MAX
Artist/Musician/Speaker/Educator/Consultant
“What’s wrong with you?”
If you look at my banner photograph, you will see that I am holding a sculpture of a pear. What you’re actually looking at is a muppet showing off its most prized possession.
My father designed this sculpture to represent the “Seamless Integration of Ideas” for a magazine cover at some point in the 70s, and then tucked it away in a box where I would stumble upon it over two decades later at the age of 15.
I have yet to come up with a better explanation of what drives me as a creative, but what drives me to express myself can be traced further back to a diagnosis of Hemophilia.
When you are born with a rare bleeding disorder or other type of significant chronic condition, you’re made to internalize high-concept medical concepts and jargon at the same time as you’re learning the alphabet itself, and you’re doing it so that you can one day manage the condition on your own, but more immediately and importantly, you’re learning how to tell those responsible for your wellbeing what is wrong with you in such a way that they understand how to help, who to call, and most importantly that you won’t die from a papercut.
I have been honing the ability to process and explain what is wrong with me for over 3 decades. In that time, I have educated everyone from doctors and social workers to politicians and executives, and from baristas and bartenders to working with nonprofits across the United States as an advocate, while being able to work with numerous pharmaceutical companies on refining relevant medical technology, community engagement, and promotional campaigns, all the while logging countless hours on stage in the various performing arts as well as back stage facilitating the performances of others as a Producer, Audio Engineer, and Technician. I am an aggressive thinker capable of quickly developing concepts and solutions that can be practically implemented, and I especially thrive on stress-testing concepts.
There are no small roles in a production or project, and every project I have the privilege of working on feeds into the next, regardless of my role or the industry I am working in.
Musician
Whether on stage or on record Max Feinstein is bent on spilling his guts while encouraging others to do the same. The Jersey City songwriter’s “progressive grunge” sensibilities and chameleonic voice combine to create a thoughtful brand of noise that celebrates vulnerability and catharsis
Borderlines - Official Music Video
Written during the heart of the COVID-19 while undergoing intense physical therapy for an elbow destroyed by a lifetime of hemophilia, Borderlines combines tribal intensity with psychedelic haze into an unflinching look at the rage and depression that often accompanies a life of chronic illness.
The accompanying music video, directed by CourTney Collins, has been screening internationally and will be shown at the upcoming 8th Annual Hungarian Disability Festival in Budapest.
For fans of The Mars Volta, Soundgarden, Porcupine Tree, and Mastodon.
Inventor
Mod Stand
After years of negotiating minimal and never-certain stage space in the myriad small clubs, house shows, bars and coffee shops he played, Hoboken-based guitarist, studio owner, recording engineer and now inventor Max Feinstein developed an idea that would help streamline and simplify his own on-stage setup.
Tape-O-Neg, with Poison Noises: a feature dense yet intuitive pre amp pedal a three band active EQ that I personally voiced. Modestly priced, practical in function, and versatile in application this pedal has been used by prominent producers, engineers, and musicians being hailed for the above qualities.
Tape-O-Neg Overdrive
Speaker
Speaker: Over the past 5 years I have had the opportunity to speak at various Bleeding Disorders Community functions across the country. I have developed presentations related to music, from entry-level music appreciation to specific presentations on crafting songs and the philosophy of guitar. I have also developed presentations aimed at the broader topic of self-expression and I am very passionate about helping others find ways to express themselves that they may already be doing but have never considered.
Advocate
The Bleeding Disorders Community is the most robust rare disease state in the country in terms of advocating for the needs of the disabled and otherwise chronically ill, dating back to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Being born into this community has allowed me to learn how to advocate for myself as a person with a rare condition, as well as how to advocate on behalf of others. Over nearly 3 decades, I have educated Doctors and Politicians on the nuances and fundamentals of rare bleeding disorders, and my most significant audience for education and awareness is the general public. I have used my art and personality throughout my life to educate people of all ages from around the world about rare bleeding disorders, and I am proud to say I have achieved a higher retention rate than most other advocates.
