Playing Music For The Kids

I was hired recently to play classical music for a children's program at a Baltimore City public library. It was part of a series the Enoch Pratt library is doing to give city pre-schoolers a chance to see and hear real musicians playing classical music. I was warned that the last event didn't go too well and the musicians, a string trio, were, shall we say, not well received. Nevertheless I was encouraged by the fact that some other musician friends of mine had done similar things, and I thought it was well worth the effort, even with the outcome less than certain. I could never have guessed how much fun it was going to turn out be.

The staff at the Forest Park library were great. They obviously had plenty of experience managing kids. They had a prepared a fairy tale theme with costumes for the kids to wear, activities, and story time. Everybody made crowns for themselves, and I got one too. I got busy with my assignment: to provide music and entertain the kids while keeping it in a classical style. It didn't take long before a number of little boys and girls came closer and started looking at the guitar and the music. Some started asking questions: how did you learn how to do that? How do you know what those notes on the paper mean?

One guy wanted a little more. He was one of the oldest, maybe five or six years old. He watched me intently for several minutes before coming up and telling me that he'd been rocking out since he was three years old. I invited him to strum the strings while I formed chords with my left hand. He obviously had no experience at all, but nevertheless, in a few moments we were rocking out together. Eventually he moved over and tried to do the left hand, which he quickly found was much harder.

I was throwing in classical ditties in between encounters with the kids; it was all good. The point was obvious, one I have seen many times in my years of teaching guitar: you simply have to let kids know that there are possibilities, things that they can do too, if they want. The level of difficulty doesn't seem to matter. You simply show them that it is being done, and they will simply accept it as possible. Not all will achieve it, but some will, and they will do so more easily with the knowledge that they have already seen someone do it.
Thanks to Petra and PW Feats for providing this opportunity for me.

Be sure to read Painting Queen's blog entry about this very special gig!

Spectrum Reunion

On April 3 2010 we had a spectacular reunion of my very first band, Spectrum (well there was one earlier band, but it was too short lived to mention) (OK, it was called Future Shock). We were invited to reunite as part of a big multi-band event being developed to celebrate the golden years of a legendary Baltimore rock nightclub called Maxwell's. The Spectrum people had already been meeting up socially and talking about playing together, and this event gave us a ready made reason to do it. 

It was to be held at the Recher Theatre in Towson MD, a terrific venue with a 700 person capacity, a great stage and very high quality sound and lights. We rehearsed several times before the show, and it was great to see how good everyone was still playing, since, unlike me, most of the members had not been actively playing much since our last show in 1985. We quickly and easily gelled as a group again.

It was also amazing to discover how many fans were still around who remembered us. We started a Facebook page and quickly amassed over 400 friends. That helped the show turn into an advance sell-out.

That night, our set was scheduled at about two hours into the event. The energy in the room was at its peak and the enthusiasm coming from the crowd was amazing. It fired us up, and we played with all the power, precision and flair that we used to have. It was more than just re-living the glory days; we were still really doing it.

Back in 1975, we were all in 10th or 11th grade at South Carroll High School together. All of us who became part of Spectrum were crazy about rock and roll music. Once the group started, we were totally committed to being the best possible band we could be. And yes, we were all a little bit out in left field, shall we say, but that was probably an essential part of why we bonded together so tightly.

Spectrum existed in a time, the late 1970's - early 1980's, that was unique in the history of the Maryland area's local music scene. Just about every high school in Maryland had live bands for dances on a regular basis. There were also teen centers, and teen dances at Fire Halls and rec centers all over the region where bands could play. As high school kids, we went to see bands, and it got us excited and motivated. This is how Spectrum got started, as fans of live music.

We worked very hard to be as good as the best bands we loved to go see. We raised ourselves up to the highest levels of musicianship, professionalism, showmanship and production. We were very successful, and we had more fun than you can imagine, and we became best friends. Then we made the transition to nightclubs, and that scene was also vibrant and exciting for local bands at the time. There were big clubs everywhere, and they were all doing well. It could have had something to do with the fact that the minimum drinking age at the time was only 18! There was a huge number of young people going out to party and hear live bands, all the time.

We were them, and we played for them. We had the time of our lives, and we did it as long as we could, until many factors conspired to bring it to an end. The problems included raising the minimum drinking age to 21 (a good idea in retrospect), the introduction of Karaoke and DJ's into nightclubs, the rise of punk and New Wave synth-based music, financial mis-management, an economic downturn, personnel changes - it all became too much to cope with. But we all came out of it with the knowledge that we had gone through an amazing experience shared by a very few lucky people.

