Five Questions With Guitarist John Paolilli

There are two things John Paolilli likes to do most: shred on the guitar and teach students how to shred on the guitar. For evidence, read his Twitter bio here. He has been voted Best Local Guitarist by WMRC Radio, and plays in several bands, including blues-rockers The Road Dawgs, hip-hoppers Authentic Counterfeit, and hard-rockers Three Last Words. John is a graduate of Berklee College of Music too, so he can also teach you technique, theory, and audition prep tactics, and he has extensive live and studio experience. Oh, and he also teaches the mandolin too.

Lessonface: How were you first introduced to the guitar, and what kind of music did you listen to at the time/growing up?

John Paolilli: I got a guitar for Christmas when I was 13 after asking for a guitar for a long time. I was stoked but I only had a chord chart at first. I remember spending hours trying to figure out an easier way to play an F chord, only to find out there is none. I was listening to a lot of rock music. Everything from KISS to Van Halen, to Green Day to Motley Crue. I was also a huge Ozzy/Black Sabbath fan. I was really lucky to have parents who listened to hard rock and showed me some cool bands.

LF: Did you take lessons or have particularly influential mentors early on, or later as you progressed? How did you end up attending Berklee College of Music?

JP: I had a really great band director in high school, his name is Lou Stamas. He is a great sax player, but really pushed us in jazz band to be the best we could. I also learned a lot of professionalism from him. How I ended up at Berklee is an awesome story. I submitted to the World Scholarship Tour and was invited for an in-person audition on the campus. I went in, met a bunch of people - the president of the school was there, a ton of the faculty. I also saw some student bands perform, they were amazing and playing some of the hit songs of the day. I toured the facilities and it was amazing - seemed like a place I could really flourish. I was also invited to audition at a few other music schools, and at those places I had a really negative experience: rude faculty, outdated facilities, and completely out of touch with the music of the day. I knew if I wanted to be successful, and if I wanted to see my full potential, I needed to go to Berklee. At Berklee, I had several mentors and teachers who really helped me get a better understanding of music.

LF: What got you interested in teaching through Lessonface?

JP: I love technology. I love being on the cutting edge of technology. I've been trying to figure out on my own how I could teach online, but there really wasn't any strong platform. I found Lessonface and knew I needed to at least give it a try. So far so good! I've been teaching for over eight years, in a variety of settings too.

F: If you had to recommend one video or song for new fans or prospective students to check out in order to understand you and your style, what would it be?

JP: I would say to check out my performances with the hip-hop group Authentic Counterfeit.

John’s ridiculous solo battle with his saxophonist starts at the 2:50 mark.

LF: Can you tell us about your current musical projects, and any latest news about them?

JP: I currently play with four different bands all over New England, however I am getting ready to release my first solo instrumental album. Most of the tracking is done, now I just need to mix it. Then do the album art and all that fun stuff. It has been a huge learning experience writing and recording an entire album by myself.

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