Born to be at One with the Guitar, and to have a Six String Soul

Indie Pulse Music Magazine Interviews Ray Goren

Ray Goren, born in New York, and later, living in California with his family, has found himself in a very interesting life. Ray, the SoCal-raised singer, songwriter and trailblazing electric guitarist has been getting an incredible amount of attention in the Music Scene, becoming a guitarist so fast he now plays venues and performs solo concerts, for many a dream come true, to delight and entertain so many people with his gift.

Ray first picked up the guitar at the very young age eight and today, he continues to musically mature and grow his guitar prowess, and Ray’s sound has changed and grown into a vibrant amalgamation of the Blues, Rock, Alternative, Soul, and even some Hip-Hop. Ray Goren has seen and done so much. This would not be uncommon, to be successful after years of training, playing and practicing, except, in the case of Ray Goren, it is astounding!

You See, Ray Goren has launched his 1^st album, a purely indie self-release, the Save My Soul EP title single reached the Top 40 on the BDS (Billboard/Nielsen) Triple AAA radio chart. Ray Goren is an accomplished musician at a very venerable….. Sixteen years of age!

 Goren traces his musical trajectory back to when he and his parents lived in a small apartment on New York’s Upper West Side. He was noodling around on a toy keyboard at the age of three and by five the budding musician was listening to Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk, and playing jazz on his piano. Ray has said that “the soul of my music is tied to the blues. However, instead of growing and evolving from blues to rock, I listened to Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway, Prince and others. Later I listened to rock artists like, Jimi Hendrix, Maroon 5, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead and Imagine Dragon. I have also always been inspired by lyrically-driven artists like Leon Russell, Bob Dylan and more recently by J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. I want to be a unique artist and create my own sound.”

IndiePulse Music Magazine reached young Mr. Goren with some questions, we found him to , for his age, very serious about his work, his career, yet he still wants to have a life full of learning and loving life and the rich and rewarding choice he made to follow his dreams.

So please, join us for an insightful look into the life and mind of Ray Goren, Guitar Prodigy –

IPM: Why did you start playing guitar at such a young age?

I made a mistake when I was looking for a jazz trombonist, JJ Johnson, and I accidentally typed BB instead of JJ on YouTube. There was a video of BB King, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy and Albert Collins playing Sweet Little Angel all together on the same stage – and that was it. Then I wanted a guitar – up until then I was just playing the piano.

IPM: As a guitarist, what musicians do you cite as some of your main influences?

My main influences have been Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Freddie King and so many more.

IPM: Is there any particular style, or method, of guitar playing that you favor?

I favor creativity – being creative.

IPM: Does your schooling ever get in the way of your live gig schedule?

It does make it harder because I have to worry about school and balancing the two but now I have an online solution. It is still tough to balance the two things.

IPM: You started out playing the blues, but have since gone in a rock direction, and now, even some hip-hop mixed in. Where do you see your music direction going in the next few years?

I see my music going towards a lot more hip-hop while maintaining rock elements.

IPM: Your dad handles your business now, but at what point do you envision being able to book your own shows, and handle your business?

I’ve always been a part of managing my business. My dad and I and others that are affected discuss everything together. Running the business is a team effort, not something to be done by one individual.

IPM: What are some of your non-music-related hobbies?

Music is pretty much my whole life, but I enjoy spending time with my family and their activities.

IPM: If you weren’t playing guitar, what else do you think you might pursue for a career?

I’ve never put that thought in my mind because if you are thinking “what will I do if this doesn’t work out?”, then there is something in the back of your mind that has already conceded failure.

IPM: Five years from now, where would you like to see your career be at the level of?

Five years from now I would like to be filling stadiums, winning Grammys, and innovating a new sound in pop music.

IPM: What are the social media for people to learn more about, and keep in touch with you?

My web site is www.raygoren.com, but you can find me on Instagram-@ raygorenofficial , on Twitter- @raygoren and on Facebook just search for  raygorenofficial.