I've always looked for ways to inspire people, especially young people, to play guitar. When I first saw Fretlight, I immediately connected with the vision. Today's kids expect technology to help them on their journey, and that's exactly what Fretlight does.
— Orianthi
Santana is the reason I play guitar - I studied his style so much, I actually wore out the video tapes.
Being a female guitar player back in school wasn't great, and I had to change schools so many times. The male drummers and bass players thought it was cool, but male guitar players said, 'It's a guy's thing. You should be doing something else, like playing the harp.'
We kind of grew up in an environment that enabled us to be ourselves.
Working with Michael Jackson was awesome. He was an incredible entertainer, dancer, singer, magician, everything, and he was really sweet, too.
I will literally have a whole pot of coffee to myself.
One of the first country artists I got to work with was Carrie Underwood at the Grammy Awards.
I love singing my own stuff, but I also love being a guitar player. Doing both keeps things interesting.
I've had pigeons, doves, mice. I had a cat, dogs.
I've seen some female players, and they get up there and play an A chord and leave... and it's not a good representation. You can take it seriously and love it as much as a guy loves it, not just to get up there and pose.
I was contacted through MySpace to come and jam out for Michael Jackson. I thought it was a joke. I forwarded it to my manager, and it actually was legitimate, so I went the next day.
So many people have gone through the experience of not feeling good enough.
You have to work hard if you want something, and my parents instilled that into me when I was really young.
I'm half Greek, half Australian.
That's my goal: to inspire more female guitarists out there.
I have, like, 1,000 voice memos on my iPhone.
I just love food and the art of it. There's such an art to being a good chef and the way you present food and the different ingredients you use. It's like music - you get inspiration from different genres. It's the same with art, too.
There's a lot of players I look up to, and I hope that I can be a role model to young female guitar players. Hopefully they can believe in themselves more.
It's a crazy industry. I'm not into the partying, I'm a pretty healthy person.
Everyone has troubles in their life.
To be able to work with my idols is incredible. You learn so much, and they're wonderful as people, too.
I was playing piano at three and started writing songs when I was six or seven, and I've been addicted since then.
In 2007, when I first moved to Los Angeles, I got a call from Prince, and he had been watching my YouTube videos. It was crazy, because I thought it was my friend calling and pretending to be Prince.
You go with what you 'get,' and I get playing the guitar. It's a challenge because it's not an easy instrument to play. There are so many interesting sounds you can make out of it and so many different elements. I dig it.
I have an aquarium full of fish and some Mexican walking fish.
I love all animals. I'm such an animal lover.
I aim to inspire a bunch of female guitar players to get out there and take it seriously and never give up.
Girls are supposed to sing. It's the guys' thing to play the guitar. Crossing the line is kind of like trying to be a male ballerina. But if you work long and hard enough, are really passionate about it, people will finally shut up and listen.
I'm constantly creating and writing.
I was the only kid reading guitar magazines at the back of the classroom.
Getting to write a song with Steve Vai - he was my first support.
I had a teacher at school who told me to take up the harp.
Playing Michael Jackson's memorial service was one of the hardest things to do because it was literally a few days after he had passed, and Kenny Ortega, who was directing it all, was like 'You're gonna come out and sing.' So not only was I completely shaken up, I didn't know how I was gonna get through it.
I'd be a chef if I wasn't a musician, that's for sure.
Christmas time... is about bringing everyone together.
I was called a freak because I was so engrossed in music.
It's a huge honour to be able to get on stage and jam with an icon.
Music's my life, and it always has been.
I'm really into Deepak Chopra and self-help books.
The great thing about country songs is the storytelling.
I like collecting chickens.
I had two roosters at one point ,and that was pretty noisy. Our neighbors didn't like us very much. They would crow at the same time. That's why we had them in soundproof kennels.
My outlook on life is to keep looking up. If you're looking down, you don't see the light. For me, it's all about embracing that and thinking positively.
It's hard to solo when you're walking around, especially when you're in Michael Jackson's presence. There are easier things in life to do.
Growing up, I didn't have a lot of role models - Bonnie Raitt, Lita Ford, Jennifer Batten.
Success has been a gradual thing; it hasn't been overnight. So I appreciate everything and never take it for granted.
I got to jam with Prince, which is amazing.
It was pretty insane to play the Grammy Awards and looking out in the audience and seeing rock royalty - Bono and Paul McCartney. It was crazy.
It's not easy being a female guitar player. You have to believe in yourself.
'Guitar World' is one of my favorite magazines.
