Q & A With Ted Garber

Metromusicscene

Ted Garber is a DC-area native and second generation professional musician. His music, which mixes the smoky blues of Robert Cray, the cool guitar rock of John Mayer, and a dash of international flavor, features elements that appeal to any listener, particularly those who enjoy concert outings. Ted's dynamic live shows are building on the foundation he established with the release of his latest album, American Rail. Ted will be appearing as a special guest at Justin Trawick's monthly musical residency at Iota on Tuesday, February 9th, and will be headlining a show with Jason Ager on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on Thursday, February 25th. I interviewed Ted via email recently about his music, his inspirations, as well as his ambitions.

Ted, why don’t you tell us where you came up with the name of your new album American Rail? What is the central theme or message of the album?

"American Rail" is the product of many months of traveling domestically and abroad and realizing more and more who I am and where I want to go. The longer I travel out of the U.S., the more I realized how American I really am. The more time I hopped along on the West Coast, the more I realized that I am truly from "back East." Songs like "Waste Some Time" and "Strike It Up" and "Following You" reflect my romantic wanderlust. Whereas, "March of the Working Class Hero" and "It's About Time," and "Giving Tree" reflect what I've learned through my worldwide experiences. So, here I am, an American who is aware of his "American-ness", and a world traveler who brings that Yankee-element with him wherever he goes. If the album has an agenda, it's this: Challenge yourself everyday by having the courage to live life happily and heartily. Not everyone has to travel abroad to figure this out either.

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