At the age of 10, Aaron Civic burst upon the music scene by playing on sidewalks and park benches in Saratoga Springs, New York. Armed with his mother’s childhood guitar, lots of talent and confidence, he belted out songs by CCR and Neil Young, along with some leftover Christmas tunes he learned over the holidays. His sign read “saving for a new guitar” and listeners responded by throwing money his way. Lots of money. Suddenly Aaron was making more than his parents (on some days anyway).
Now, five new guitars later, The Rolling Stones clearly became his favorite rock and roll band, so much so, that he offered to buy his dad and himself tickets to see them at Madison Square Garden. And that’s exactly what they did. Pretty heady stuff for a kid. But Aaron Civic is no ordinary kid. He now looks to attend as many concerts as he can, not only to watch the concert as a fan, but to observe it from a professional point of view. Aaron notes the mannerisms of every performer and incorporates this into his own unique style.
Yes, Aaron is no ordinary kid. Nor is the rest of his family. He lives with his parents and sister and two vegan pit bulls who smile a lot. In fact, the whole family is vegan, eating no animal products in order to take a stand against the cruelty to animals that is inherent in the meat industry. Even the cars they drive are vegetarian as they have been converted to run on waste vegetable oil.
Aaron’s family supports him fully in his endeavors. They take him to play out on the sidewalk “busking” any time Aaron desires. They bring him to open mics all over the capital district. They arranged for a permit allowing him to play as a sidewalk entertainer in Lake George, New York. They help him make decisions regarding what musical equipment best suits his needs. Much of this is possible because Aaron (and his sister) are homeschooled which allows more time to dedicate to his love for music.
As a homeschooler, Aaron has quickly built a lifestyle which reflects the real world. Instead of learning from within the four walls of a classroom, Aaron is learning by hands on experience. In addition to the normal schoolwork, he does his own banking, maintains his own website, co-hosts a cable tv show, socializes with friends, takes guitar and piano lessons, studies Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Aaron’s homeschooling also allows him the flexibility to travel and stay out late on any given night.
Aaron, now 14, has a repertoire of over 60 songs from artists such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Eagles, Kinks, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and others. Lately he has been learning Spanish Flemenco and classical style playing. Not only that but he has been creating original music since he was 11 years old. He has mastered complex guitar riffs and lots of lyrics. He keeps a great beat and has an engaging style and stage presence, always keeping his cool.
Perhaps a result of Aaron’s lifestyle is the ability to perform with confidence in front of large audiences. He has played scores of cafes and clubs, TV and radio gigs and is a regular at open mics throughout the Capital District. He has thrilled hundreds of people at venues such as Northern Lights in Clifton Park, New York and Costanzo’s Riverside Restaurant in Waterford, New York. He won first place at a talent contest held at the Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, New York and he was a finalist at a Battle of the Bands competition in Queensbury, New York (Aaron played solo!). He was invited to write and record a morning jingle for WGNA radio which the station still uses regularly. He is also the lead singer and guitarist in a pre-teen Beatles tribute band, the Bugs. When the Town of Ballston was embroiled in a controversy over an application from Walmart to build there, Aaron expressed himself by singing an original song at a town meeting to protest mega stores that are destroying downtowns across America. The song was later published on the front page of the local paper. The Town Board eventually rejected Walmart’s bid (Aaron 1, Walmart 0).
And now, for the last year and a half, Aaron's been having the most fun and most success with the current band. "The Legal Limit" consists of four members, Aaron on Lead Guitar and Vocals, older brother Jarod Grieco on Bass guitar and Keyboards, younger brother Ben Grieco on Drums and recently added Tim Roden on Rhythm Guitar and Harmonica.
Together they've played at venues such as Americade in Lake George NY, Red Square in Albany NY, The Last Resort in Schenectady NY and Proctors Theatre in Schenectady NY.
The band practices are alot of fun and productive. As a result they carry out the same excellent attitude on stage when they perform. Their upbeat attitude, talent and creativity generates excitment each and every time they play.
See the page for upcoming shows to join in and discover this band for yourself.
