By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
MILFORD — Brothers Jeff
and Travis Bieber of Milford said
they learned how to play music
on their own and have been trying
to master songs together for
several years. However, a couple
of years ago they decided ``just
messing around’’ was not good
enough for them anymore
``We wanted to start a good
band,’’ said Jeff. ``Not that we
were not good, we just wanted
something more real.’’
This was the beginning of a
``wonderful friendship.’’ A group
of Milford teenagers started a
metal band and went by the name
of Altered Mental Status.
Jeff, who said he has played
the drums since the age of 2, said
most of his family is into music so
he and his brother have tunes
running through their blood. He
said he especially remembers
growing up and watching his
grandfather entertain a crowd
while participating in his country
band ``The Driftwoods.’’
Jeff said all the members Altered
Mental Status like all sorts
of different styles of music, but
choose to play metal because the
group feels it can be most creative
with that genre.
When a lot of people think
about metal they believe it is
filled with screaming and bad influences
such as devil worshiping,
said Jeff.
``That is not the case,’’ he said.
``It takes a lot of talent to play
this genre of music. It is one of
the most difficult types of music
to play besides for bluegrass.
Now that takes some major banjo
playing.’’
``I hate the stereotyping,’’ he
continued.
The group started as a four
piece metal band, but now has
five members. Jeff said the newest
member is 17-year-old bassist
Ryan Neighbour. According to
Jeff, Ryan only began playing
with the group a month ago and
is already ``tearing up the stage.’’
He was a natural fit, said Jeff.
Jeff said vocalist Carl Green,
17, used to also play bass. We
thought the band would sound
better if we separated the responsibilities,
said Jeff.
Travis, who is 14, is the youngest
member of the band. He plays
guitar along with Jake Aufmuth,
who is 18 years old.
Although the band started off
with two brothers ``just horsing
around,’’ it has grown into a
group of close friends who are basically
like brothers, according to
Jeff. All of us go to Milford Central
School and have grown up
and hung out together for most of
our lives, said Jeff.
Jeff said as the members of
the band play more and more
with one another, either practicing in the garage at the
Bieber household or performing
on stage, their music
becomes a lot tighter
and clearer.
The goal is to have people
listen to the band’s music
and hopefully they will
like it, said Jeff. We want to
get our name out there, he
continued.
The band has performed
at Northern Lights in Albany,
at MCS, and most
frequently at the Foothills
Performing Arts Center in
Oneonta. They will be playing
there this Saturday at 8
p.m. Admission is $7.
Members of the band
said the group is constantly
writing new songs and are
always looking to perform
more shows. They said they
are planning some performances
in Utica this summer
and hope to organize a
tour for next summer.
``That (scheduling a tour)
is a lot of hard work,’’ said
Jeff.
The boys said they also
plan to create a four-track
demo real soon.
Jeff said once the recording
is done, the track will
have to be copyrighted and
then sent to promotional
companies. Members of the
group said they hope to be
able to sell CDs at their
performances and perhaps
start their very own merchandise
collection.
Members of the band
typically get together to
practice three times a week,
said Jeff. However, he said
if they have an upcoming
show, they try to practice
every day.
To view the Altered
Mental Status MySpace
music page visit myspace.
com/alteredmentalstatus-NY.
