THE GREAT KAT

INTERVIEW IN GUITAR LORDS

Jorge Miranda, Guitar Lords

 

GL - The amazing Great Kat, thanks for your time!
TGK: The Great Kat High Priestess of Guitar Shred is HERE!!

GL - Please tell us about your personal history and background for the fans at Mexico
TGK - The Great Kat, named “TOP 10 FASTEST SHREDDERS OF ALL TIME” by Guitar One Magazine, was a Full Scholarship Student of the Juilliard School for Violin and studied there for 6 years and graduated with honors. I am the Winner of the Artists International Competition on Violin, among numerous other competitions around the U.S., was Concertmaster of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra and gave my Carnegie Recital Hall Debut on Solo Violin. I performed solo violin concerts in the U.S., Mexico (Monterrey, Saltillo, Parras, Sabinas) and England.

GL - What motivated you to want to learn to play the violin and the guitar?
TGK - I discovered Beethoven at birth, when I heard Beethoven (“Egmont”, the Symphonies, the String Quartets, the Piano Sonatas) being played at home. After hearing a violinist performing on TV, I decided to learn the violin at 9 years old. I became a Scholarship student at The Juilliard School and after graduating I realized that CLASSICAL MUSIC WAS DEAD. I searched ALL forms of popular music and came across SPEED METAL!!!!!!! When I heard the ENERGY, SPEED and POWER of Speed Metal, I then IMMEDIATELY picked up the guitar and began transcribing violin solos to the guitar. Then I began MIXING AUTHENTIC CLASSICAL MUSIC SCORES (Beethoven, Vivaldi, Handel, Paganini, Sarasate, Wagner, etc., making NOTE-FOR-NOTE ACTUAL TRANSCRIPTIONS) with SHRED METAL. “SHRED/CLASSICAL” WAS BORN.

GL - What kind of music do you like to play a lot?
THK - The Great Kat likes to play THE GREAT KAT’S “SHRED/CLASSICAL” MUSIC-EXTREME GUITAR SHREDDING mixed with AUTHENTIC CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL SCORES FROM THE MASTERS: BEETHOVEN, PAGANINI, WAGNER, VIVALDI AND OTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - Tell us about your technique and how you developed it?
TGK - The Great Kat’s Guitar Technique was developed by taking my VIOLIN TECHNIQUE and Classical Violin Concertos (Paganini Violin Concertos), Virtuoso Violin Pieces (Paganini’s 24 Caprices, Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen) and Violin Scales and Etudes (such as Schradieck, Hirmaly or Flesch) and SYSTEMATICALLY PLACING them on the guitar, using the actual violin fingerings, positions, and shifting that I use on the violin. The bowings from the violin are translated in specific picking techniques, that make my guitar insanity SOUND ALMOST IDENTICAL to my VIOLIN INSANITY!!!!!!!!!

GL - When you were a kid, did you ever think that you would someday be one of the top ten shredders around the world?
TGK - The Great Kat Guitar Shredder became a VIRTUOSO VIOLINIST and GUITARIST to UPDATE CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM!!!!!!!!!!

GL - Who are your main influences?
TGK - Beethoven, Paganini, Sarasate, Vivaldi, Wagner and Ozzy

GL - Who is your favorite violinist and guitar player?
TGK - Violinists: Jascha Heifetz, Pablo de Sarasate, Fritz Kreisler and The Great Kat (Katherine Thomas). Favorite Guitarists: Hendrix and The Great Kat!!

GL - What projects are you currently working on?
TGK - The Great Kat is preparing to record a NEW SHRED/CLASSICAL CD!!! I also JUST COMPLETED the MANIACAL “Guitar Shredder From Hell” compilation music video! The video SHREDS your brain with 11 minutes of the MOST SICK, TWISTED, PSYCHOTIC, DEMENTED Kat music videos mixed with EXTREME GUITAR SHREDDING and eye popping hot and bloody Kat photos!. “Guitar Shredder From Hell” Features 5 Kat Music Videos: 1. “TORTURE CHAMBER” – Welcome to The Great Kat’s Dungeon. Meet the Kat Slaves and the Tortured and Abused Victims. Step into her torture devices!. 2. “CASTRATION” - The Great Kat’s Mini-Opera in 4 Acts: Geisha, Salome, Black Widow, and Operating Room! The ULTIMATE in Kat Humiliation!. 3. “THE GREAT KAT LIVE IN CHICAGO!” - The Great Kat’s Phenomenal Guitar Shredding Live In Concert in Chicago! Kat-Possessed Slaves on stage bow and worship their Goddess Kat!!!. 4. “DOMINATRIX” - Kat Reigns Supreme in this abusive and dominating frenzy!. 5. “WAR” - Concentration Camp Atrocities! 9/11 Attack and WTC Collapse! Never Forget!

