The Jailbreaking Series: Dennis Llante as a Guitarist

I have always wanted to do this - interview people. I will run my own talk show if I could. I thought what could be a better way to kick this off but to interview my own brother. Aside from being a good brother to me, I look up to him as a musician. God has given him great talent that I am always in awe watching (sometimes, just hearing) him play his guitar. I remember those days when we were trying to learn the guitar through torn chord chart pages from a song mag. Through discipline, faith and constant practice; he has gone a very long way while I was left with G-Em-C-D.

More than anything else, he has grown to be a good man of God and continues to serve him through his guitar.

Know more about him...

Q: What exactly started your interest in music specifically playing the guitar?

A: It just sounded good to me than any other instrument. It's something you can bring anywhere, the guys who played it looked really cool to me.

Q: Your rendition of John Petrucci's Glasgow Kiss was amazing and left some people in awe. How long did it take you to learn it?

A: I'm a John Petrucci fan and he's been a great influence on my playing. It took me a month to learn it, only because I kind of gotten the technical parts down already and I found a great sounding backing track for it from the net. I played it for an event called “Guitar Adrenalin”.



Q: Was there ever a point in your life as a musician when you almost wanted to quit? How did you handle it?



A: I never quit. If I'm in, I'm in for the rest of my life.

Q: Am sure you've had your share of embarrassing moments on stage. Will you share a few?



Photo by Romuald Aldi Maranoc

A: A lot; like wrong chords and notes, buzzes from broken wires..and technical glitches..all of them. But the way I see it, Just keep it real. I don't really cry after a gig cause of mishaps. The whole thing plus the screw ups are one whole big human, mundane, earthly performance. So I'm never really pressured.

Q: Who were your influences when you started? Who are your influences now?

A: When I started playing, I was already into Metallica and Guns n' roses..then Rage against the Machine Stuff..then got into instrumental music..now, I guess I've matured, it's Greg Howe and Guthrie Govan..Kotzen..and a lot of them who are into instrumental music.

Q: Do you play other instruments? On a rate of 1-10 (10 being the highest), how will you rate yourself on them?

A: I've been playing bass. 4.

Q: Now that you just got married, will it, in any way, change your passion's level of intensity towards playing the guitar?

A: For me, my marriage actually boosted everything.; and Guitar Playing is my Job. So I'm one of the few who actually got a Job that they love. I go to work to play guitar. I get paid just playing guitar, writing music and teaching. The rest is all chill with my wife. So I'm living a Rockstar life without the fame and the bad stuff.

Q: I remembered you appeared with your band as guests in NU107 (and even greeted me on air,thank you), you also played (and still is) with famous names; how do you feel during those times? Did you feel like you were closer to your dreams?

A: I think I can sincerely say BTDT..been there done that..There's really nothing too special once you're there, once you've met them or played with popular people. I guess that's how it goes. I never really dreamed or hoped to become some popular dude. I prefer to be as invisible as possible.

Q: What do you think are your greatest accomplishments as a musician?

A: I'm teaching guitar. You can be the best guitar player in the world (or engineer, painter, doctor, chef etc) but if you die without passing it on..for me everything you worked hard for is just stupid crap.

Q: What can you advise aspiring musicians or those who want to be as good as you are in playing the guitar?

A: I'll go against the flow on this one. My advise is... Get a life!..there's more to life than guitar playing. Let that be just one thing you can do. But I will also say that if you want to be good, then do it non-stop. Play non-stop 'till everything is second nature. Good intentions are not good enough. I think it was Yngwie Malmsteen who said it..”If good intentions are all it takes to become good, then everyone will be good”.

The feeling, the color, the smell and the sound of those mornings are still fresh to me. When we were younger, I remember waking up in the morning to the music of Joe Satriani, or James Hetfield, or Slash or Dream Theater. Every single morning, when he wakes up he'd practice playing and do what he loves to do. He was right, he never quits. He did not quit learning the guitar, he did not quit then and I know he will not quit now passing it on. More than that, he did not quit playing it for the One True Musician.

... and I will always be one proud sister.

Here's for your viewing pleasure; his live version of John Petrucci's Glasgow Kiss. Enjoy!