Tommy Partin

My name is Thomas Jacob Partin, better known as Tommy. 

I am a self-taught, self-recording/producing multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter/composer. 

I have played guitar and piano since I was 6, sang since about 10, and have been a live performing musician since the age of 11, playing to the patrons of the local bars in bands with my dad and brother, and, later, my younger sister. I am now pursuing a project of my own, and have begun writing and recording original music, as well as offering audio production services for other bands and artists.

Over the 22 years of my short life, I have had some unforgettable times, and gained invaluable music experience. I have experimented with lots of different instruments, but my primary instruments are as follows, in order from most proficient to least:

Electric guitar, nylon acoustic guitar, steel acoustic guitar, electric bass, piano, organ, synthesizer, banjo, percussion, drum kit. My musical tastes and influences vary widely, I like lots of different styles of music. My influences and favorite artists include but are certainly not limited to: Randy Rhoads, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, Pink Floyd, David Gilmour, Van Halen, Django Reinhardt, Aerosmith, Joe Perry, John Hartford, The Beatles, Chet Atkins, Styx, Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore, Boston, Tom Scholz, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, Queen, Brian May, Yes, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Jefferson Airplane, Rush, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Offspring, Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, The Avett Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, The Punch Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, Brad Paisley, Parliament, Funkadelic, Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Coasters, The Five Satins, (countless other bands and artists from the fifties and sixties) Alma Russ, Kick The Robot, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, The Get Right Band, The Colby Deitz Band, and many many more.

I wouldn't say that I'm a spectacular player of any instrument, or even a spectacular vocalist- if asked how "good" I am, my response will probably be "I do okay." or "I can hold my own.", but there are a plethora of players and singers out there who play or sing far better than I ever could.

However, I do have an interesting combination of musical memorization abilities which set me apart from the average musician- they aren't especially rare, but enough to where I am frequently asked.

 Basically, quirk #1 is that I have always been able to precisely remember, audibly identify, and reproduce notes without any pitch reference point. (Often called "perfect" or "absolute" pitch.) Apparently, about one in ten thousand people in the world actually have it.

I can remember the parts in a song very closely after only hearing it one time, usually enough to play it back immediately after, or even during first playback, without practice, even if it's not perfect. (That is, with MUSIC, not words. I am utterly terrible at remembering lyrics!) 

When I say I hardly ever forget a tune, I mean it... I remember countless cheesy theme songs and commercial scores from 12 years ago that aired maybe 10 times, and some are quite... Well... Annoying. 

Yet, they stick in my head vividly and uncontrollably, as if the record grooves were cut into my brain. Of course, I do the usual, less eccentric party trick fare as well, Disney tunes, classics- You name it, and if I've heard it, I can probably play it. This isn't to say that a tune here and there won't go foggy over time, but I do at the very least remember the melodies.

I don't read music- unless I absolutely have to... I CAN read music, and I understand theory well- but I have never practiced using my eyes to play music- it's a very foreign concept to me. I certainly cannot sight-read.

However, as long as I can rely on my ears, I can hold my own as a musician in even the most demanding situations, whether on stage or in the studio.