool but wanted to be able to leave comments on the pictures so I just made a new album (at the PHOTOS section) so you guys can finally do what you asked for... now go on and write me some nice comments!
É um guitarrista, amigo meu, meu professor. Ele tem nome, mais fora de Portugal do que em Portugal... Ele é mt bom guitarrista... se voce quiser ouvir e ver veja o link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=StCa_H91I1I&feature=related
eu emprestei os teus cd com o teu trabalho solo para ele, ele ja conhecia o seu nome mas nunca tinha ouvido.
Voce viu o meu scrap no teu site? sobre a guitarra que voce tem na foto encostado no BMW?
HOPE YOU HAVE A AWESOME WEEKEND! SORRY I WASNT AROUND LAST WEEKEND TO LEAVE COMMENTS AND I BEEN PLAYING CATCH UP SINCE. THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME. I WILL BE BACK UP AND RUNNING AFTER I FINISH UPLOADING THE PICS TONIGHT. XOXO
