My New Guitar Solo – Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper)

Alex DePue | October 17, 2019

What’s amazing to me is how, if and when a musician surfaces doing something far away from whatever is his/her “norm” as a musician, and happens to do THAT, TOO, perhaps even better than most who DO do (professionally) whatever it is he/she is now demonstrating publicly for others? WOW, the jealous hatred abound in the air! lol

I’ve had to delete many comments from my latest guitar performance video, left by those who are seemingly at odds about my having a decent video online playing the guitar! lol It’s nothing new… AUDIENCE?! The same lame thing happened whenever I finally posted a little ditty playing the piano a couple years ago! I literally LOST “friends” over that one! lol

So here’s a little secret for all of the haters out there… is that I’ve been playing the guitar since 7th grade, people. SHHH!!!

As soon as my best friend, David McCutcheon, realized how “cool” it might be to actually get GOOD on the guitar?? (vs. the totally uncool violin? lol), that was enough inspiration for me to continue learning my very first guitar solo that day, literally while he waited. By dinner time, I could play the damn solo right along with the recording.

As I practiced that day, and while Dave observed each increasingly better “pass” at the guitar solo heard in Huey Lewis & The News hit song, “If This Is It” (the first guitar solo I ever learned, and without the use of any kind of fancy “slower downer machine” either… all I had back then was a cassette tape player and a rewind button) …and in an effort toward not only becoming proficient enough to strum chords on the guitar for the family band, but also to soon treat the guitar as the “LEAD” instrument I discovered it could ALSO be?! This quickly became my new quest in the 7th grade. The girls my age (in 1986, mind you) just weren’t havin’ it with the violin. The GUITAR, however?? Well WOW did that open up some social doors! lol

Now, before all of my drummer friends wig the *&^ out about the fact that I ALSO play the drums? Can ya just like… keep your negative comments to yourselves? Your comments are embarrassing… not for ME… but for YOU! So I will continue to do you the service of deleting your negative comments, so that you and your fake FB profiles are not perceived by others as coming from a place in your heart of “jealous rage”… lol…

And don’t even make me get out my dusty old clarinet, people… because I can play THAT, TOO! …and I just MIGHT! I kinda get a kick out of watching these haters become so LIVID pissed that they feel it necessary to lash out in my comments section, perhaps to alleviate themselves of their own personal frustrations and insecurities for having never succeeded past the level of “HACK” on ANY particular instrument?? Just… wow, people. Wow.

The human psyche hard at work here online as I watch in utter amazement the effect my performances on other instruments seem to do to the egos of all the haters! Have at it! Right here! Unleash the hatred! Because it feeds my own ego, quite frankly! When any “hater” is inspired enough to verbally demonstrate their insecurity, frustration and hatred on my pages? It keeps me goin’! I LOVE IT.

So, THANK you! (but I’m still deleting your comments lol)

And also, thank you to my buddy, Dave McCutcheon (Paul McCutcheon and Carole McCutcheon) for having been my only cheering section back in the day. 1986 was a horribly challenging year for me, and I’m so thankful for having had that guy in my life… (sigh). Ya know what? I’m going to dedicate the guitar video we posted yesterday, “Time After Time”, in his memory.

For a more concise definition of what Dave McCutcheon added to my life, it is very simple to explain for you. Dave’s answer for me, time after time mind you, was to only keep looking UP. So… to Dave, and also to the One Dave continually suggested would be my answer for any inner conflict I might be up against, or suffering through… I’m going to dedicate this guitar performance to GOD, too… as in Jesus Christ, God, who has already forgiven me for being proficient on other instruments.

The lyrics for “Time After Time” could have just as easily been written for our Father God, and who knows… maybe it was. Only Cyndi Lauper could answer this for us…

And though Dave is no longer here to root for me, believe it or not, I’m still left with some of THE coolest personal friends who have seen me through so many of life’s more humbling obstacles… SO, and while they’re all still on this earth to receive the humble gratefulness… for those who helped me get through what were, without question, the most difficult moments of my young-adult life, I’d like to also thank Dwight Young and Tony Christoff.

You both know what I went through, and endured, to be able in now presenting these humble offerings into the world… I thank you.

Here’s to Dave… and here’s another to all who have been true FRIENDS for me throughout this human condition called “life”. I love you all. -AD

Tagged as acoustic guitar.

