Bonita News Article

Music Spotlight: Musician seeks to move career to the next level

By Liane Smith

Thursday, June 7, 2007

-- Meet Steve Farst: About a year ago, 34-year-old Steve Farst scaled back his full time job as a health care inspector and his full time gig as a bar musician. "It’s a balance," he says.Farst has played the guitar professionally for 10 years, and has recently been trying to move his career to the next level. Currently, the beach-based musician plays exclusively at The Cottage, on Fort Myers Beach, three times a week.-- Farst’s original music: According to Farst, his original music and lyrics are a bit rock-n-roll, but "inspirational." "It’s just a positive message," Farst said. On June 23, Farst will break away from doing cover songs at The Cottage, to team up with a few other local bands, for an original music concert at Valerie’s Lounge on Fort Myers Beach, at 9 p.m. Other bands will include Ocean Roads and T.J. Kelly and Kerosene. "We’re all promoting each other," Farst said.-- Life before the beach: Farst grew up in Ohio, near Bowling Green, and received a bachelor’s degree in environmental health. "I love it," he said. His father died when he was a teenager due to an industrial accident, which led him to the career path. A year before his father passed away, Farst started playing guitar at age 15. "It was an influential time. I enjoyed a lot of things, but I didn’t have a passion. Right away, I picked up a guitar and just loved it," Farst said.-- It takes courage: "Life is very urgent. If you don’t take action on the things you’re up to... If not now, when?" Farst asks. He explains, finding a balance between the things you love to do and the things that will keep you happy, is a process everyone goes through at different times in their life. "I get excited. What will be the next thing? Will I want to be a banker someday? Everybody has that. I find it really exciting. If I can write music that will inspire people and interrupt that..." During college, Farst says he wasn’t focused on music. He was focused on getting a job. Although he played in a few coffee shops while in school, he went there to get an education and has worked for the Lee County Health Department since graduation. For about two years, he focused squarely on the career he paid for, but then soon got the itch for music again and joined a band. "You just can’t escape it," Farst said.-- Currently: Farst is in the process of picking songs for a CD he’d like to have produced with some of his original songs. Though he has written many, it now comes down to finding those songs with a common thread of inspiration. He wants to skip the step where he tours the country, and hopes the Internet will help spread his music more so than touring. But, if tours are in his future, Farst is game. "I used to be OK with playing for free beer and 50 bucks. It’s knowing the value of what you’re up to. It all ties together," Farst said.-- Last words: "When I focus on being thankful for everything I’m doing, it makes it flow so much easier," Farst says. "Life is really meant to be effortless."

 

 

 

As the summer gets hotter, the music at The Buddha gets cooler, while four very chilled rock groups from around the area look to perform on its stage this Thursday.
The Buddha Bar's Free Concert Series is held every Thursday night, and scheduled to rock Thursday, Aug. 9 is TJ Kelly and Kerosine, Cadence Wednesday, Wonderful Johnson and Steve Farst, all beginning at 10 p.m.
Steve Farst started playing music 16 years ago while growing up in Ohio. "I was always into music and singing, then I just picked up a guitar," he said.
Growing up, Farst enjoyed hair bands like Van Halen. As the 90s rolled in, he became hooked on the Seattle scene, listening to bands such as Pearl Jam.
Seven years later, he's a regular on the Beach and works part time for the Department of Health.He performs a lot of contemporary music such as Jack Johnson, whom he has modeled a lot of his own music after.
"I like the style of music," said Farst. "It's mellow; it's our folk music."
He also writes a lot of music and plays a few of his own songs when performing."Every once in a while someone will come up to me afterwards and say something like 'That's what I really needed tonight,' or something like that; that's when it's all worth it," he said.
It doesn't end on Fort Myers Beach for Steve Farst, who foresees bigger and better venues.