It may not make her popular among singer--er--entertainers, but Amy Lotsberg has her own take on what makes a true musician--female or otherwise.  To get to know her and her interesting way of thinking, read her stellar interview below.  Then, skip on over to her independent musicians blog Collected Sounds for some true indie appeal.

Tell me about yourself.

I grew up in a musical home. My dad is an actor/director/producer (stage/TV) and my mom is a dance teacher. So there were always showtunes playing on the stereo. They also liked folk and some pop music so I got to hear a little of that too. My very first favorite song was “Too Late Baby” by Carol King. Of course I had no idea what it was about…and I just gave away my age too. Currently live in an old haunted house in Minneapolis,MN with my husband, two dogs and a cat.

When I was a kid, finding inspiration in music was a hard endeavor. We were at the mercy of the AM or FM DJs to discover new sounds. Digging through the past to learn of the old greats and gain inspiration from them was usually a haphazard affair; hearing of a band from a friend’s older brother, or losing yourself in the bins of record stores.

There’s no doubt that some of the music we loved was really the result of being the only music we could hear. Would we have really been into bands like Boston if they hadn’t dominated AM radio? Would we have spent our time with Van Hagar if the underground had a ready access to our listening ears? Questions that will never be answered.

But today is a totally different world. Internet and mobile phones became an integral part of our daily lives and with it, another revolution in how we listen to music. I’m not talking about format, vinyl vs. CD vs. digital, that’s an old argument. I’m talking the massive availability of any music you could ever choose to hear, from any country, at any time, simply at the touch of your fingers.

You'd think that the up-to-the-minute news, thorough Guitars section categorized by Brand, and listings of Artists and Songs with ability to find on ITunes and Amazon, would have been the thing that caught my attention about the active guitar community website Fretbase. 

But it was the About Us page where a completely genuine Brian Stolte confessed he cut his hair into a mullet after becoming obsessed with Led Zeppelin that really did me in.  In the next minute, co-founder David Mandlebrot told his readers he had only picked up the guitar in his 30s and made us all realize that it's still ok to start something new in our later years.

What does it take to make it in the thriving jazz scene in New York or the indie hard rock scene of Seattle? 

Jemsite wants to find out!  In a new series, we've set out to find the best reps across the country to will tell us just what it means to make it in the big city music scene.

We begin with Portland, Oregon and one Angelo De Ieso II, an independent music promoter who has started the collective Pop Tomorrow! and is dedicated to promoting the independent and under the radar musicians of Oregon focusing on Portland. Let's see what he has to say about these Northwest up and comers and their flourishing musical success.

The Guitar Hero series on Jemsite features interviews with guitarists and musicians who may not have star status YET, but their current situations have shaped them to be who they are--determined, fond of their craft, and heroes in their own right.  Perhaps you'll see in these upcoming entries the next Jimi Hendrix, Melissa Etheridge, or Duane Allman.  Or perhaps they'll become household names by doing what they do best---doing their thing

David Hodge is more than just a guitar player.  He's the quintessential self-proclaimed "working class musician" who worked hard to get to top greatness. And that's why he's our Guitar Hero.

A guitar teacher in more ways the one, David teaches guitar privately and writes lessons for Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Play Guitar! Magazine. His first tutorial book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Bass Guitar, hit the bookstores (in the real world and online) on September 1, 2006. (To hear some of his original music, visit David's music page at SoundClick) and his official website.

This post shows you the CROW method for setting simple and effective goals for your guitar learning.

The CROW process has two big advantages.

First, it's name makes it easy to remember and use.

No long winded instruction manuals.

Simply check your goals are CROW - Concrete, Realistic, Observable and Worthwhile.

Let's see just what that means...