Daily Inspiration: Meet Dennis Bradley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dennis Bradley

Hi Dennis, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started playing music in elementary school – way back in the 1970s – because my mother wanted me to learn an instrument (although I suspect she also wanted me out of the house for a few hours a day during the summer). I chose the saxophone, only because my friend across the street played it – I knew nothing about music at the time. Eventually, I discovered rock and roll and decided to switch instruments. That’s when I started playing guitar, and then electric bass. I played bass in my high school jazz band, and upon graduation joined the Marines. Although I had no desire to become a military musician, my recruiter encouraged me to audition. I passed and spent my years right after high school – 1991 to 1995 – as a Marine Corps musician, performing up to 400 gigs a year in that role. Although I knew that I had found my calling in the Corps, I wanted to step away from the role of a musician in the military, so I changed career paths and became a field artillery cannoneer and eventually a senior enlisted advisor. I continued to play music as a hobby, but never in a group. Once I retired from the Marine Corps in 2020, my goal was to get back into performing live and join a band. I was very fortunate to fall in with a group of very talented musicians when I moved to Colorado Springs, and since 2022 I have been the lead guitarist for the classic rock cover band Mimic, and the acoustic duo Mimic (Lite).

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Having not played music with other individuals for 25 years, it was very intimidating getting back into performing live. In fact, it took me a while to build up the courage to answer a social media post or two where bands were looking for guitarists. I was under the impression that after being away for so long, that I would be the weak link in any group that I joined. In my mind, everyone in the area was an experienced and top-notch musician, and I was a novice again. However, I soon learned that there were a lot of groups in the area that had vacancies, and that I could join a group and continue to work to get my chops back into performing shape. It was a bit of a long road – it took me a year or two to settle into a state where I felt comfortable performing live again and felt that I was up to the task to contribute positively to a group. But all of that doubt and pressure was self-induced. I found very quickly that I was setting the bar very high and that there were fellow musicians in the area who were just happy to have others to jam with. Eventually, my confidence was restored and I’m at a place now where I can learn a song quickly and contribute to my band positively, but I am also committed to continuing to better myself as a musician.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started out taking classical guitar lessons, but after I discovered hard rock and heavy metal I quickly gravitated to those genres. The band I play in now, Mimic, is a classic rock cover band, so all those years of playing the great rock songs from the 1960s through the 1990s (and now, beyond), really helped me fit into this band. As I’ve matured, I’ve branched out and tried to learn more from other musical genres. Recently, I also decided to continue with my musical education, and fulfill a lifelong dream, by auditioning for Berklee College of Music. I’ve always wanted to get my degree in guitar performance from there, but when I was in high school, I knew I wasn’t good enough to pass the audition. I was accepted last year and am currently in my first semester there. The popularity of online learning has allowed me to attend from afar, and I’m very excited about finally achieving this goal after decades of wanting it.

What matters most to you?
Musically, I value the opportunity to continue to play great songs from artists that have shaped popular music since the birth of rock and roll. Many iconic artists have passed on or are no longer performing live. But I think that a lot of music from the 1950s through the 1990s is timeless. This music needs to continue to be heard. I know that others feel this way as well, because I see a lot of younger fans at our shows. They grew up hearing classic rock and roll in their houses thanks to their parents, and these younger generations are embracing this music just as much as those of us who were around when it was still new. In fellow musicians, I value humility, a solid work ethic, and a desire to continuously improve. No one wants to play music with a diva, egomaniac, or selfish individual. That absolutely ruins band dynamics and relationships. It’s also important to work hard to make yourself better, and if everyone in a band does that, the band gets better as a whole. True musicians know the difference between practice and rehearsal. Practice is the time you have to put in on your own to learn and master your parts, rehearsal is when everyone in a band comes together to add those parts and make music as a group. I’ve played in bands where one member tries to learn a song when they arrive at rehearsal, and it never goes will – it also wastes everyone else’s time. And musical education is important too. Some musicians think that if they learn to read music or learn theory, it will kill their feel and take away from the emotion that they put into music. I think that’s a total cop-out and an excuse for musicians who just don’t want to put the effort into mastering their craft. There are countless examples of amazing professional musicians who play with emotion, but who also know theory.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.MimicRocks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimicrocks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MimicRocks
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-bradley-35142896/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MimicRocks