After our set at the Recher Theatre, we basked in the glow of overwhelming enthusiasm and appreciation from the many friends and fans, many not seen for 25 years, who came back to see us again. I think it's safe to say you'll be hearing more from Spectrum. Keep up with the band on their Facebook page.
For more great pics of the band from back in the day, check out this photo album.
Check out photos from the reunion in this photo album - pictures and digital artistic magic by Crystal.
Please read Crystal's blog on the Spectrum Reunion, "Spectrum Rocks Again." from her wonderful blog, The Painting Queen.

Telesma

telesmaband.com

I have sought out and enjoyed good music of every style for my entire life. After all these years it still amazes me how there is always something new and exciting to be discovered. My wife and I heard Telesma at FairieCon last fall in Hunt Valley MD and were blown away. I have heard a lot of music that calls itself "world" or "world-fusion" or "east meets west" and some of it is good, some of it is lame. Telesma may get dropped into that world-fusion category, but they have that extra something that most of the others are missing. They don't just drop a sitar on top of a synthesizer. They create something completely unique out of the merging of different musical elements that they have a strong connection to.

There is intense rhythmic drive, which keeps the energy level very high. The sound is big and rich, with a lot of variety in instrumentation, and an over arching sense of beauty in sound and tone. There is a flow of improvisation that goes on individually and collectively throughout the performance. Musical themes evolve gradually, and build in intensity. You get a sense that they are truly working as a group, achieving that magic higher level of unity that so rarely happens in bands.

The effect is to communicate with the listener on a deep non-verbal level, to envelop your mind and senses and carry you away. You get taken on a journey. Their music is coming at you on many levels at once, but you can enjoy it at whatever level you are into. For example, there are elements of trance and electronica in their music, yet it is never dull and rewards attentive listening. There is quirky creativity that still manages to kick some serious ass. There is deep soul and spirit. There is a strong understanding of the power of rhythms of different cultures. It is the remarkable organic merging of all those things that make the experience of hearing Telesma so amazing.

I have to highlight Telesma's guitarist Chris Mandra. Even though it is clearly a group effort, Chris provides an intense creative drive to each song that is essential to the band's performance. He brings improvisation and electronic experimentation, great guitar playing skills and a fiery passion into every song. He is a totally dedicated and completely original musician. Check out more of him:
www.myspace.com/katastatik

All pictures taken by Crystal. 

A Passion for Classical Guitar

I recently discovered a radio interview with guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk from NPR's On Point radio program, originally aired in June 2009:

http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/06/eliot-fisk-classical-guitarist

How often does one get to hear an interview with a brilliant classical guitarist on the radio? Just about never! So this is a rare treat. We are so lucky they keep their past shows archived on their website so you can go there and listen to any past show anytime.

This is a really great interview; Eliot is a wonderful ambassador for the classical guitar. He is incredibly talented, a true virtuoso, passionate, intelligent and spiritually connected. His playing has those same qualities and he was generous enough to perform on the air during the show.

Listening to Eliot reminded me that my own passion for classical guitar has never diminished, since I was introduced to it by my first teacher, Jim Denton, way back in 1971 in Waynesboro PA. I still have the book of classical pieces he once gave to me. Most of it was way beyond me at the time, but I guess he knew it would be an inspiration to me, and it was. Now, all these years later, I still play pieces from that book.

Eliot very eloquently describes the intellectual, physical, and spiritual aspects of being a classical guitarist. That exactly matches my own experience. Classical guitar appeals to me strongly on all three of those levels and I have learned that they are all inter-connected.

The intellectual part comes from an appreciation of the awesome creativity, beauty and sophistication of the music of the great classical composers.

The physical part is how much I enjoy the technical challenges involved in learning new pieces and refining my technique to the highest possible level I can.

The spiritual part comes from discovering the way one's  performance can convey not just the composer's intent, not just the performer's  interpretation, but something that transcends all of that and communicates directly to the listener's heart.

Even though I have worked hard to "get good" at classical guitar, I still feel blessed and grateful to be able to perform it and share those moments when the boundaries between composer, performer and listener dissolve and we all feel as one.

