I'm the guy who's been making those Metal/Christmas mashup songs. My name is Aaron. AMA!

How does it feel to be the biggest musical sensation to come out of Wootton High School since OAR?

(side note - I was in Ingram's chamber choir with your older brother. It is SUPER cool to see you go viral like this, it's well earned!)

I'm where I am because of Ingram and Wootton's music program. I owe so, so much to her. She and my middle school music teacher are some of the most influential people I ever had in my life. But of course, being in chambers with her, you know exactly what a beast she really is. Ingram gave me so many opportunities as a performer and provided me with so many tools to grow as a musician that theres nothing I could ever do to properly thank her. Her and I are co workers now!

Which artist taught you the most through their music?

My middle school and high school music teachers. They exposed me to SO much possibility on what can be done with music.

Your music is fantastic, are you in any bands that we can check out? Also side note, who influenced you?

Thanks! I've worked with a band called Lithium Dawn for many years. It's a prog metal band with heavy influences from things like Tool, Korn, Messugah, etc. I provide things like keyboard, orchestrations, background vox, and some random instruments. You can find our stuff at https://lithiumdawn.bandcamp.com/

And I've had toooons of influences. Im classically trained with a BM and MM in music composition, so thats where the bulk of my influence comes from. But my MAIN influences are from the amazing music teachers I had while I was growing up. They helped shaped me into the person I am today.

So yeah, not a huuuugenfan of the Christmas stuff. Just a personal preference. However, Lithium Dawn is on point for me. Thanks for providing that. Gonna add that to some playlists.

Thank you! Whatever your preference! Happy to have your support!

I just subscribed to your channel, especially freak on a leash- awesome! Do you know the band Haim?

Thank you! I know of them but haven't ever really checked them out. I can add it to my list!

Wow small world! I know Lithium Dawn because I went to high school with one of the members. Awesome stuff!

That's awesome! Thanks!

Yeeeaahh bandcamp is the best and easyist page to upload and view music

Agreed, it's very direct and straight forward

Since you teach Music, is YouTube your creative outlet?

It is! I'm lucky enough that I have a job that supports me financially (health insurance, pension, etc) but at the same time I have a way that I can still do all the things I want to do musically. Even if my career isn't being a youtuber, I can still create what I want while knowing I can pay my bills by teaching music.

I’m a firm believer that if you do what you love for a living then what you love just becomes work. I’ve always enjoyed keeping work and play separate rather than combined.

How do you find (and I’m not sure the technical term here) lyrical syllabic stanzas? that fit in the melodic/rhythmic sequences. Like Tool is known for their syncopated lyrics & rhythm, and All I want for Christmas is clearly traditional (though faster than 2/4 I think) on beat rhythm.

I’m not even sure if my question makes sense, but hopefully.

I agree with that sentiment as well! For the lyrical rhythms, its all trial and error. Thankfully, Sober is a verrrry simple song in terms of Tools normal repertoire. So like the verse and prechorus lined up beautifully, but the chorus definitely took some trial and error to see what would be shaped best.

Just watched this and it was amazing! You sound so much like Maynard :D have you sent it to Tool and Mariah Carey yet? Would love to get their reaction as well!

Thank you! I've tagged Tool on insta and Twitter but no responses. Aa far as Mariah, I'm honestly a little worried about her seeing it because I know she loves her ownership of that song. But man, having Tool get a kick out of it would be insane.

My (non-expert) understanding is that parody cover licencing is actually pretty permissive.

Yes but the tricky part is I'm using 2 songs and it is a pretty direct cover. It definitely has some grey area that needs to be paid very close attention to. The last thing I want to do is get on the bad side of the copyright holders when this was purely for fun!

What's the plan now? I always wondered what happens when someone's channel starts to take off. Are people reaching out (trying to get a piece of your success...) to try and help/ capitalize? Can you see this becoming a good revenue stream for you?

Now that is a very good question. This whole thing has happened so fast that I'm still navigating WHAT it is this is going to become. I've spent years trying to develop my brand, be it composing, performing, arranging, teaching, etc. and I've always wondered what will the move be when lightning strikes. To be honest, I just don't know! I would love to have the channel take off to a point where I can become financially stable from it. I would love to have some high up people see it and go "hey this guy might be great for X" or something along those lines. I want this to be a way into showing people what I'm capable of along with all my versatility, because I love what I do and I'm extremely passionate about it. I'd say the hardest part is navigating the licensing rights to perform these songs, especially when it comes to monetizing.

