3 Questions

Unlike many accomplished musicians, Mike Boren didn't pick up an instrument until he was an adult. But once he got started, his passion for the guitar never abated. A decade ago, after studying with some of the area's most accomplished guitarists- including the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra's Renato Butturi- Boren began teaching on his own. In September 2003, he opened his own music business, The Guitar Lab Learning Center and Recording Studio, on Evansville's East Side. Earlier this year, Boren and his band, "The Three Questions," released their latest CD, "Hungry Ghost."

You started out an art major at Murray State University. What were you hoping to do with that degree?
Make stuff. I've always been drawn to the creative process no matter the type of medium. At that point in my life, I wasn't concerned with what I was going to do with that major but rather focused on creating things. I think every art major goes to school knowing in the back of their mind there is a good chance they won't be able to make a living creating art. My goal of making art hasn't changed much.

You didn't start playing guitar until you were in college. So if you weren't dreaming of becoming a rock star when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a professional cyclist. Every time I get on a bike, I still have to remind myself that I'm 37 and already have a career.

You said you didn't pick up a guitar until your freshman year of college. What was it that got you started?
It was pretty impulsive. My roommate told me he had an old guitar at home so I bugged him until he brought it to school. I don't know what happened to it, but I don't recall ever giving it back.

So you took right to playing and decided to make a career of it?
I don't think I really had a choice. As a junior in college, I was practicing the guitar about six hours a day and was spending about two hours on my actual studies. I had pretty much lost interest in everything else at that point, and I decided to commit to studying the guitar full-time.

It paid off. You released an album, "Hungry Ghost," with the band "Three Questions." What do those titles mean?
A "Hungry Ghost" refers to someone who is never content. No matter how much they feed their desires they are never full. The three questions change all the time. Usually they are: Where are we playing? What time to we start? How little are we getting paid?

Tell us about your first band.
It was in 1988, and we did absolutely everything wrong musically, financially, and morally. It was rather scary. I now know precisely the things I shouldn't do in each of those areas.

Who is your music idol?
The answer to this question changes from time to time, but right now it would be Tom Waits. He is a masterful songwriter and full of surprises. He has always made music on his own terms.

Where do you draw your inspiration?
It just happens. If I go looking for inspiration, the end result always seems contrived. If I allow myself the time to work creatively then the inspiration just seems to come naturally. I am always paying attention to those moments of inspiration when they happen so I can tap into them whether they happen in the middle of the night or while I am driving down the road. The vast majority of my songs were written in a short time span, but I might have to wait a month for that inspiration to show up.

In addition to being able to write music and play guitar, what other interesting talents do you have?
I can draw and write with both hands at the same time. I can also draw one image with my right hand while drawing the mirror image with my left. As you can imagine this talent does not help with my sense of direction.

Tell us one thing people would be surprised to know about you.
I shave my legs. It's a cycling thing. - Fifteen Minutes: