Ruthie Bram: 'I'm Striving To Bring Back Long Guitar Solos Into Top 40'

Daisy Rock's Ruthie Bram has been passionate her entire life about bringing positive messages about overcoming obstances to others through entertainment modes such as singing, guitaring, dancing, and songwriting. Check out our interview with Ruthie below.

Please give us a short intro/bio into who you are and what you’ve done/accomplished so far as a musician?

I was born in Lebanon in 1988 during the Lebanese civil war, adopted as an infant, and raised in Amarillo, Texas. I quickly discovered that I was immediately drawn to musical instruments, and I started playing the violin at age 9 and then piano shortly after that. At age 15, I wrote and recorded my first EP which subsequently was named one of the Top 25 Demos by Music Connection magazine. I was also named as one of its Top 100 Unsigned performing artists for that year.

At age 16, I caught the eye of funk/R&B artist/musician John Wilson, who played with James Brown. It was John who introduced me to the great musicians of all different eras including Jazz, Doo-Wop, Funk, and R&B. I fell in love with the soulful music, and became inspired by BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Prince. At age 17, I had the sudden desire to play the electric guitar, and I quickly became skilled at it, landing an endorsement from Daisy Rock Guitars. Daisy Rock Guitars saw I was making an impact on how musicians viewed a female guitarist. I didn’t play delicately, although I could, I played to rock, and I wanted every guy out there to know it. The rest is history, and I’ve had some wonderful experiences playing with high-profile artists in several genres: dance, blues, rock, and metal, and I cannot wait to see what’s yet to come.

Tell us about your guitars, pedals, strings, and amps.

In my collection of guitars, I have Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, and Daisy Rock, all of which are very different in tonality and clarity; however, I enjoy playing Daisy Rock guitars since first, the necks are streamlined to fit my hands—making them effortless to play, and they are the good-looking. I play with Dean Markley SLP strings, and I have a pedal board full of Boss and VOX pedals that are connected with Monster cables.

Who have you played with?

I’ve shared the stage with artists in the dance, pop/rock, blues/funk, and metal genres. One of my favorite experiences was when I played in the studio with Tommy Lee from Motley Crue. I’ve also performed a series of Jazz shows with legendary Bing Crosby's grandson Phil Crosby, performed upbeat dance hits and originals with Billboard dance music divas Pepper Mashay, Frederick Ford, Rachel Panay, Georgie Porgie, and Ohsha Kai, played with the legendary Will Sexton, Alan Haynes, Monte Warden, Matthew Santos, and shared the stage with other great acts including Exit Avenue (UK), Antiproduct (UK), Xms3 (UK), Mike Milligan & The Altar Boyz, Solarcade, Phil Brown, and Sonny Throckmorton. As a singer, I’ve opened for Sting and Natalie Cole.

Who are your favorite players/inspirations?

I play a mix of rock, pop, blues, and funk. It’s fused with hooky and tight melodies in essence of Prince and under girded by urban funk vibes reminiscent of Larry Graham. My lead electric solos are driven by screaming soulful rock guitar, i.e., Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. BB King is my hero, and during live performances, I like to begin with a sit-down soul session playing phrases from his famous pieces like “The Thrill is Gone� and “Sweet Little Angel.�

The inspiration for my original songs comes from my experiences, my observations of others, and what others have told me have happened to them. Generally, I am emotionally so impacted by the experiences that I’m driven to write about them. I am also inspired by the ordinary events and feelings that make up all of our lives. These daily thoughts and actions are examples of when we are seeking hope, the warmth of friendships, or goodness in small things, and these are the thread of drama that connects us all.

What are you doing now?

I enjoy my time as a musician by being involved with a series of different projects. I have been a part of the Miss America Organization for the past three years, and this year I am Miss National Orange Show 2012 and running for the job of Miss California 2013 this summer. In preparation, I am working on ripping a few solos on “Devil Went Down to Georgia� for the talent portion, and to prepare for interview, I am making my way into the California Independent School District, presenting my music program “E=mc2� (www.ruthiebram.com) to students K-12 and encouraging them to be involved with music. This is a very fulfilling experience, and I hope to perform and present my music program along side my trusted Daisy Rock Guitars to a number of schools by late June.

In addition to this, I am a junior in college studying communications and political science and am working on a review research paper regarding music and education and how music increases the retention rate among high school students. I am also interning at a daily entertainment show. It is fascinating what goes on behind the scenes!

All at the same time, I’m striving to bring back long guitar solos into Top 40 music; so, I’m writing new pop/rock songs with a heavy blues vibe. I’m so excited, and I look forward to having more fans be a part of the experience with me. It’s Bram Glam! Gotta have that glam!

What is your advice for other aspiring female musicians?

My advice is to push, push, push! Get your music out there! The music world is not a man’s world! Female guitarists such as Bonnie Raitt, Lita Ford, Jennifer Batten, and Orianthi have made their way into the scene and have thrived! The industry is always looking for the newest hottest star. Put yourself in the spotlight to be recognized and, show the world who is boss.

People learn how to play guitar by starting with chords usually. Is that the best way to learn?

It is very common for beginners to start with chords. In fact, the very first thing I learned on guitar was a C power chord. However, the second thing I learned was a blues solo. Yes! A blues solo. I immediately wanted to get dirty with the guitar. I practiced that solo for days, and I could amaze an onlooker without even knowing anything! Playing my first solo gave me confidence that I could be good, and creative ideas about new possibilities that I could embark on just started shooting out. Shortly after that, I began playing more power chords, learning theory, and continuing with more and more soloing.

How and when do you write music? Do you start with lyrics? Is there a spot you like to write in?

I really enjoy writing music after 12 am. I feel like the world is asleep and I’m watching over it. No, really I just feel peaceful. There’s quiet around me, and I sit on the floor or the couch with my electric piano and guitar ready to play how I feel. I first like to sing out a melody and record it. I record many versions of it. And, I usually start with the hook of the song. After I am satisfied with how it sounds at the moment, I try my instruments on the hook to see what some flavor would sound like on it. This is all a test to see how I want my verses to go. The verses are difficult sometimes because they control how the entire song ends up sounding, and one chord could make the difference. I could spend hours on just the verse. After I’m satisfied with a rough version on the melody, I begin with lyrics. The mood of the melody and chords shapes the message I want to share. Many of my songs have to do with relationships, and whether it’s a happy or sad song; I like it to have a funky vibe so that the audience feels uplifted at the end of it. I can finish a song in a day, but it’s only its best after I start laying it down in the in the studio...nit-picking every piece of it.

Are women making a strong enough impact as musicians today?

Absolutely! And our presence gets stronger every day. Women guitarists, drummers, bassists, and pianists really rock in every way, and I’m not saying that because I’m a girl. I’m a tough critic, but some of the funkiest, rocking musicians out here today are women! They bring their talents, creativity, soul, and technical skills to the table and bet the most in the game because they know their music and their playing is hot. It really is. It’s rare to find one album being produced today that does not include a woman musician. We’re out there, and we’re making a big impact.

Do you have any specific routines that you do before you play a show?

Yes! I do two things. First, hand warmers and gloves are a must! My hands are always very cold no matter what the temperature is outside. Putting furry gloves on and sticking hand warmers in the gloves keep my hands warmed up so that I’m flexible and comfortable when I play. If I don’t do that, then I wash my hands in hot and cold water 5 min before a show. I start with cold and switch to hot several times finally ending on hot. It wakes up my hands! It sounds kind of silly to the common person, but a little secret I have for you is, many guitarists do the same thing!