THE TEN with Tim Halperin

Tim Halperin is a singer/songwriter from Omaha, Nebraska who has played with big names such as Jon McLaughlin, Green River Ordinance ….even the Ying Yang Twins! His catchy piano-pop sound has landed him on XM Radio and has gotten him featured artist spots on OurStage.com and AOL Music. It’s no surprise he recently came up with the creative idea to do a Sorority House Tour to help market his music, as Tim is currently finishing up a Marketing degree at TCU. His determination and positive outlook combined with his distinct melodies and smooth voice will help him climb the ladder of the music industry quickly. Keep your eyes peeled people, he’ll be big in no time! Get to know a little more about Tim in this interview…

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How did your musical journey start?
It all started back in first grade when I began taking piano lessons. I have to thank my mom for making sure I practiced every week. I didn’t start moving toward songwriting, however, until I got involved with the worship team at church in middle school and began to find my own style musically.

What’s your songwriting process? What gets you inspired?
Typically I write lyrics first with a rhythm in my head. Then I sit down at the piano to put music to the words. My inspiration comes from personal experiences, relationships, emotions, as well as the experiences of my friends.

Who are your musical influences?
My influences vary widely, but the primary ones that people can hear in my music include: Ben Folds, Coldplay, Elton John, Billy Joel, and the Fray. But I grew up listening to the oldies with my parents and have a wide range of influences from punk-rock to soul.

What are your must-have items while you’re on tour?
My iPod, MacBook, cell phone, sunflower seeds, coffee, journal.

What’s the best concert you’ve been to?
The Coldplay concert in Omaha in November of 2005 on the X&Y Tour. Chris Martin and the boys were pleasantly surprised with the size and enthusiasm of the crowd and you could tell they appreciated the crowd from the performance. It was one of those amazing experiences that leaves everybody happy at the end.

What’s your musical guilty pleasure?
Third Eye Blind. People don’t understand how amazing their music is because most have only heard their radio hits. Songs like “Motorcycle Drive By”, “Forget Myself”, and “Blinded” have rocked my world.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen/experienced on tour?
We played an outdoor show in Waco a few weeks ago on Valentines Day and it was literally about 30 degrees outside. The guitarists couldn’t feel their fingers and in the videos from the event, you can see my breath when I sing. That was no doubt the coldest show I’ve ever played. But the great thing was that we still had a great turnout.

If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you’d be doing?
Well I’m going to graduate in May with a Bachelor degree in Marketing, so I would probably do marketing or advertising work. But the hope is to do music.

In your next life you come back as a kitchen utensil…what are you?
Oh there is no question that I will be a salt shaker (if that is considered a utensil). I love salt.

What are your upcoming plans? More tour dates or studio time?
We’ve got a bunch of shows coming up over the next couple of months starting with the House of Blues in Dallas this Friday. After graduation, I’m doing a Midwest tour in May starting in my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Then the hope is to tour and build up a budget to record a full-length album.

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Make sure you go download Tim’s EP Make or Break for FREE on NoiseTrade.com by clicking here. You can also keep up with Tim on his Twitter, Website and Myspace!