Local Musician Inspiring Others To Chase Their Dreams

Zillmere resident Mason Garland is living his dream of being a musician after years of believing he wasn’t talented enough.

After leaving university at the age of 21 to pursue his passion, Mason, now 25, is a member of the alt-punk/alt-left band Unentitled and is offering guitar lessons to aspiring musicians.   

Mason, who goes by he/they pronouns, believes in passing down skills and knowledge, especially to younger generations.

“I think it’s an important aspect of getting older and to continue utilising what you’ve learnt,” Mason said. “I’ve gone through a gruelling process of trial and error. I had to learn how to play guitar, how to write songs, how to manage a band, how to get gigs, do the gigs, recording and releasing music, social media and so much more all at once.

“I don’t think that’s necessary for someone to gain such knowledge and would like to help others acquire that knowledge without having to do what I did.”

Their teaching approach is particularly beneficial for students with ADHD and/or autism, focusing on the why and how of playing music, rather than just teaching songs.

“Simply learning songs from scratch doesn’t really equip you with the tools needed to even play those songs,” Mason said.

“Something as simple as, ‘why do you tune to a particular tuning?’ and how that impacts what chord configurations you need to make to get the sounds you want is so helpful.

“Learning guitar is supposed to be fun, we don’t want you throwing your guitar into the wall and giving up because you don’t think you can just do it like the famous musicians can.”

In addition to teaching guitar, Mason has worked on charity gigs to support organisations like Dreamtime Aroha and the Brisbane Youth Service.

“These events sprung into me starting my own charity gig brand called Rise Up Brissy, which is all about bridging the gap between the local alternative music community and contributing to local community projects that do real work on the ground,” he said.

With Unentitled’s debut album in the works and an upcoming gig at MoonDoll Festival 2024, Mason is living their dream of making music and inspiring others to do the same.

“I grew up as a very quiet child and wasn’t allowed to speak for myself often,” they said. “So, I guess music lets me reclaim and utilise my voice, saying exactly what I want to say.”

To learn more about Mason’s guitar lessons (all ages from 7 years) send a text message to 0475 899 036 or email masonpgarland@gmail.com