A conversation with old friends about the passing of time, how life affects the paths we're on and the wisdom we've learned from it.
Hailed as one of today’s most loved composers for classical guitar and a performer of international stature, Andrew York blends the styles of ancient eras with modern musical directions, creating music that is at once vital, multi-leveled and accessible.York is a GRAMMY-award nominee and winner, earning that accolade during his tenure as a member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.His compositions have been featured on GRAMMY-winning recordings by Jason Vieaux and Sharon Isbin along with recordings by other legendary guitarists such as John Williams and Christopher Parkening.He’s released albums on Sony-U.S., Sony-Japan, King Records (Japan), Telarc, GSP and Delos labels, as well as inclusion on Rhino Records “Legends of Guitar” and numerous other compilations.His authenticity has inspired a worldwide following, with his touring schedule spanning more than thirty countries including Rome, Lima, Beijing, Ankara, Munich, Manhattan, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania and Japan.Generations of younger guitarists have made Andrew’s music a staple of their repertoire in their performances and studies. His works appear in print worldwide through Majian Music, Alfred Publications, Hal Leonard, Mel Bay Publications, Guitar Solo Publications, Doberman-Yppan in Canada, Ricordi in London, and Gendai in Japan.His extensive background as a jazz and even rock guitarist has allowed him to cross over stylistic boundaries with an unusual authority.Andrew has recently launched a new guitar lesson series called Andrew’s Den. We talk about this new venture along with his history, creativity, his love of mathematics and the impact it’s had on his musicianship and compositions, and much more. It was an honor to speak with him and I hope you all enjoy.Featured tracks: RideEquations of Beauty: 1 and 4Homewww.andrewyork.netwww.andrewsden.com
John W. Warren is a classical guitarist, composer, and publisher, originally from based in the Washington DC area. He specializes in Latin American classical guitar and performs his own compositions as well music by many other composers. Warren performs frequently and in 2016 released the solo classical guitar CD Serenata de la Sirena, featuring nine original compositions as well as music from Brazil and Latin America.He’s a regular contributor to Classical Guitar magazine, on topics such as the guitar makers of Madrid, practical matters of composing for classical guitar, improvisation and classical guitar, and on amplification for classical guitar, interviewing world-class guitarists and composers such as Roland Dyens, Andrew York, Manuel Barrueco, Benjamin Verdery, and Dušan Bogdanovic, among others.A publishing professional, Warren is Director and Associate Professor of the Master of Professional Studies in Publishing program at the George Washington University. A veteran of more than twenty-eight years in the publishing industry, he has held positions including Director of the George Mason University Press, Marketing and Sales Director of Georgetown University Press, Marketing Director, Publications, at the RAND Corporation, and Marketing Manager at Fondo de Cultura Económica. He is also a translator, a frequent speaker at international publishing conferences, and has written and published several articles about publishing, including “Innovation and the Future of E-Books”, for which he was the winner of the International Award for Excellence in the development of the book.In this episode we discuss:HistoryWorking with Richard StoverFull-time music careers vs. part-timeWriting for Classical Guitar MagazineGoal SettingDeveloping Your Own StyleComposingRecordingWriting and Publishing For GuitarFind out more about John at:www.johnwwarren.com
My guest in this episode is a successful musician, actor and author. We talk about his book “How To Make It In The New Music Business”. Guitarists will want to pay close attention to the things Ari has to say. You can find the book here:New Music Business BookMore about Ari can be found here:https://ariherstand.com
My guest, Kris Yates, is the founder of Mobius Guitars. Kris has some innovative features and intriguing ideas around ergonomics and design. We talk about his background, how he got into building guitars, the features of his current line-up, and the challenges and benefits of being a guitar maker. You can find out more about Mobius Guitars at: http://www.mobiusguitars.com
I started reading “Performance Success” last fall and quickly realized I needed to have Don on the show. Don is a renowned sports and performance psychologist who has helped thousands of musicians overcome their weaknesses on stage. We discuss his book and cover topics including:StressPerformance LevelsRight Brain vs. Left BrainCenteringVisualizationand much more….Find out more about his work at: https://www.winningonstage.com/Mentioned in the show: “How To Practice Effectively”:https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-practice-effectively-for-just-about-anything-annie-bosler-and-don-greene
In this episode, I give some reasons why networking is so important to our careers as guitarists and layout a few ways to be good at it.