Check out clips of the “GUITAR SHREDDER FROM HELL” Music Video at http://www.greatkat.com/12/shredder.html

GL - Do you love doing live performances?
TGK - YES!!! THE GREAT KAT’S LIVE PERFORMANCE IS CALLED “THE SHRED SHOW” and features the CRAZY GUITAR SHREDDING of The Great Kat, the VIRTUOSO Violin brilliance of The Great Kat AND TOTALLY DEVOTED, OUTRAGEOUS KAT SLAVES who LICK THE GREAT KAT’S GOLDY FEET and BOW To THEIR MISTRESS KAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you want to see THE GREAT KAT LIVE in MEXICO, go to your local THEATERS and DEMAND IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - Let's move on to the "Wagner´s War" record. Was this a particularly challenging album for you to make?
TGK - The Great Kat’s “WAGNER’S WAR” CD came DIRECTLY from the EVENTS of 9/11!!!! The CONCEPT of WAGNER’S “RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES” is the “BATTLE CRY” to WAR!!!!! The song “WAR” was written out of SEVERE RAGE and the song “TERROR” was written in HORROR out of the ATTACK on THE WORLD TRADE CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. “WAGNER’S WAR” Features: ACT I: WAR 1. Wagner’s "The Ride Of The Valkyries" (from the Opera "Die Walkure"). This music is THE DEFINITIVE "BATTLE CRY" to WAR, featuring OPERA SINGERS, THE GREAT KAT’S SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND SHRED BAND!. 2. “War” – HEAVY and BRUTAL ODE to WAR!. 3. “Terror” – “TERROR! HORROR! MURDER!”. ACT II: REVENGE 4. “Punishment” – PUNISHMENT TO TRAITORS!. 5. “Humiliation” – HUMILIATION and REVENGE RIPS through this GUITAR SHREDFEST. ACT III: VICTORY. 6. Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody #2” – The SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and SHRED BAND. 7. Sarasate’s “Zapateado” – THE GREAT KAT'S LIGHTNING-FAST GUITAR TECHNIQUE and DEMONIC VIOLIN VIRTUOSITY SHINE on this INCREDIBLE VIRTUOSIC SHOWSTOPPER! join together in this INSANE version of this famous rhapsody!. Download a MUSIC SAMPLE of “Wagner’s War” CD at The Kat Web Site at www.greatkat.com and PHOTOS from “Wagner’s War” CD at www.greatkat.com/02/wagnerphotos.html

GL - What´s the meaning of this record to you?
TGK - “WAGNER’S WAR” MEANS ANGER AND REVENGE at the BASTARD TERRORISTS who CAME TO MY CITY-NEW YORK CITY-AND ATTACKED AND MURDERED THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - What´s your favorite song from this new record?
TGK - EACH SONG IS A BRILLIANT REPRESENTATION of 9/11 AND THE HORRIFIC EVENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - Have you ever done a song or album that you wish you could go back in time and un-do? If so, which one, and why?
TGK - EVERY GREAT KAT CD AND SONG IS BRILLIANT and REVOLUTIONARY and HAS SET THE STANDARD FOR THE NEW MUSIC OF THE 21st CENTURY!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET WORLD and EVERYTHING IS MOVING FAST and EVERYONE IS THINKING FAST!!!!!!!

GL - What are your thoughts on the state of instrumental guitar these days?
TGK - TOTAL SHREDDING VIRTUOSITY and CLASSICAL GENIUS is the only INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR PLAYING WORTH LISTENING TO.

GL - What do you think about the new crop of talented Guitar player's that are currently out there making music?
TGK - GREAT!!! NOW GET OUT THERE AND SPREAD THE WORD OF THE GREAT KAT'S "SHRED/CLASSICAL" MUSIC TO THE UNINFORMED MASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - When all is said and done, years from now, how would you want people to remember The Great Kat?
TGK - THE GREAT KAT IS THE NEW BEETHOVEN OF THE 21st CENTURY!!!!!!!!!

GL - What will be next for The Great Kat?
TGK - GET READY FOR THE NEW UPCOMING GREAT KAT CD and DIGITAL MUSIC DOWNLOADS, which will include THE GREAT KAT’S INSANE “FLIGHT OF THE BUMBLE-BEE” for GUITAR, VIOLIN and ORCHESTRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GL - And can we expect to see you in Mexico any time soon?
TGK - WHEN ALL MY MEXICAN KAT SLAVES DEMAND to WITNESS THE KAT SHRED SHOW LIVE, then I’ll PERFORM THERE!!!!!!!!!

GL - Is there anything else you would like to share with us that I have not asked?
GO TO THE GREAT KAT WEB SITE at www.greatkat.com, The Great Kat Email: greatkat@greatkat.com and Hotline: 1-800-KAT-9199 or 631-549-7575. THE GREAT KAT IS GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for your time Kat!!, we wish all the best, keep shredding!!!

No olviden visitar www.greatkat.com

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