BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame is home to a group of musicians and individuals who have impacted Western New York and beyond with their talents and performances.
Its Class of 2024 was recently announced, and the names inducted include Phil Aguglia, Anthony Casuccio, Hank D'Amico, The Krew Brothers Band, RiShon Odel, Donna Rose, Tom Russo, Christopher Swist, Jim Yeomans, and Joe Zappo.
Kenmore East band director and inventor of the innovative PaGu batons Phil Aguglia said dedicating time to the craft is important.
“This is an 80 hour a week or 100 hour a week lifestyle, and I'm blessed every day that I get an opportunity to walk through the doors here and have a job,” he said.
2 On Your Side sat with inductee RiShon Odel and asked him how his music career began.
“Well, I started sneaking into my dad's studio. My grandmother introduced me to Liberace. My dad introduced me to like everything else. Violin, I played drums, and my dad took me out I started playing drum gigs on a professional level,” he said.
Grammy-nominated jazz bass player and composer, Odel is multi-skilled musician with a list of accolades.
“When I pick up the bass, it's like nothing else. I don't have to think about anything, it just happens. So, whatever I think, whatever I feel comes right through the instrument,” he said. “Whatever kind of energy you give to me I can put it out. Phil Perry told me one time he said ‘Don't think too hard, it's just music.’ "
For some success in music comes with hard work to perfect their craft, but for some like Odel, music is innate.
“I know a lot of people that were exposed to music, but they had to work for it. Sometimes it's just a natural thing. For me, it just came natural,” he said. “I still have to practice … Sometimes you look at your hands like, 'This is what I want you to do, but you haven't touched me in a while.' ”
His message to the audience, “Support local music … We need it, you need it.”