Enjoy this video of Eliot in concert. I hope this blog inspire you to delve more deeply into classical music; I'm sure you will find it as rewarding as I have.




 


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Have Classical Guitar, Will Travel

I get a special sense of satisfaction when I do a classical guitar gig, even if it's a noisy social situation and no one seems to be listening. (it is always best to go on the assumption that someone is actually listening, even if you don't see them. It is almost always true.)

A recent gig I had was to provide background music for a cocktail party at a hotel grand opening. My understanding was that, for this situation, the music needs to be sophisticated, dynamic, and diverse. It needs to blend into the background but also be enjoyable to anyone who stops to listen. To accomplish that, I play a mix of mostly upbeat classical, Spanish/Latin, and easy-listening versions of pop tunes. I also include some contemporary finger-style pieces by Steve Morse, Phil Keaggy, Earl Klugh and others.

The pieces are fun, challenging and/or just beautiful, sometimes all of the above. I have been building up my repertoire for many years, and I enjoy this music very much. I have enough pieces in a variety of styles that I can choose what feels right for the situation, and play music I love at the same time. Some current and all-time favorites of mine to play:

Bach, "Cello Suite No. 1, Prelude"
Sanz, "Canarios"
Satie, "Gymnopedie I"
Ponce, "Scherzino Mexicano"
Steve Morse, "Picture This"
Genesis, "Horizons"

So that's a little insight into the classical side of my musical life.

To wrap it up, here's a clip from one of my heroes, the great British guitarist John Williams. I hope it inspires you as much as it does me!

It Might Get Loud

www.sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud


I loved this movie. I was lucky enough to see it during its first run, in a new Baltimore movie house with my wife and some good friends. When it comes out on DVD, I will be buying it!
Who'd have thought we'd get to to hear Jimmy Page talk about recording "When The Levee Breaks," or listen to him demonstrate dynamics with a solo performance of "Ramble On," or that he would invite us into his home to share his huge record collection? We also get to see the Edge demonstrate how he uses his incredibly complex set-up of effects and amps to manifest the sounds he hears in his head. And just for something completely different, Jack White builds a guitar-like instrument from scratch, on camera, and in less than a minute is jamming away on it.
What it's really about is that the three of them have the same passion for the guitar as the vehicle for their self expression. They each go in radically different directions, but they all have their priorities straight as far as making music, and so all have great wisdom to pass on, and marvelous stories to tell about their influences, inspirations, and of course, their guitars.

The Beatles

Why do the Beatles keep coming up in lessons with my guitar students, over and over, year after year? They don't do guitar heroics like Zeppelin or Hendrix. They aren't deeply rooted in blues riffs like Clapton or, well, Hendrix. What's it all about?

Songs. Chords and melodies. And some great guitar riffs.

The Beatles used their guitars to create great songs. It was always about the songs first, never about showing off their playing skills (which were nevertheless considerable). Blessed with boundless creative energy, the Beatles produced album after album filled with great songs. Songs that have lasted
40 years now and show no signs of going away.

The Beatles set standards for writing great melodies, chord progressions and guitar riffs that have been emulated, copied, blatantly ripped off but never equaled. Every few years in the world of pop music, another generation of songwriters tries to pass themselves off as new and original, but their style can usually be traced directly back to you-know-who.

The Beatles - I Feel Fine (1964)
Uploaded by nicmeddy. - See the latest featured music videos.

I will introduce my students to the Beatles if they don't discover them for themselves. Their songs are like virtual encyclopedias of chord progressions, and their guitar parts are full of very tricky bits that are not at all obvious until you start trying to learn them (that is, learn them correctly!).

I also highly recommend watching the Beatles Anthology video series. It details, but cannot fully explain, how a group of teenage boys started out struggling to learn three chord rock, then became a highly proficient and versatile cover band, and finally become the most amazing creators of great popular music ever known. And all in a matter of a few short years.

It is truly remarkable to see how they were able to not just keep going but to actually grow creatively, very quickly, throughout the course of their brief history. They continually became more creative, more adventurous, and wrote ever better songs, lots of them. This, at the same time as their ever growing success placed incredible, intense pressures on them.

It is clear that it was only the combination of these four specific individuals that could have made the Beatles possible. That in itself, should offer a testimony to what being in a band really is about.

So I hear there's a Beatles edition of RockBand now. That's cool. But remember it's all about the songs. So buy the albums, listen and learn.