ALBERT MINOPOLI, JR: 
A Solo Career in the Making

I had the opportunity to venture down to one of my favorite haunts in the Valley, Osiris Cafe’ in Ansonia.  Osiris is a great little venue and hosts a variety of entertainment, ranging from karaoke nights to featuring some great rock bands.  Osiris also features an Open Mic night every Wednesday.

 

One of the highlights of the past couple of months on Open Mic night has been a young lad who goes by the name of Albert Minopoli, Jr.  Albert is only 16 years old and is a student at Ansonia High School, where he is a member of the marching band.  Don’t all rock and roll greats launch their careers by playing in a high school marching band?!

The soundtrack of Albert’s life has always been rock and roll.  His parents, Isabella and Albert are big fans of rock music and he has was introduced to rock as well as all different types of music for the most part of his 16 young years. His parents are big supporters of his love of music.

Albert started playing the drums as a child but received a guitar as a gift from his father for his First Communion. Now, that is by all definition, a father who is definitely guiding his child in the right direction!  Dad taught him the basics and he began listening intently to songs and started teaching himself. 

His first CD was Van Halen’s Greatest Hits and he immediately drew his inspiration primarily from Eddie Van Halen because of his “unique sounds.”  He was drawn in and started listening to Led Zeppelin and Guns ‘n Roses.

For the past four years, he has been honing his skills by taking guitar lessons as well as dedicating time on his own to the learning process.  

Albert listens to all types of music which varies from a collective group of blues, modern rock and classic rock. I was impressed that he was listening to blues and he basically blew me away when he stated that he felt that the “blues are the bridge to rock and roll.”  He opines that “there is always something to learn from every kind of music because someone wrote it and it was from their heart.”  He went on to say that there is absolutely nothing he dislikes about any kind of music because “there is always something in a song that is a story or a piece from someone’s heart because someone wrote it and it’s reflective of their how there life was at the time they wrote it.”

I was very impressed with Albert – not just by his love of all music, but how intelligent and well spoken he was.   He has a lot to say.

Albert also started writing his own original music at age 14 and performs one of his songs, “Never Too Late”, which I heard him perform recently at a private party.  His inspiration to write “will just strike him” and he believes it comes from his own personal experiences.  If he feels something, he will write it and then decide whether or not it has the potential to be a song.  He also spends a great deal of his time writing poetry. If he is in a gloomy mood or “just had his heart broken over a girl”, he will write what he is feeling and feels that his writings will be an inspiration to a lot of young people because “from your teenage years through like, age 21, is when you have a lot of drama and people can relate to that.”   

Right now, he is currently performing solo, and he seems to be veering in that direction.  He said that he will jam with friends when asked to, but he feels more comfortable when he is playing solo.  One of the challenges he admitted he is facing now is balancing the rhythm of playing and singing at the same time!   

After I interview a musician, I always gain a new perspective on music that turns a light on.  Minopoli’s take on listening to all different types of music is what I walked away with this time around – “every piece of music tells a story whether there are words or not.”

Albert is currently working on more original songs and is in the studio recording his first demo.  Look out, John Mayer….you’ve got some competition on the horizon!

You can learn more about Albert Minopoli by checking out his website, www.myspace.com/albertmonopoly or by going down to Osiris’ Café!

 Barbara Balcastro