Axel Ahdritz to Perform at the Scarsdale Salon

Fifteen year-old SHS student Axel Ahdritz has grown up with music. His father is a music publisher and plays the saxophone. His mother is adept at classical flute, his older brother is studying classical piano and composition, and his younger brother is receiving training in piano and the violin.

Axel has been playing the guitar since he was seven. When he moved to Scarsdale from London in 2008, he joined the Hoff-Barthelson Music School and later switched over to study contemporary music at the Lagond Music School in 2009. Axel has performed with his Lagond band on the guitar (the Bitter End in Manhattan and The Haven, Elmsford), with a vocal ensemble from Lagond (at Garcia's, Port Chester) and his own creations on guitar and vocal (Coffee House at Scarsdale Middle School, Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale Teen Center and at Berklee in Boston)

Here Axel Ahdritz tells us more about himself, and what he will play at the Scarsdale Salon on Thursday February 4 at 7:30 pm at the Scarsdale Library.

What music will you play at the Salon?

I will probably play 2 of my original pieces and also "Tears In Heaven" by Eric Clapton. One of my pieces is called "Puppeteer" and it is about the struggle between ones obsessions and obligations to life, love, family, school etc. It is a driving piece that really moves forward. Another one of my pieces is more of an emotional piece called "Dark" that I have never performed for anyone before. It begins small and rises to a large chorus. It was originally arranged as a piano piece but I transposed it into guitar.

Who are the musicians you admire, and what are your favorite music pieces?

I don't necessarily have any specific music pieces that really stand out and stay with me. I explore many different genres of music and my favorite songs stay with me relatively briefly because once they stop achieving that emotional response and connect, they lose their excitement. I might listen to some Neighborhood, Eminem, Eric Clapton, the Foo Fighters, Guns and Roses, sometimes Miles Davis with my father, old 50s orchestras, Led Zeppelin and Skrillex. I can go on for days. It just really depends on how I'm feeling at that time and how effective the music is. For instance, right now I'm in a "muse" phase and I adore them.

How many hours in a day do you practice?

I may practice guitar and piano for about 2-3 hours a day, but I sing all day to myself so there is no counting the hours I spend singing. Then I also may write songs for about 3 hours a day on top of the guitar, piano, and vocal training. So in total about 5 hours of music related activities every day after school.

Why do you prefer the guitar to other instruments?

I personally prefer the guitar to the majority of other instruments because the guitar is streamlined and versatile. I can carry it everywhere with me, and its music can be applied in many different settings (school, family, performances, personal enjoyment/ entertainment, fun thing to do with friends). I can also take it to other countries or bring it with me on road trips and just play with nothing more than my fingers or a pick. I also love the different styles of music that one can play where the change of just one finger in a chord can evoke a completely different emotion. It is also a much more personal and intimate instrument, and it can achieve a true connection with every individual in an audience.

What do you do in your free time?

Well to be honest I don't do much else other than music as I never really watched much TV and I stopped playing video games a while back. I might hang out with friends a couple times a week, but that is it. If I have any free time I use it to write songs and expand my chances at being able to work with music when I get older.