If you have followed Guitar Musings in the past, you have probably stopped reading the blog because there hasn’t been a post in months. This has been for a number of reasons; some personal and others professional. Anyway, I’m trying to get myself back on track; with my playing and my writing.
Surround Yourself:
I have found that, even though I play for many hours, I don’t practice. I’m just noodling on the guitar but not learning or polishing my craft. Some of that has to do with me being a bit lazy/uninspired and not knowing what to do. That is why I signed up for lessons with a local teacher and am completely excited for my first lesson. I have heard great entrepreneurs say that if you want to keep the energy of your new venture going, surround yourself with other entrepreneurs. Doing this will keep the energy up and you will be more likely to succeed. I’m doing the same by surrounding myself with other guitar players. Just the thought of playing on a regular basis has gotten my creative juices flowing. I can’t wait.
Are you surrounding yourself with other players to keep you going? Reading this blog or going to a guitar related forum isn’t the same. We need to have the contact of other musicians. Whether it’s a lesson, jamming with friends or just going to a concert, try feeding your guitar soul a bit and the music will begin to flow.
Below is a press release that I received from my good friend and Guitar Musings contributor, Hercules Castro. Hercules entered into the Guitar Player Superstar Competition and was selected as one of the top 10 finalists. You will find all the information below and if you are in the Bay Area and like great guitar, you should check this show out. I just wish I could go.
Congrats Herc and Good Luck!!!!
For Immediate Release
Hercules Castro of Colorado Springs Named a Finalist in International Guitar Competition Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Centerpiece of Guitar Player Live! Weekend Celebration September 11-13
Brendon Small to Host Competition; Judges Include Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s guitarist), Elliot Easton, Greg Hampton, and Steve Lukather
San Bruno, CA (August 11, 2009) — Now in its fifth year, Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar competition will be the centerpiece of Guitar Player LIVE!, a 3-day celebration of guitars, music, and gear presented by the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center in Livermore, California, east of San Francisco, on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
Ten finalists have been selected from among hundreds of entries to battle for the international title of “Guitar Superstar.” Across the globe, hundreds of “unknown” guitarists of all ages and styles answered the call to post their best performances at sonicbids.com. Ten finalists were chosen to perform onstage in front of a live audience and a panel of world-famous guitar stars that includes Elliot Easton (The Cars), Jennifer Batten (guitarist for Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck), Steve Lukather (Toto), and Greg Hampton, (producer of Alice Cooper, Ronnie Wood, Lita Ford). Host of this year’s big event is Brendon Small, (co-creator of Adult’s Swim’s Metalocalypse animated series).
The celebrity judges will evaluate each original performance, and rate each contestant on technique, creativity, charisma, and overall vibe, and, at the end of the night, the 2009 Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar will be crowned, along with two runner-ups.
Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009
Jim Fuselli, rock critic of the Wall Street Journal wrote about last year’s competition: “…I admired the contestants. With their reputations on the line in front of Mr. Satriani, Mr. Vai and the other judges, they performed with conviction.”,
Vicki Genfan, the reigning Guitar Superstar, will perform at the competition before handing over her crown, and will also play on Sunday, September 13 at 3 pm along with Laurence Juber and Jennifer Batten.
“It’s a dream to launch a weekend-long celebration of guitar with Guitar Player LIVE! and our fifth Guitar Superstar event,” says Guitar Player Editor in Chief Michael Molenda. “If you’re a guitar zealot, it’s like some 6-string Woodstock—total badass madness, from Friday night’s opening Shrapnel Records concern starring Richie Kotzen, Michael Lee Firkins, and Chris Duarte, to bands rockin’ hard all along the Livermore plaza, to Guitar Superstar on Saturday, to Sunday’s Triple Threat Guitar show with GPGS 08 champ Vicki Genfan, Jennifer Batten, and Laurence Juber.”
The ten finalists, representing a wide range of guitar styles ranging from rock to country are: Dave Benzinger, Brodie Cumming , Brian Davidson, Hercules Castro, Danny Jones, Steve Langemo, Steve Senes, Krisz Simonfalvi, Doug Towle, and Jeff Zampillo. The contestants will perform with the GPGS house band Thud Factor, music directed by Bass Player Editor Jonathan Herrera.
All ten contestants receive an all-expenses paid trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. The winner, First Runner-Up and Second Runner-Up of the event will receive custom trophies and complete gear packages. The champion will receive a feature article in Guitar Player magazine and prizes from event sponsors—including Harman International–Digitech, Mesa Boogie, Taylor Guitars, D’Addario, Planet Waves, GBase, Line 6, Sennheiser, Washburn, Randall and Gallien Kruger.
