Friend of greenarrowradio, Desiree Bassett is still making a name for herself and as we know, she can play that git-tar. The 10th-grader at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, CT, is gaining national recognition for her skills. The 15-year-old, who started playing when she was 3, was featured in Guitar Player magazine this past summer. “She’s a true artist in every sense of the word,” her father, Dan Bassett, said. Desiree’, who likes country music, jazz and blues, took guitar lessons from professors at the University of Connecticut, and she now gives lessons to others. She’s currently working on an album with her band, Desiree’ & the Time Machine. “I like to show off what I can do and show people how serious I am about my career,” the 15-year-old says. She played her first full-size guitar at 5, and she won a talent competition when she was 12. At 14, she played side stage at Ozzfest in Hartford. Now she’s 15, and has captured the attention of rock music legends Rik Emmett, Dicky Betts and Joe Satriani. Desiree’ has four major endorsements and her producer is bass player Doug Wimbish from Living Colour. Desiree’ is only the second person ever to sit in and play with Living Colour. The other? Carlos Santana. “Basically, I listen to a lot of music,” Desiree’ said. Satriani is her favorite guitarist, and her favorite singers are Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Celine Dion. (We won’t hold that against her) Desiree’, however, doesn’t let music take up all her time. She also likes to make jewelry, draw, go fishing, swim and jump on her trampoline. She enjoys spending time with her 10-year-old sister, Jessica, and is currently working on her 69th anime/comedy video to post on YouTube with her others. After high school, Desiree’ hopes to go on tour. College is a possibility, and Desiree’s father said both Berklee College of Music in Boston and UConn have shown interest in her. For now, the family is focused on making sure she gets through high school at the same high standard she has established as an honor student. “[Playing guitar] is one of my favorite hobbies; it’s something I’m attached to,” Desiree’ said. “I’m going to keep practicing and focusing on my music and keep writing songs.”
As a guest on greenarrowradio several times, I am sure Desi will be just fine in whatever path she takes.
You can read the entire article published in the Hartford Courant here.
Our friend Desiree!