BUT, this last week has inspired me to start building some albums to sell, like a Metal Christmas album for next year. Thankfully, these don't take me long to make so I want to give the people what they want.

If you threw up a Patreon page, I'd love to help fund that project.

Once I formulate everything and come up with a plan to make it happen, I'll make an announcement for one if its going to need a budget outside of what I can afford. So if you sign up for my mailing list on my website, you will get all that updated info. Thank you!

Will do! I wouldn't say I'm a Christmas music fan, but I've been excitedly showing everyone I can your songs. Thank you!

Aww thank you so much!

I would buy and listen to the hell out of that! Subscribed to your channel and love it. Seriously would never know Sober was written with those lyrics. Very well done man. Impressive!

Thank you very much!!

Your Sober/All I Want for Xmas will be going in my holiday playlist. Where can I purchase it from so you can see some scratch for your efforts?

Currently there is nothing for sale, but you're welcome to play it as many times as you want! This all happened so fast that I haven't had time to secure the rights to sell this music since it's not mine. But I am seriously looking into how to make it happen. If you sign up for my website mailing list, I'll be updating people with when and how they can make purchases.

You nailed Maynard's vocal sound. Keep up the great work!

Thank you!

Let me also say in here that you are all amazing people. I don't know if you've been told this today, but you are doing a wonderful job surviving and the fact that you're even able to be here and read this today proves that you have persevered this last year. I'm grateful every single one of you is still with us and you are loved.

Any mashup you thought could align but just couldn't make work?

Realistically, the rest of War Pigs! I got soooo many people asking for a full length, and while I've seen some other people do a full length parody of the song, I felt like anything past what I made for it just didn't work and felt forced.

Maybe do it as a medley? A bunch of Christmas classics? For example, I think the next verse of war pigs works well with "God rest ye merry gentlemen"

Thats actually a FANTASTIC idea and I will fully credit you for the idea when its realized! I love it!!

Love your War Pigs!

Love you!

Thanks!

What other mashups can we expect in the near future?

Well you will just have to wait and see!

But in reality I don't know yet! The Black Sabbath, Korn, and Tool ones were literally thought of all within the last 6 days. I've just been creating them as I think of them. But I don't plan on stopping!

Hey Aaron! First of all, you're insanely talented! I'm a huge tool fan and really appreciate how flawlessly you can play all the different parts of the songs. How difficult is it to sync up all your clips? Do you ever find yourself recording the same part over and over because it barely doesn't line up with the rest? Thank you for the AMA!

Thank you so much! That means a lot to see its appreciated. Syncing isn't that hard actually. I always record every part all the way through so that way every clip is the same length. It makes it so much easier to edit the video because I can chop things up and know they're already synced up. And absolutely. There are always parts that can be an absolute nightmare to record. Recording the vocals to the chorus of Freak on a Leash took several hours. I had to wait until I ruined my voice for the day to finally get that proper Jonathan Davis growl. That and drums can be a pain because I'm not the best drummer and I really try my best to not rely on quantizing the beats so I don't feel like I'm cheating when I'm actually playing the parts.

How can the public best support you and others in the music and performing arts industry that you know, whose livelihood are affected by the pandemic at this time?

FANTASTIC question. I am lucky enough that I have a job as a public school teacher, so I have not had to be as affected by the collapse of the music industry that so many of my friends have had to bear.

What most people don't realize is even when this pandemic is over, most of these musicians are not going to have any venues to go back to. They're all folding. They can't afford to stay open. Live music is essentially on the brink of total collapse. When the pandemic started, most clubs/venues knew they could comfortably get by for 6 months. That was nearly 6 months ago, and it's still not ending. So to answer your question, what can you do?

Follow the musicians/bands you love. Contribute to their campaigns. They live to make music for their audience, and often that can't happen unless they have the resources to make it happen. Recording and producing music gets VERY expensive VERY quickly. So if you see one is doing a livestream show, throw some bucks to their venmo. If they're selling gear, buy a T-shirt. If they're running a kickstarter for an album, throw them $10. Just seeing that it takes a whole village will help us all get through it. People need the arts more than ever.