The competition takes place Saturday, September 12, 2009, 8:00 p.m. at the Bankhead Theater, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, 2400 First Street, Livermore, California. Admission $23.00. Tickets can be ordered online at www.bankheadtheater.org or call 925-373-6800.
Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition 2009
About the 3-day Festival:
Guitar Player LIVE! includes concerts at the Bankhead Theater and free performances by well-known regional bands and exhibitor endorsees on four outdoor stages. Another highlight will be an exhibition of Bill Owens’ photographs commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Altamont Raceway Free Concert. To cap off the festival evenings, several local taverns and restaurants will also host local band performances, and the Vine Cinema will feature a special run of classic and cult guitar films.
Shrapnel Records Guitar Night Friday, September 11 at 8 p.m.
Guitar Player’s Guitar Superstar Competition Finals Saturday, September 12 at 8 p.m.
Triple Threat Guitar – Featuring Laurence Juber, Jennifer Batten, Vicki Genfan Sunday, September 13 at 3 p.m.
For packages, call the box office at 925-373-6800.
About Guitar Player magazine:
The Music Player Network of publications for musicians performing and producing music includes Guitar Player, Bass Player, Keyboard, and EQ magazines and related websites, TV, enews and events. For more information please visit www.musicplayer.com. Music Player Network is a division of NewBay Media, LLC.
A couple of days back; I attended a service celebrating the life of a friends son. I never met this person, yet I felt a connection and found myself getting emotional from time to time. Throughout the service I heard how much he loved the guitar and music and was surprised by how we enjoyed the similar musicians and songs. One song that particularly grabbed me was Joe Satriani’s “Always with you, Always With Me” that the played early on.This is my absolutely favorite Satch song and whenever hear it, I will now think of Jeff; a fellow guitarist.
The connection is that six string wonder that can frustrate the hell out of you and comfort you in times of trouble.
Last Thursday (3.19.09), I had the pleasure of attending the Dougie MacLean concert at the Colfax Events Center in Denver. In case you didn’t know, Dougie is a Scottish singer/songwriter that has written wonderful songs like “Caledonia” and “The Gael” from the movie, “Last of the Mohicans.”
The Concert:
Dougie’s performance was a pleasure to witness. He performed songs like “Singing Land,” “She Will Find Me” and “Caledonia, to name a few. He also performed a new piece that he recently finished, new enough to have the lyrics taped to the side of his guitar. Inspired by the loss of some friends the past year, this song (he didn’t give the name), was touching and made me fondly think of loved ones I have lost. I hope he includes this on his next release, so I can find out what the name is.
As Dougie said, this wasn’t a concert where you sit, cross your arms and just listen. He wanted us to be a part of the evening as well. Dougie engaged the audience; sometimes making us laugh and many times, having us sing along with the chorus. He wasn’t shy about letting us know when we were off beat or out of tune. It was all in good fun though. It was fun, we became part of the concert and this was the beauty of his performance.
After the show, Dougie stuck around, signed my CD I just bought and chatted with us for a quite a few minutes. I have to admit, I was in awe being in the presence of one of my songwriting heroes so I didn’t say much but just took it in. It was a please to listen to him sing an then chat for a few minutes and If you ever get a chance to see him in concert, buy a ticket and go. You will not be sorry.
PS – Gear:
Dougie only played one guitar; his signature model made by Moon Guitars. Simple and beautiful. I didn’t see any effects. It was just him and the music; perfect!
One of the many talents of Leonard Bernstein’s was his ability to explain/have a discussion about the complexities of music to anyone. You didn’t need to have a degree in music to get what he was saying. All you needed was the love for music and the desire to learn more.
Below is a clip from The Unanswered Question – Six Talks at Harvard by Leonard Bernstein. In this clip Bernstein discusses what might Beethoven might have been feeling or what story he might want to convey when writing the piece featured on the clip. After watching this, I had a different/deeper appreciation for the music. So I ask you, what feeling are you trying to convey when you write a song? More to that, what feelings do you think a songwriter is sharing when you play his/her song? Think about that next time you play, you might find a new, maybe better way to approach a song.
. In this clip Bernstein discusses what might Beethoven might have been feeling or what story he might want to convey when writing the piece featured on the clip. After watching this, I had a different/deeper appreciation for the music. So I ask you, what feeling are you trying to convey when you write a song? More to that, what feelings do you think a songwriter is sharing when you play his/her song? Think about that next time you play, you might find a new, maybe better way to approach a song.
