November 1996.

Like every night, I was the last person in the house getting ready to sleep.

Minutes before I went to bed, a mysterious desire hit me unexpectedly.

“I want to learn how to play the guitar,” I said to myself.

Weird.

Till that night, I didn’t care about playing music at all.

I was 14 years old.

As a kid, I used to put a vinyl record on the turntable or cassettes from rock bands, such as Scorpions and Deep Purple, and read Jules Verne’s books.

Later, in my early teens, I had a passion for technical drawing, enjoying drawing buildings and interiors.

I was dreaming of becoming an architect one day.

I didn’t imagine myself becoming a rock guitarist.

But that night, that desire hit me so rapidly and powerfully. I couldn’t explain it.

I couldn’t resist.

The next day I made my decision.

I was going to start learning how to play the guitar and, not only that, but I was going to form a rock band too.

And that desire grew more and more day after day.

Some said that being a rock guitarist is not a dream I should follow.

On the other hand, becoming an architect would be a great choice.

More chances for success, better money, and a better life.

I couldn’t relate to such a point of view.

For me, a better life means a happy life doing what makes you happy…

So, when the time came, I decided to study both architecture and music.

Because I really wanted to be an architect.

But music also stole my heart, and I really wanted to become a rock guitarist as well…

Some years later, I made it.

I became both an architect and a professional musician.

I formed my own band, released my own albums, performed live in some of the most beautiful stadiums and theatres, played at the opening act of a Scorpions show here in Greece, the group that accompanied me so many times while reading Verne’s books, played with the legend Uli Jon Roth, with Joe Lynn Turner, jammed with the guitar super hero Steve Vai, made arrangements for the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, took over architectural projects that I love, and many more.

But the most important thing is that I feel happy with my choices.

I feel grateful and blessed.

Unfortunately, every day, many guitar enthusiasts put aside their dream of learning how to express themselves by playing the guitar (for various reasons).

And the years pass. And the dreams wait. And life goes on and on. Until it’s too late…

Exactly like Mr. A, my beloved neighbor who “always would like to learn how to play the guitar” but he never made it…

That’s why I created the UGtrA.Zone.

To help as many guitar enthusiasts as I can to succeed and achieve their music goals.

In my own, architectonic way.

Learn how by clicking the button down below!

Theodore Kalantzakos

Architect, Rock Guitarist
(or Rock Guitarist, Architect 🙂).