Thanks for the thoughtful response! I often used to overlook the electronic ways to help but now see how important it is to be there for our artists virtually. I really can’t imagine life without music and the arts once things regain normalcy. But this might be the new normal for a while. I will do my part in looking out and spreading word for the musicians and entertainers that just need a boost!

Thank you. The arts is often so undervalued, but really it's the soul of our cultures. Music isn't something you physically hold, it's fleeting. Once you hear it, it's gone, not to be heard again until you choose. It's so easy to overlook it for other things, but when you rip it away from people, you see how much of a profound affect it can have on them. Of course I am biased, but always support the arts!

How does it feel being a goddamn legend?

Man I tell you, you have no idea what minute 12 in the 15 minutes of fame feels like.

I'd imagine its something like "I only have 3 minutes left! Do I do something crazy and go for overtime?"

Honestly though I'd personally be like "shit, I hope nobody recognizes me at the grocery store."

Actually the opposite. The flattery of being recognized in public once I feel would be a really fun story....but masks make it that much harder.

Did you do the Mariah Carey Marilyn Manson one? Because for two years now that has been my go-to Christmas song in the car. One of the best mashups ever.

I did not! I did the Mariah Carey/Tool mashup, but that sounds like an interesting one to check out!

I have a bunch of questions, if you would so kindly indulge :)

1. How long does it take to create a mashup and then record it?

2. How long does it take to edit the video?

3. Who's your favourite classical composer and modern day band/singer?

4. Since you play violin too, do you follow TwoSet Violin?

5. Will you do mashups of classical music and rock/pop music?

6. Is your fiancee into music too? :)

Happy to answer!

1. The ones I posted this week are all made within 2 days. Its usually 1 day to record and then another to film/edit to produce the film.

2. Editing takes a couple hours. I've done enough videos that I have a format I usually stick to, so its just a matter of my computer processing everything well. I typically make it then come back to it the next day to look for any little details I may have missed the day before.

3. Shostakovich, hands down. His music just transcends to another level. You know exactly where his head was for every piece and you can just hear the pain and suffering he endured in his life under Stalin. The 4th, 10th, and 11th symphony are some of my all time favorite pieces of music. Modern day band one of my all time favorites is Shpongle/Simon Posford. Dude is an absolute genius with music production and to me has solidified himself as a true modernistic composer through electronic means. Tales of the Inexpressible is one of the most incredible electronic albums I think of all time.

4. I don't follow them, but I still love the violin. My violin is a family heirloom from my great great grandfather. I had it restored back in 2014 after it had been out of commission for nearly 100 years.

5. I'm researching it now actually! Now that the holidays are over, I want to see how far I can push these mashups. What genres blend with what and how my creativity can be tested. Classical and rock go hand in hand!

6. She is a nurse, but she is my incredibly strong support system. She loves to dance when I perform and is an avid music lover, so I am very lucky for that!

Hey Aaron. Thanks for using your talent to spread joy and turn bad videos good. If you never had to make money and you could do anything you wanted every day...what would you do?

And thank YOU for enjoying them! I would spend all my days writing and performing. I love performing for people. I love being able to bring people joy and make them smile. People need it so, so badly right now. People wonder so much what they can do to help people during this time. I think my way has been trying to find people a reason to smile. We all need each other now more than ever, and if my contribution can be bringing someone 3 minutes of making the world seem less-sucky, then I consider myself a success.

What songs are you planning on making in the near future?

Whatever pops into my head! Never know when the inspiration is going to hit. These ideas just hit me out of nowhere and I immediately jump up and make them as they come. So your guess is as good as mine!

Totally random, and maybe not your style, but I bet you'd make a killer version of almost any Steam Powered Giraffe song.

Also, I have a feeling if you reach out to them they'd be able to give you some tips on navigating the youtube world too, since they've done covers and posted monetized music videos as well.

Thanks for the advise! I'll definitely reach out to them!!

Which artist/band would you most like to see live, but haven't been able to yet (for whatever reason)?

Mine would be Therion. Great band, I recommend Vovin album if you don't already know them. Admittedly with a mix of classical orchestral, choir ensemble, and metal, it's not to everyones tastes :)

I just adored your "Judgment Is Executed" video. So creative and skillful!

