Seems that many people responded (positively) to the post on JAL’s treatment of guitars on internal flights, so as a way of jumping on the luggage carousel, I thought that I would add some positive recommendations.
For me, the most stressful part of taking a guitar on a flight is the uncertainty that it will be allowed as cabin baggage or not, or that it will be well taken care of in transit in the hold, so here is a list of positive experiences I have had with ground staff and flight crew.
My first experience of mapping was failing to connect with a bar stool which wasn’t where I thought it was. Many of us have a misconception of how our joints connect and where an action starts from. The Alexander teacher Barbara Conable has done extensive research and written books on the subject of body mapping.
A while ago I wrote an article about focal dystonia and mentioned Jerald Harscher, a guitarist and teacher with whom I had an enlightening session on Skype (even though I was beginning to feel self conscious about the spelling of my name when talking to him.)
Does anyone remember a song about a man who offered to sell himself into slavery and then founded an order to combat the Albigensian heresy, which stated that Jesus was not the son of God, but an angel in a phantom body that did not suffer the crucifixion?
I have known David Solomons, self-styled “singer, one-man choir, guitarist and composer” since university days and was always in awe at his ability to play an orchestral score on the piano, or the guitar, or anything that came to hand or voice.
He embodies the idea of a musician who happens to play the guitar, and I am happy to say that he is flourishing as a guitarist and composer.
Many of his pieces have unusual titles, such as “Alcohol“, “Arthropod Duet“, “Hair of the Doggerel” , “Ode to a Nose“etc – Continue reading
First Performance at GFA Louisville Kentucky on Sunday!
Tantalus quartet and Gerald Garcia with the GFA orchestra
Alexi and Roope do their thing with ease and concentration. Bet the Katonas wish they played electric guitars! Compare and contrast the (hair)styles of these bad boy duos!
I am probably biased posting this, but this is a recent fine performance in Cambridge by the Belgian Duo Flamas of my “Lorca” Concerto, based very loosely on Spanish songs collected by the poet and musician, Federico Garcia Lorca. Continue reading
I came across this recently while renewing my acquaintance with Bach’s Chaconne (Ciaconna). I think it is a wonderful and imaginative reworking by Forbes Henderson of a piece that has been played countless times. (And I don’t mind the apparently anachronistic portamenti)
Well done Forbes! Continue reading
If you haven’t come across him yet, Kuang Junhong is a 13 year old genius who plays the guitar with wonderful musicality. His teacher Xu Bao invited me over to Chengdu (in Sichuan Province) last month and I had the pleasure of teaching Junhong and many others of his talented pupils (as well as eating some fine Sichuan food – mostly mouth-numbingly spicy). There will be a few other young guitarists from this part of China you will eventually hear about. Continue reading