A lot of times we see how young musicians are making the most of the internet by showing off their skills and encouraging others the do the same, creating an entire community of younger players they can lean on and learn from.
It's with that spirit in mind that we'd like to introduce—if you don't know her already—the very talented 9-year-old Maya Neelakantan, young guitarist and massive Tool fan. She's taken on cuts like "7empest" plus a 15-song-medley of Tool tracks in her previous YouTube videos, but, my goodness, has Maya outdone herself this time.
The guitar prodigy has just released a 22-song, 20-plus minute medley of her heroes' work, which you can check out just above. Dubbed "30 Years of Tool," Neelakantan seamlessly runs through riffs from the band's entire catalog—from the Opiate EP to the latest album Fear Inoculum, and as a bonus, the re-imagined "Opiate 2," which was released as a single in 2022.
“By playing these songs in order, I was really able to experience the changes and see how Tool evolved musically over the years which is a very special experience,” Maya wrote in the YouTube description. “It’s even more thrilling than listening to the songs. And it’s a different experience hearing the songs through the guitar perspective!”
At first, I must be honest, I said to myself, "Well, she doesn't really swing like Adam Jones does," but then I stopped thought, "Shut up, you fool—she's nine years old! She just ripped through 20-plus Tool cuts—what are you doing today, Mr. Writer Guy?"
So, yeah, make sure to check out this marvelous accomplishment in the video just above, and big shout out to Maya. Shoot, by time Tool starts recording a new album, Maya may be old enough to produce it! Aim for the moon, friend!