One of my biggest regrets in my musical life is I never got to see Linkin Park live. Chester was one of my idols growing up and I hate that I will never have the chance to see him do what he did best. Most of the things on my list are classical pieces I haven't gotten to see live yet because of the infrequency of their programming! I would give anything to see John Corigliano's Circus Maximus.

My name is also Aaron. My question for you is how often do you get called A-A-ron?

By everyone who thinks I've never heard it before and think they're being funny by thinking it's original.

As somehow with zero musical talent I’ve always wondered how do you manage to practice all those instruments and vocals and absolutely kill it.

Do you do anything besides focus on music?

Talent is 90% practice and dedication! Its been a slow process over literal decades to get to the level of proficiency I have now. Everyone starts off as a beginner, it just takes time!

And besides music? I watch way, way too much 90 Day Fiancé. But I love to cook. I spend hours in the kitchen every day making as many meals from scratch as I can. I like to think of it as composing with food instead of music! The main secret for cooking; if you think you have enough garlic, you still don't have enough garlic.

That’s incredibly enlightening, thanks man! I love your work!

Also, thanks for the tip on cooking , and garlic. I’ll never forget that

Thank you so much!

Bring me my bag with my MAKEUP!!!!

All who is against the queen will DIE

what do you think about copyright law?

It hasn't been updated in 50 years and is in serious need of massive review. Copyright Law was written in the 70s and has had no major substantial revisions even with the dawn of the internet. Artists should absolutely be paid for their content, but the system of how its done needs to be completely rewritten.

What's the typical order of laying down tracks -- drums, bass, guitar, then vox? How do you keep playback sound from leaking into the recording when not using headphones?

It depends on the track, but vocals are usually dead last. Since the other instruments are direct input and not mic'd, I can play along with the other tracks with my speakers and not have it interfere with the rest of the recording. Or sometimes, like for vocals. I'll lip sync over what I already recorded and line it up later, but im always singing along with what I do.

Hey I really like what you're doing also: what's your favorite pasta?

Hey, I really like you as a person. My favorite would be a specific type of udon. My favorite food is a spicy tofu mixed noodles, which uses these wide, thick udon-like noodles that give you that extra slurp.

Did you check out the Pittsburgh band Sleigher? They've been doing War Pigs/Deck the Halls for years, along with quite a few other Christmas/Metal mashups.

I haven't but I definitely will now!

Hi Aaron, you rock!

What does your workflow look like?

Do you time the vocals out on your fingers, like how I make haikus?

Hi, YOU rock! I usually open up a template in Logic Pro that has my tracks ready for recording rock. I start by tracking the guitars then the bass/drums. Vocals are always last. Then after tracking, I start to colorize things and adjust my mix, but I honestly do very, very little in terms of mixing these. I try to go as raw and organic as possible, unless I'm working on something very genre-specific like sequencing orchetsral music.

For the vocals, I just try to replicate the rhythmic patterns and see what inflections work. So many songs haven't worked out because even if their rhythms match up, the physical lyrics may provide awkward inflections in the music.

As you're doing all the parts/instruments yourself, which do you record first, and do you combine them as you go to play along with?

It depends on what kind of track I'm making. For these mashups, I started with the guitars, which I record in quadruple (2 main sounds but each doubled with a L R hard pan). Then I record the drums so I have the exact template and format of the songs. Vocals are usually last as everything else needs to be set up as a solid foundation before I sing over top of it.

Do you use tabs or are you able to figure songs out by ear?

I have a couple degrees in music composition, so I pride myself on my ear. I typically go mostly by ear expect when it comes to bass. Often times bass is so low in a mix that it can be hard to really differentiate the exact notes in a riff without just relying on the root of the chords.

Will you leave teaching if your YT becomes bigger?

I have no idea what would happen in that case. Being a teacher gives me stability, retirement options, health insurance...you know, grown-up stuff. But at the same time, it would be an amazing feeling to know I am fully supporting myself off my creativity. It's definitely a question I would have no idea how to answer should it ever have to be presented to me. I love my students and I know they need me. So it's not an easy thing to think about!

I think teaching is still supporting yourself off your creativity, it's just a different way of sharing it!

