Commented on: School of Hard Knocks (Farrell & Joseph)

Joseph Rodriquez was born and raised in Ponce, P.R. in a close-knit family. His father was a musician in the school band so it was
natural that Joseph was a musician from the day he was born. At the age of 6 years old, music was no longer promoted in school so
Joseph made his own music by drumming with pencils on his desk. At the age of 10 his father exposed him to the music of
Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez which caught Joseph's interest. A year later his father bought him a drum set and Joseph began
to practice. At the age of 15 he became a member of a band called The Freedom Brothers which played the music of Three Dog Night
and other popular bands of the time. It was at this time that Joseph decided to master the guitar. His mother was also taking
guitar lessons so she showed him his first chords which he practiced day after day in his bedroom. Joseph was also greatly
influenced by the bands he saw in the Woodstock Festival documentary which drove him to practice more and more. So it's no
surprise that you will hear in Joseph's style the influences of Santana, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and many other bands from that
musical era.

He also played in a group that performed the music of Grand Funk Railroad where he honed his vocal skills. Learning guitar
changed Joseph's life as people started to notice his skills on the instrument. His ultimate dream was to play in the
United States where most of his idols performed. Joseph continued to play his music until he discovered the computer and all the
musical possibilities that came along with it. Although he had recorded music on reel to reel and mini disc recorders, they didn't
compare to the capabilities of PC recording.

Joseph also worked at local recording studios where he learned a great deal about the process by recording some area artists in
and around Ponce and nearby cities. In 1980 he recorded with a band called Stevie Staff where he arranged the music, played drums,
keyboards, and guitar. With his new found computer recording skills and all the possibilities that came along with it,
Joseph began to compose and make more music right from his PC. It was at this point that it all came together with the Internet
explosion. This allowed Joseph to meet other musicians and fans from around the world. He now has a site to place his songs and
share his music with the world. But through all this Joseph has never lost his burning desire to play in the United States so he
can fulfill his lifelong dream and share the God given talents he feels fortunate to have.

Farrell Jackson

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