Interview with Westland, Michigan Rock Singer Andy John

Around the campus of the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus, Andy Dubyckyj is well-known for his involvement in campus activities and student life. But what some students don't know is that he is a dedicated musician away from his school life who has performed at several local venues.

On stage, he goes by the name Andy John (his middle name) to keep things simple, since most people can't pronounce his last name (it's pronounced Do-Bit-Ski). His sound harkens back to the days of the old rock showmen like Elvis and Chuck Berry, with a little bit of the modern style of solo rock artists like John Mayer thrown in.

I sat down with him to find out what life is like trying to balance school with writing and performing music, and to ask him how far he thinks he can take his "other" career:

Q: Were you a singer first or a guitarist first? You seem to have a strong background in both.

A: I was a singer first, I even used to do baby scatting as a kid. I currently sing for the Henry Ford Community College Concert Choir in Dearborn and we are having a show at the Ford Performing Arts Center in Dearborn which will feature the whole music department, which consists of everything from traditional choirs to big band and vocal jazz. Our group does all styles.

Q: When did you first start playing the guitar? Did a person turn you on to the instrument or was it just hearing songs on the radio or cassette?

A: I started guitar when I was 10 years old, but the song that got me interested in it was "Good Rockin' Tonight," Elvis' Sun recording. The way Scotty Moore did that solo just simply floored me.

Q: What shows have you played and where?

A: I've played at Jams at the Token Lounge in Westland and I did a show at the University of Michigan of Dearborn at their University Center. The show is away to say thank you to Social Workers. I've also played at the Relay for Life in Dearborn and did jams at the now-closed Tenny Street Roadhouse in Dearborn, the second of which happened during the same time that the coverage of the terrible effects from Hurricane Katrina (hit the news), so that put a lot of things in perspective.

Q: Are you putting a CD out or do you have one out or do you mostly put your stuff out via the Web?

A: Currently I do not have a CD at the moment, (but) I would like to release something in the future. I do have some of my songs on sale on the net at musicfreedom.com and blastmymusic.com( which allows you to sample the tracks on my Myspace page).

Q: You have an eclectic list of influences, but if you had to pick just one person or band you'd strive to make your music sound like, who would it be?

A: I would say I got "All Shook Up" To Elvis Presley, just (because of)how fresh the songs still sound (and) the spontaneous performances of him and his musicians. The thing (about) my influences is that I like to dig deep to their influences, so with Elvis that means legends such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard (who I saw in my first concert experience at the Michigan State Fair at one time), and Dean Martin, as well as a lot of the old blues artists.

Q: Do you use any other instruments besides acoustic guitar?

A: Before guitar I started playing the cornet and trumpet, which I blast every now and then. I used to have Piano but my mom could not pay the lease so now I sneak in that one room at Michigan-Dearborn to play the piano, or at the HFCC practice room. I also own a Fender electric/acoustic 12-string, and a Fender telecaster, which I used in some of my recordings. On my studio recording called "I Had A Dream About You," I used the engineers' Cravin guitar, which was really sweet.

Q: You sound is definitely very old-school. Are you more of a fan of older music than modern? If so, what do you like about the older style the most?

A: Thanks to my parents I grew up with the old-school music like Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Seger, Mitch Ryder, Motown, The Stones, Bo Diddley, and of course some classical music and music from Brazil, Poland, and Ukraine, so I'll always have that in my background. However, I do try to keep my ears open and there are a lot of talented artists (some of which are good friends of mine) out there from all genres that are just amazing. I listen to everything from my friends Jesse Palter (who is a really incredible singer) and Justine Blazer (both who are up for a Detroit Music Award in their respected genres) to Take 6 and even some John Mayer and Christina Aguilera. I also like Gospel and old and new-school Country, when I write music I really don't care what genre it is, as it is all music.

Q: Is this going to be your main career path or are you looking more to school to find a future job?

A: No matter what happens if I'm a one- hit wonder or more, or even a no-hit wonder, music is something that I will always do. I enjoy playing it and there is not a greater feeling to me than to make a person's day, whether with a smile, or with a song.
I plan to keep my options open and stick to my studies at UM-D, and I feel my college experience has been great for me musically. In many ways music has prepared me for any career I may have because the arts really help give you an understanding of humanity. In any genre there are many cultures from around the world that have given birth to all genres of music.

Q: What type of studio equipment do you have or use for your songs right now?

A: I have a basic Esteban 15 watt amp, which has a decent sound, a couple guitars, a PC Wave recorder from Dell and software called Pro Audio which is inexpensive and has a few effects. I also use a delay pedal and a basic PC mic. All of these are good enough for my acoustic and my ideas right now. I also use the Finale program at HFCC, where I write some of my music.