Alex DePue

THE FIDDLER — Alex DePue began studying classical violin at age five. He won his first university-level competition at age 10, soloing with the Bowling Green State University Symphony Orchestra, and later (age 14) won a competition which entitled him to a performance at NYC’s Carnegie Hall, serving as Concertmaster under the direction of Joseph Silverstein for the National Guild Youth Symphony Orchestra. He continues to appear as guest soloist with orchestras at music festivals worldwide. Despite decades of intense classical training, Alex became interested in fiddling at age seven, and began competing in “fiddle” contests. He reigned as the Michigan State Fiddling Champion from 1994-1998, won the first-place trophy at the Walnut Valley National Fiddling Championship in Winfield, Kansas in 1999 and 2005, first place in the Halletsville, TX “Gone to Texas National Fiddling Championship” in 2000, first place in the Alabama state fiddle contest in 2006 and 2007, and first place in the California State Fiddle Championship in 2007. Also in 2006, he was deemed, “Fiddle King” in Athens, AL (Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention). Alex served as a judge at the National Oldtime Fiddling Championship (Weiser, ID) in 2008, and in 2010 and 2011, won first place in the Twin Fiddle division while ranking among the Top 10 finalists in the Grand National Championship division. www.fiddlecontest.org Alex toured as Musical Director with Capitol Recording artist Chris Cagle from 2000-2006, with whom he still regularly appears (re-runs) on the Grand Ole Opry, CMT, Great American Country and VH1 Country. Cagle plans a resurgence in July, 2019 (after a 10-year hiatus!) as Headliner for Guthrie’s “River Ruckus”, an outdoor Country Music Festival in Iowa. For more information: www.facebook.com/chriscagle/ From 2007 – 2010, Mr. DePue joined legendary rock guitarist, Steve Vai, for a world tour that took him across North America, South America and Europe. Alex’s YouTube videos are from all parts of the globe, and his #1 YouTube hit (featured for three weeks on YouTube’s home-page), “Owner of a Lonely Heart / Smooth Criminal Medley” for solo violin, ( (Yes and Michael Jackson, respectively) has been viewed worldwide over four million times (re-posting). 2010 continued celebration for Vai’s 2009 DVD release, “Steve Vai: Where the WILD THINGS Are” (a live concert music-movie co-featuring DePue), its Grammy nomination for “Best Live Rock Instrumental Performance” (at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards and Gold Record (award issued to each band/cast member) from the Recording Industry Association of America in recognition of “Gold” sales status in both the US and Canada (Platinum Award from the Canadian Recording Industry Association). Vai and DePue remain close colleagues, and continue to collaborate behind the scenes. Steve Vai is found here: www.vai.com . Throughout his work with Steve Vai, Mr. DePue was introduced to, and then subsequently teamed up with Mexican guitarist, Miguel De Hoyos. Ever since, the duo’s unique international sound garnered interest from elected politicians and officials within the country of Mexico, and their spectacular musical performances have been praised by popular English-written publications; The Gringo Gazette and Baja Times, and more press from US publications (i.e., Kansas City Tribune, Toledo Blade, San Diego Union-Tribune, etc.). Alex and Miguel released their first recording, “Underground Whispers” in 2009 and their most recent recording, “Twisted Strings”, are both available online at www.alexdepue.com . “Alex DePue with Miguel De Hoyos” performed in Rio de Janeiro as special guests for the global launch of “ArtsGames”, an effort to bring the arts back into the International spotlight in conjunction with the Summer Olympics (August 11th, 2016). With the increasingly popular DePue Brothers Band, including all violin-playing DePues, Wallace (former concertmaster, Philadelphia Pops), Jason (1st Vln. Philadelphia Orchestra) and Zachary (former concertmaster, Indianapolis Symphony and founding member of popular string trio “Time For Three”), Alex played on the soundtrack and composed one of the pieces for the Philadelphia Orchestra documentary, “Music from the Inside Out”, and the brothers have also recorded for NFL Films. Alex produced the band’s first album, “Weapons of Grass Construction”, and for over a decade, the DePue Brothers Band continue to tour their Holiday-Season smash show (“DePue Brothers Holiday Concert”) each December, performing cuts from their follow-up album, “When It’s Christmas Time“, also produced by Alex DePue. www.depuebrothersband.com In 2011, Mr. DePue launched “The DePue Brothers’ International Fiddle Competition”, to benefit music programs throughout his hometown (Bowling Green, OH City Schools) and also released his second solo recording, STAGES, on which he is performing all instruments heard. That year, he performed in Chicago to an audience of 40,000 with actor/singer Kevin Costner. In 2015, Alex released yet another solo project entitled, “All 4 1“, focused on the vast array of styles available to the violin, including all genres. Alex’s most popular recording, “The Fiddler“, was his first professional studio effort (1999). His latest studio effort (2018) “Modern Paganini“, has been extolled as one of the greatest fiddle records ever produced. With a background in classical violin, the ability to turn on a dime towards bluegrass fiddling, jazz, rock, and/or any improvisational style available to the instrument, Alex is also fluent on the viola, mandolin, guitar, bass, clarinet, saxophone, drums and piano. Alex DePue maintains a select number of students per year through private online instruction via Skype. If you are serious about studying the violin, please contact: info@alexdepue.com . Aside from extensive touring and teaching, Alex DePue spends an equal amount of time as record producer, working with instrumentalists, song-writers, and singers. With his established OVNI Studio, he will record whatever instruments are needed for your project and send you back the new file within 24 hours. With in-house musicians on call 24/7, OVNI Studios can supply musical composing/arranging/writing services in pre-production, and then track whatever is needed, including vocals, both lead vocal and/or harmonies (male/female, all ranges – Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, and Bass). For more information: info@alexdepue.com .