My son doesn't seem too musically inclined (gets that from me!) but absolutely adores his music teacher at school; someone who seems larger than life, seemingly can play any instrument, sing any song, and just be such a huge source of joy for the kids. The yearly Christmas and end-of-year shows are absolutely amazing, with international influences in the songs, unexpected mashups and just drawing out all that creativity and ability from the kids.

I'm sure your students love you too, and I hope you work somewhere where the music department is decently funded! I grew up in schools without a music program at all, and it's such a loss (maybe I would have learned to at least be able to tap my foot to a basic rhythm...!)

I really enjoy your work, keep it up!

Thank you so much! I hope your son's music teacher translates that creativity into support for the student, which it sounds like they do. I have no doubt they will be a major influence on them. The best music teachers make it fun and accessible! I'm in a Title 1 school, which does get priority on funding certain things, but it is certainly limiting. I work with what I have and it just forces me to get even more creative for what I want to accomplish. Make sure your son thanks his teacher for what he does! Those little messages of thanks from the students really mean everything to us and make it all worth it to see that we're making a difference.

Not so much a question but a thank you. A friend of mine was a huge Ozzy fan. He died of brain cancer a few years back. Saw the war Pigs mashup and made me think of him.

How was your Christmas?

I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Im sure he was a friggin legend.

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful Christmas with my fiancée. We both got each other numerous 90 Day Fiancé swag which was amazing. Spent the day in our PJs watching A Christmas Story on repeat for 24 hours and had some nice frozen pizza for dinner. I hope yours was safe and wonderful as well!

I know how to edit songs but i dont have any creativity to make one myself. Like nothing, zero, nada. Best i can do is take someone elses and make a remix. Wanna give me tips on what should i do? :P

Whatever your instrument is, just sit down, hit record, and start playing. My best ideas come to me when I'm improvising. There is no golden ticket answer to creativity. The best solution to it is to just force yourself to try. Every time you do it, you'll get a little better and try something you didn't before. Its a slow process but it gets results. So just START. Its okay if its bad initially, not everything you make has to be amazing. You can write something bad to move onto something good!

Do you still have your Serj Tankian covers? I liked those.

Oh man I haven't thought about those in YEARS. they're probably buried somewhere on an old YouTube account. I should definitely cover some of his stuff. Elect the Dead and Imperfect Harmonies are some of my favorite albums.

I thought that was you. Also, what do you think of Harakiri?

Thats hilarious! I wasn't a huge fan of Harakiri, but Serj has always been a musical hero of mine. Hes accomplished everything ive ever wanted to as a musician. Rockstar, symphonic composer, film composer, composer of musicals, its just amazing what he's been able to do to continually propel his career.

I don't mean to be a killjoy, but someone(s) did this last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDU_QIJDytU

I fully recognize the Deck the Halls has been attempted before, but im super proud of figuring out thr Tool and Mariah Carey because I found absolutely no one who had done that one before.

Dude that Freak On A Leash one was amazing, how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

Thanks! It was really just a random thought that just hit that I did a little trial of before I realized how well it would fit. Its hard to describe how I thought of it, it just kind of clicked and I just rolled with it to see what would happen. I won't lie, I was laughing my head off when I was listening back to it while I was developing it because of how ridiculous it is.

It surely is ridiculous, but it’s pretty fascinating how well it all fit together.

Mind if I ask what you do to keep your voice in healthy shape or what vocal warm ups and excises you do before recording?

Years and years of training and practice to develop my technique and not reaching into realms I know my voice isn't capable of. Really focusing on your full body support and listening to what it wants. Constantly listening to your own recordings and being hyper critical of parts where you hear improvements are needed. A good vocal coach is critically vital to setting you on the path to how you continue to grow on your own as a singer. So much of it is trial and error.

Since how long do you practice music?

I started taking piano lessons when I was 4 and guitar when I was 8. I've been singing all my life. I've always had a drive to learn as many instruments as I can so I can create what I want the way I want it.

Have you ever heard any Christopher Lee music?

Yes an its amazing haha

As you are a teacher. Will you do a project including your class? Like a mash-up/zoom call kind of thing?

