+
arts & culture
+
KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, FEB. 8, 2016
Aries (March 21-April 19)
One door closes as a new one opens in your professional adventure, with this New Moon in Capricorn. Begin a new career phase. Clean and prepare. Get your ducks in a row. Purpose passion.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Begin a new phase in your education, travels and exploration with this New Moon. Learn through experience. Go to the source. Others give you a boost. Spend on research materials. Team up for success.
Begin a new phase in service, work and health, with tonight's New Moon. With power comes responsibility. Listen to your heart. Faith. Believe in your own abilities. Infuse your work with love.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Begin a family, game and passion phase.
Complete one game and begin a new one,
with this New Moon. A romantic relationship
transforms. Look before leaping. Play
together. It's all for love.
One door closes as another opens in a partnership, with this New Moon. Begin a new phase in your relationship. Realign your collaboration to new priorities. Support each other. Keep your sense of humor.
A turning point arises regarding family finances with this New Moon. Work it out for new possibilities. Together you're more powerful. Close a phase in an account. Make a sack offer. Find the silver lining.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
MUSIC IN FOCUS: University alumnus talks victory in World Air Guitar Championship
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
One domestic phase closes as another begins under this New Moon. Complete the past and invent new possibilities for your family. Adapt your home to suit. Bold decor beautifies the space. Share love and gratitude.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Begin a new phase in friendship, social networks and community under tonight's New Moon. A new stage dawns in a group endeavor. Share what you're learning.
Provide valuable information. Inspire your team. Talk about love.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Transitions mark a new phase in your private plans; with the New Moon. Complete previous projects as you prepare for what's next. Make the changes you've beenwniting. Flug financial flows. Slow down.
Complete old projects and launch new creative works with the New Moon. Begin a new phase in communications, including research, broadcasting, writing, recording and publishing. Get the straight scoop. Learn from somebody you love.
Begin a new personal phase, with tonight's New Moon in your sign. Take advantage of energy and confidence to step into leadership. Use your power for good. Nurture your base. Make an important choice.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb.18)
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Seize a lucrative opportunity. A profitable new phrase with the New Moon. Build support structures before you knock down any walls. Make a change. Go for passion. Try not to break anything.
RYAN MILLER
@Ryanmiller_UDK
Just like Clark Kent, there's a super identity hidden behind mild-mannered Eric Melin, a 2006 University graduate.
Melin, who works as a social media marketer, has built up his own side-resume full of exciting and outlandish activities. These include drumming for various bands, competing on "The World Series of Pop Culture" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," and more recently, becoming the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion.
Arriving in Finland without lodging or money, Melin was able to stay in a hotel room with another Air Guitarist he knew named Doug "The Thunder"
After watching the movie, Melin decided to get involved in the air guitar world. Melin did online research, created a persona ("Mean Melin"), developed a routine, participated in a competition in Kansas City four months later and then went to nationals.
"I'm just constantly looking for opportunities to do really dumb things, as long as they dove-tail with my interests," Melin said.
Over the next few years at nationals, Melin placed; 4th, 3rd, 7th and one year he didn't place at all. When 2013 came around, he was able to progress to the big stage in Finland, albeit in a unique way. Melin was beaten at nationals in Los Angeles, and ended up placing second.
The inspiration for becoming an air guitarist started back in 2009 when Melin watched a documentary called "Air Guitar Nation." The documentary depicts the first year of the US Air Guitar championships, in 2003.
"They have this thing called the Dark Horse competition, where crazy people from all over the world fly in and do this last-minute competition the night before the world championship and have a chance to qualify." Melin said.
"I was beat by a tenth of a point by my arch-rival, 'Lieutenant Facemelter,' who placed one above me every year in nationals, and then did it again to take the title," Melin said.
Faceemelter had previously signed up for the Dark Horse event as a back-up, and offered Melin his place for the last minute qualifier. Three days, $2,300 and a 16-hour-flight later, Melin was in Finland preparing for his last chance at international glory.
However, he said the two were still good friends, and Faceemelter offered him another opportunity.
