A prolific cuss, Serviolo spends nearly every waking hour at music's beck and call, whether he's composing it, performing it, promoting it or even teaching it. Once a student of Jeff Froyd's (formerly of the Young Weasels and the Del Fuegos), Serviolo implements theories designed by the Berklee School of Music to teach roughly fifteen young students in the metro area.
"I don't really like to go below a twelve-year-old," he says. "I'm willing to teach them Green Day and Blink-182 and all that stuff, just because they're into it. I want them to like the instrument. Then they can expand from there and start getting more technical. The other thing about my teaching is that I go to people's houses. I charge more. But I do that.
John Johnston
The wizard of IZ: Guitarist, composer and teacher Michael Serviolo.
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"Teaching is the thing that I like to do more than anything else," he adds. "I'm dealing with kids, and they're excited to learn how to play guitar. They learn how to play a song that they like by whatever band they're into. It makes me feel really good."
Serviolo is less enthusiastic when it comes to the sloppy lifestyles that rock musicians maintain in general, and without prompting or naming names, he suddenly launches into a scathing sermon in the name of sobriety. "People underestimate how hard a skill music is," he says. "It's a trade. It bothers me that musicians are looked at no better than janitors. The problem is that they act no better than janitors on occasion, too. You know, they're out there, drunk. I'm so fuckin' tired of people who do drugs. Musicians, especially. I've had a lot of friends who were junkies. They insist on living that lifestyle. It's almost like it's mandatory, like it's in the rule book. Like you can't be creative -- which is bullshit. You're either creative or you're not.
"By the time I was 25, I quit doing everything," he continues. "I drink, like, once a year. I'm actually pretty militant about it. Rock and roll is really bad for your health. It's hard enough just playing loud music and lifting gear. Then you throw in alcohol and fucking chicks with herpes. If you do the full lifestyle, it just ends up ruining you. I always respected the straight-edge movement when I was into hardcore, because I thought it had potential even though it was preachy. If kids were into politics and sober, they could really change the world."
Until that happens, Serviolo can concentrate on his own clearheaded creations -- and try to avoid the countless charlatans that infest the music business. "Every time I do something, I have to ask myself if I want to do it," he says. "Sometimes the debate gets pretty heated. Once I get past the cynical point, I see the things that I can do. If I choose to, I can put out a record. And if I want to, I can play shows and promote them. Now, is the white limo gonna pull up with a bucket full of money?
"Probably not," he says. "And even if it does, maybe I should run the other way."