I'm working on them building a song for a virtual choir but it is such an undertaking. The technological limitations make it very hard and then there's the legality issues of showing the kids faces. But its absolutely something I am actively working on throughout this school year!

Has the Key & Peele sketch, A-A-Ron, affected your life in any way?

The "I'm sorry Miss Jackson" song brought out so many people that thought they were clever saying it to me constantly...

Only when people say it to me every time they say my name

Every time I listen to Jingle Bells I imagine someone doing a metal version that makes good use of the repurposed line "what fun it is to laugh and sing a SLAYING song tonight!" Have you done this? Has anyone else?

Not yet! I'm in the process of figuring out what song would work best for Jingle Bells now actually. Im sure there's a perfect one out there waiting to be discovered.

Care to take a whack at Pop Punk x Hip Hop mashups for all of us weirdos who are into that sort of thing? 😂

Now that the holidays are over, I'm definitely going to be exploring different kinds of mashups across different genres, so definitely keep an eye out for it!

Have you run into any licensing issues once you got past a certain number of views or downloads?

Thankfully no, at least not yet. The War Pigs video now has ads on it without my control. So I'm assuming the copyright owner claimed it and now the ad revenue is going towards them. As of this morning my channel reached enough view hours to start monetizing, but cover songs makes it tricky. I haven't sold anything yet so no one has come after me and im doing my best to obtain licenses for the songs in order to sell them/set them for streaming later.

That could also just be YouTube being a dick. They changed their ToS recently saying that they can add adverts to videos that aren't partnered to just keep the money for themselves.

It wouldn't surprise me. I'd love to talk to some big name YouTubers about their processes and how they've navigated through all of it while their channels have grown.

There are a few subreddits devoted to YouTube and creators. You can post over there and probably get some insight.

/r/youtube /r/youtuber

I have zero experience, but searching around there and the web I think the rule of thumb is "get an attorney, copyright is complicated".

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I'm sensing thats kinda the general concensus

Any chance you’ll do some Hardcore for influenced mashups? Some gang vocals would be amazing! If you could figure out a way to mashup Hatebreed’s Destroy Everything with maybe Hall and Oates or Journey that would make 2021 something to look forward to! Keep rocking out man! \m/

I will take any and all suggestions everyone has! Those are good ideas I'll definietly consider. I'm open to it all!

These have been a highlight this year. Really great idea! Will you show the vsts and settings used for some if these?

Aww thank you! I've actuality been thinking about doing a video showing the production process! I've been a little hesitant because I've been unsure about how many people would even care, but it could be fun to do so people can see how simple it can really be.

Wow, 12 hours after you posted this you're still replying to folks. Good on you! I think a lot of people would be interested in how to make good sounding music. Everyone is making something nowadays on their own computer and hoping to sound a fraction as good quality and you.

I sincerely appreciate the compliment. No matter how much I record, I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm happy to hear the quality really comes through well. Im going to look into doing an explanatory video!

Are you the trans Siberian orchestra guy?

I am not but they are absolutely beasts at what they do

Do you have a subscribe page?

If you go to those youtube links, that's my channel. You can also sign up for my mailing list for updates at www.aarongagemusic.com !

How do you get that power in your upper range like Maynard does?? I can sometimes pull it off but I know I’m not using the proper technique as my vocal chords get fatigued very quickly.

You just answered your own question! Proper technique! I've studied voice for 2 decades and I've spent YEARS adapting the style of classical singing technique to translate into more modern styles. Him and I have similar timbres in our voices so his style comes more naturally to me. Main point though, support your tone through your diaphragm! Push it out with those stomach muscles and don't rely on your vocal cords for the power. They're only there for the sound, not the power.

Why are you so fucking full of yourself that you assume everyone will "probably" recognize you from whatever shit YouTube crap you've been putting out? No one cares. You aren't that important. Focus on real music, not heavy metal garbage!

If you don't like the heavy metal garbage, I have plenty of other genre music you may enjoy. Im sorry you have so much anger in you, just know I still love you

My wife wants to know, What inspired the Mariah Carey cover in that style? Were you listening to Sober on your headphones while Christmas shopping and realized "these songs fit together"?