Stroock, who also went to Finland for the Dark Horse qualifier.
"We became roommates, even though I didn't have any money left. I couldn't pay him or anything, and I was basically relying on free breakfast in the morning at the hotel, and stashing stuff away," Melin said.
When the Dark Horse came, Melin placed first and his newfound roommate, Stroock, placed behind him, qualifying both of them for the World
Minner said that he was excited for Melin after hearing the results.
"Seeing him perform to the song that we worked on together was kind of a different thing, I really enjoyed seeing what he did with the music that we created," Minner said.
Reflecting upon the event and the art of air guitar, Melin said there are a variety of skills every air guitarist needs.
"People want to see it bigger than life, they want to see the air guitar do
English, you have this shared language - air guitar," Melin said.
While in Finland, Melin also found out the bigger meaning of air guitar.
"In Finland, they promote World Peace, that's the whole point of air guitar. It's like if everyone is holding an air guitar, then no one is holding a gun. And so they say, if everybody would stop and air guitar at the same time, then we would have world peace," Melin said.
Before hanging up his
I'm just constantly looking for opportunities to do really dumb things, as long as they dove-tail with my interests." Eric Melin, Air Guitarist
Championship the next day. Their biggest competition would be Facemeltter, and the reigning world champion, Nordic Thunder, from Chicago.
The rules for a performance include a one-minute clip of music, and Melin had a special trick up his sleeve that he'd perfected over the year.
"Because it was my fifth year competing and I still hadn't won it, I still hadn't reached my goal, I wrote a song," he said.
He created the song with an old friend, Doug Minner, who used to play guitar with Melin.
"It ended up being a really fun collaboration," Minner said. "We probably exchanged 50 emails just tweaking it and changing things a little bit at a time until we finally had it to where he felt like he wanted it."
Melin said the song was written with air guitar in mind.
"There's some things in there you normally wouldn't be able to do, because the song was written to be air-guitared to, so the whole thing was conceived as a visual thing," he said.
After his performance, Melin ended up having to face his new roommate in a tie-breaker round, where they received a random song, "Hash Pipe," by Weezer to have an intense air-off too. With his knowledge of the randomized song, Melin was able to pull out a victory.
something that their guitar can't do, because if you're just mimicking playing a guitar, that's not a show. It's about stage presence, it's about larger than life interpretation, it's about getting the crowd excited about you playing absolutely nothing." Melin said.
"So that's how I ended up winning. It was pretty fun, it was an interesting week," Melin said.
One of his favorite aspects of taking part in air guitar is meeting people around the world.
"When you go someplace for something as stupid and ridicu-
Gracie Williams/KANSAN Eric "Mean Melin" Melin shows of his air guitar moves. Melin won the 2013 Air Guitar World Champion title in Finland.
trusty air guitar, Melin returned to Finland in 2014 to defend his world title.
"I defended my title in 2014 and lost. I came in 3rd. A 17-year-old girl from Japan beat me, which was amazing," he said.
Melin retired from the air guitar life after that year, but his involvement with its community only grew bigger. He returned last year as an ambassador, and participated as one of the judges
This year, Melin was
hired to take on the US and World Air Guitar social media accounts and help cover the competition by tweeting, taking pictures. writing press releases and more
"I transitioned into working for the organization now, which is pretty awesome because if they're willing to fly me to Finland every year, I'm totally willing to do what I normally do for my real job," Melin said.
For the competition this year, Melin is hosting the qualifying round in Lawrence for the first time at The Bottleneck on April 22. The US Air Guitar semifinals will be in Kansas City on July 9, where the top three will move onto nationals.
The opportunities don't end in Finland, however. Melin was also hired to join a cruise leaving Miami in a few weeks to do an air guitar contest, the first qualifier of the US Air Guitar season. The cruise will welcome huge acts from the world of rock, like Breaking Benjamin and Zakk Wylde, who was the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne.
Melin said taking up all of the wacky and unique opportunities so far in his life has led to life-changing experiences.
"It's crazy because once you do something ridiculous like this, opportunities just come up every now and then," he said.
Edited by Skylar Rolstad