gt.com: you're no stranger to the music
industry -- you had a stint on VH1's "In Search for a New Partridge Family." how
did you get involved, and what did you learn from it?
TEDDY: I was out golfing, and I got a phone call from my mom who just saw a
commercial for it. She was like, "Come home this instant! I have a backpack and
you're going to the audition." I've seen the commercial so many times, and I was
always like, "Eh..." It seemed a little cheesy, and I wasn't sure I
wanted to do something like that. But, my mom was convinced that it was a really good
idea. So, what ended up happening was that I went, and I made it to the group that gets
sent to Los Angeles to be on the actual reality segment. It was really cool. Going into
the experience, I was very shy and nervous. After coming out of that, I learned how to get
used to performing and all of that. I got a little more comfortable performing in front of
people.
gt.com: great, that will be a vital lesson for your career! now, you just
completed a tour with Hilary Duff. what was that experience like?
TEDDY: It was my first tour ever, and it was really cool, because I'm the kind of
person who had only been to Florida and New York. So, it was cool to go around the country
and see everything. Although it was hard to actually see the cities, because you are only
there for such a short period of time. It was like, "Oh yeah, I get to be in
Chicago today." But I'm only in Chicago from one o'clock to whenever the show is
over, then you leave. You don't really get a chance to see any of the cities. It was good,
though, because I did get to drive through the cities.
gt.com: ::laughs:: funny how
that works! your music has been compared to everyone from John Mayer to Jesse McCartney.
do those type of comparisons bother you?
TEDDY: No, actually, I get the John Mayer a lot. I just saw John, and I was
watching the show and I turned to my friend who was sitting next to me. I was just like,
"You know those John Mayer comparisons? I don't mind them at all." It
was when he was with the Trio, and it was so good. He has an awesome career. I was
watching him and was thinking, I hope my career can go like this, and I can go off and do
something like that. Be supercreative.
gt.com: very admirable! you also have some creativity of your own. being
sixteen years old and writing your own lyrics is impressive. where do you derive your
inspiration from?
TEDDY: It's kinda just like my life, or my life exaggerated. There's always
something that happens, and I'll be like "This is really cool, but if this and
this happened along with it, that would be so interesting." Then, I'd write a
song about that.
gt.com: comparisons aside, are there any musicians that have a career you
aspire to emulate?
TEDDY: One of my big influences right now is Ben Folds. Other influences are
definitely Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, that whole vibe...
gt.com: great choices! you're
also set to hit the small screen in the upcoming CBS show "Love Monkey." do you
have plans to pursue acting more, or are you more comfortable in the realm of the music
industry?
TEDDY: I feel like I am definitely more music-oriented, but this show is my
first acting gig, and it was really cool to be able to do something like that with Thomas
Cavanagh and Jason Priestley who are starring in the show. They helped me out a lot with
acting for the first time. It was definitely a lot of fun, and it is something I want to
keep pursuing. But, I love music.
gt.com: very cool, we look forward to seeing that! did you get to perform
your own music?
TEDDY: Yes, which is really cool! The theme song of the show is the song "Love
is a Marathon" off my album. I also perform the single on the show.
gt.com: awesome! you are a high school student and a pop star. do your
peers treat you any differently now that you've had the success you have acquired?
TEDDY: I actually don't go to the traditional schooling system right now. I'm all
over the place, so it's kind of hard to be in one place at eight o'clock in the morning
every day. When I come home, though, all my friends are really cool. I have a close group
of really good friends. They definitely aren't afraid to tell me to be quiet!
gt.com: that's a great support system to have. okay, what are the
biggest perks of being a musician?
TEDDY: Being able to make music 24/7. When I'm home, all I do pretty much with my
free time is make music. And, all of my friends are into music, so I do that with them.
That's kinda like my job!
gt.com: not a bad job to wake up to! well, how about the downside of being
a musician?
TEDDY: Definitely the being away from friends and family. I've been home for only a
couple of days this month. It's like living out of a suitcase, but I like that, too,
though.
gt.com: take us back to the first time you knew music was the path you
wanted to travel. what was the first thing you did to jumpstart your career?
TEDDY: I started playing at coffee shops, and I always recorded stuff. Since I was
eleven, I have always recorded songs. I used to use a sound recorder that was on my
computer, then I moved up to a four-track, then computer software, and it kept evolving
from that. And, after I started playing gigs, I started to record more finished tracks
that I could give out. I just kind of took every chance that I could.
gt.com: a lot of ambition at such a young age, that's really impressive.
if you could choose one singer to collaborate with, who would be at the top of your list?
TEDDY: I was thinking about that in the van the other day, and I was trying to
decide, but it was so hard. Because as of right now, it's between Ben Folds and Dashboard
Confessional, but then I have never met either one of them. But it's on my wish list.
gt.com: interesting! now, file-sharing websites seem to be a big issue in
the recording industry. what is your stance on people downloading music for free?
TEDDY: I don't know... I was always like, "Yeah, whatever." I
didn't really have a preference. But then, one day someone was like "I downloaded
your album on a freeware program." And then it was like, oh geez, that's not
good. Right now, I don't. I buy all of my music on iTunes. That's why I have no
money, I spend it all on music. ::laughs:: It's definitely different now that I'm
a musician.
gt.com: we can see how your opinion can change. you mentioned that you
have done a lot of touring and traveling. what has been your favorite city to visit?
TEDDY: We had a couple of days off in Miami, and that was fun! We just went to the
beach every day and did nothing. It was so good!
gt.com: sounds relaxing! finally, where would you like your career to be
in five years?
TEDDY: I just want to be playing music still. And, hopefully co-writing a little
bit more. Also, possibly do some production and stuff, because that is really one of my
favorite things to do.
gt.com: we have no doubt you'll still be playing music. Good luck,
and thanks for the interview, Teddy!
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Teddy
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