I was sitting on the couch watching 90 Day Fiancé while eating a 30 cent ramen thinking about the Mariah. I was just scrolling through a list of songs in my head singing the Christmas lyrics along with them until I got to Tool. I had a "...wait..wait a minute. Oh.....oh my god...OH MY GOD". So I went downstairs and immediatly got to work. I looked it up to see if it had ever been done and couldn't find anything, so I felt really confident about it hitting people hard. And I'm so glad it did because the outpouring of love has been incredible and all I want to do is reciprocate it.

Which bands inspired you to do music??

My biggest 3 influences growing up in terms of bands were SOAD, Linkin Park and Korn. I've also always been a huge classical person so Beethoven, Bartok, and Bach were my 3 biggest classical musicians.

How often do people spell it as Aarron?

I think that's the first time I've ever seen it.

How do you make a living? Is it music related? You seem to have a lot of nice instruments and music creation tools.

My day job is a middle school music teacher. I've acquired the instruments slowly over many years. Either from buying them, having them gifted, inheriting them, etc. So thankfully yes, my real job is music related! I get to blow kids minds by showing them how people like Beethoven and Shostakovich were the metal rock stars of their day.

Definitely seem like the kind of music teacher kids are lucky to have. Keep up the fun creative work. One of my favorite parts of the internet age is that it’s shown kids that music can have lots of applications besides simply pursuing traditional music careers. I bet they love seeing these.

Ps did you pick an Ibanez to play your Korn song?

I'm lucky to teach them. Its a Title 1 school, so I know I am doing my part. If I can get them excited about music and want to explore it even in the slightest capacity, I've done my job. Im not out to make well-rounded musicians, I'm out to make well-rounded people.

And funny you ask, I've actually had that 7 string for about 15 years. But I actually got it BECAUSE of Korn. Its not a K7, but I still love it dearly.

Have you ever tried to work with frog leap?

I have not!

What prompted u into doing the mashups?

Honestly? My friend had texted our group chat jokingly saying Deck the Halls and War Pigs, not knowing I'd take it seriously. But once I heard the idea, I went downstairs and threw together that 1 minute clip in about 2 hours with the intention of posting it as a fun clip on instagram/tiktok. I had NO idea it would explode into millions of views. So for the original mashup thought, my friend AJ gets the credit. I've been doing cover videos for years but that was the spark that started the mashups.

What is your vocal range?

How many instruments can you play?

How are you not YT famous yet? (My partner asked that on Twitter as well)

On a good day, I sing Eb2 to A6. That's after maaaassive amounts of warming up.

While I'm not an absolute beast at all of them, I play piano, cello, violin, viola, bass, guitar, drums, steelpan, and didgeridoo.

And I'm working on it! Really, I just make the content I want and I think people will enjoy and just see what sticks. I put a lot of effort into my music so it's my hope people will see it and enjoy it too. I guess it's not really up to me what people watch or what the algorithms want!

Thank you so much for what you do, it’s amazing and you’re like a modern Freddie Mercury. Would love to hear you do some Queen

Thank you! I've been thinking about tackling some Queen as a cover. I do livestreams on my YouTube about once a week where it's a request show, and I usually end up doing a ton of Queen in them. If you sub the channel, you'll get notices for when I schedule them!

Hey Aaron. Sup?

Nmjc, u?

Do you look for songs in the same key to mashup or do you transpose them to match up in a certain way?

With the mashups I've done so far, the keys have actually been irrelevant since all I'm doing is focusing on the rhythmic similarities between the songs.

I played your Sober/All I Want for Christmas mashup for my sister on Christmas. I loved how well they for each other. I'm also a fan of Frog Leap Studios, who do metal covers of popular songs.

I noticed in your video you have a ton of instruments. How many are you proficient with?

Oh nice! Glad you enjoyed it! People often say the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" but people often forget that the entire phrase is "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one". So I've always tried to hold that. I don't have to be the best at every instrument, but I've always had this drive to learn as many as I can so I can understand it better and create what I want from it. I currently sing, piano, guitar, bass, drums, cello, violin, viola, didgeridoo, and steelpan.

Are you going to put out a Xmas album of these brilliant mashups?

Because I would pay money for that shit just to see my fam going "wtf?" when I put it on.

With the positive response I've gotten the last week, I want to make it happen. Its going to take some planning, so I'm telling everyone to sign up for my mailing list on my website so I can provide updates on the projects!