As a child, Aaron Lebos was given a choice of two musical instruments: piano or violin. He chose the piano and spent the next six years dedicated to the instrument, winning five state-wide competitions.
But at the age of 11, he picked up the guitar.
More than a decade later he's still strumming it.
You can hear Aaron’s music in this week’s WLRN story "," a work of fiction by Jeremy Glazer. You can listen to "Rita" and "Pravda" below:
In "," the narrator gets a chance to connect with his childhood self. And in that spirit, Aaron agreed to talk to us about his childhood influences. He sat down with WLRN before a set at the Van Dyke Cafe in Miami Beach, on a plush, velvet couch in the upstairs jazz section.
On music and the family:
- My dad played a little of banjo and little bit of guitar but just hippie songs. There was always a guitar around the house. My brother is actually the one who really got me into guitar. He's a little bit older and when I was 11 or 12, he started showing me classic rock and all that stuff.
What he listened to as a kid:
- In my teens , blues and classic rock. Probably the same as most other teenage skateboarding kids. Then at 18 I got into jazz.
What he would tell his childhood self:
- I practice more now then I ever did, but I always wish I would have practiced more efficiently and focused more in my teens and early 20s. I wish I was better now but I've always practiced. It's a constant thing.
That practice has paid off. Aaron’s band, Aaron Lebos Reality, performs regularly around South Florida. He's a regular at the Van Dyke, and his band recently played a live hour on .
Aaron's new album, Aaron Lebos Reality, will be available on January 23rd. The official release will be on March 7th at the Van Dyke.
For more, check out his website and a sample of his .