Dr. Michelle Cleere is an elite performance expert, helping top athletes, musicians, and executives in competitive fields unlock the power of the mind and create the mental toughness to be their best. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a Masters in Sports Psychology, and years of hands on research, she is well grounded in theory and expert knowledge. Dr. Cleere has become known for helping her clients release performance anxiety, gain more confidence, and build resilience. She has a successful blog and several publications all which can be found on her website.I spoke with her recently about the topic of performance anxiety and how we can do better at managing it. She had some really interesting and helpful things to say.www.drmichellecleere.com
Being successful at landing gigs, management, new fans, and other important facets of a music career all rely on how robust your artist profile is. So, I highlight some critical areas that you need to be cultivating regularly.
I recently had the opportunity to meet Aaron Larget-Caplan when he brought his group Con Fuego to Portland for a string of performances in the Pacific Northwest. We didn’t have time to do an interview then, but we agreed to follow up over the web and knock it out when there was a little more space. Aaron is another example of hard-working, consistent guitarists who are successfully making careers for themselves. Aaron’s resumé is impressive and his energy and capacity for work is inspiring. He was generous with his time and details as we got into our conversation.
Marketing has traditionally been defined as promoting and selling goods and services including market research and advertising. The “market” is a regular gathering of people for the purchase of those goods and services.In this episode, I tackle the basic concept of marketing and some general things to do and not do in today’s sphere of social media and networking.
Classical guitarist Rupert Boyd has been described by The Washington Post as “truly evocative”, by Gramophone as “a very fine musician”, and by Classical Guitar Magazine as “a player who deserves to be heard”. He has performed across four continents, from New York’s Carnegie Hall, to festivals in Europe, China, India, Nepal, the Philippines, New Zealand and Australia. Active as both a soloist and chamber musician, Boyd regularly performs throughout the world as part of the Australian Guitar Duo with guitarist Jacob Cordover, and in Boyd Meets Girl, with cellist Laura Metcalf.Rupert has five commercially released albums. His most recent solo CD, The Guitar (Sono Luminus), was called “a must-have album of 2019” by This Is Classical Guitar, and received the following praise in The Weekend Australian: “Instantly one’s ears are perked up by Boyd’s interpretive directness and a sparkling technique.”I caught up with Rupert last month to chat about his career. We talk about a lot of great stuff including his early days in Australia, coming to the states, surviving in New York, recording, performing at Carnegie Hall, and much much more.www.rupertboyd.com
Self-reliance dictates independent action in whatever you set out to accomplish. This does not mean we have to skirt help or assistance when it comes our way. But there are a few reasons why being self-reliant is important.Check out this episode to learn more. www.tacticalguitaracademy.comwww.tacticalguitarist.com
www.kristenwaligora.comhttps://duotenebroso.com/Book Mentioned: Playing With Ease by David Leisner
I expand on a post that I published a couple of months ago titled “This One Goes To 11: Tips for guitarists Venturing Into Business for Themselves.”Many of us at one point or another will be working for ourselves through teaching, performing, recording session work, publishing and licensing, composing, etc. It’s important to have some concrete ideas regarding organization, vision, consistency and support in place. This episode highlights the things that have worked for me and countless others as they navigate working for themselves. After listening, join our conversation in the Facebook Group.Find out more about episodes like this at:www.tacticalguitarist.comANDwww.tacticalguitaracademy.com
Scott Tennant is a founding member of the the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the GRAMMY-winning ensemble composed of alumni of the USC Thornton School of Music, and is himself considered to be one of the world’s top classical guitarists. During his student years at USC (1980-1986), he studied with Pepe Romero, James Smith and was a chosen performer in the USC Segovia Masterclasses of 1981 and 1986. He has authored several books and articles on guitar technique, including the best-seller Pumping Nylon, which has attained a “cult” classic status. It has become a standard text in conservatory and university guitar programs around the world.Tennant has made numerous recordings as a soloist on the GHA, Delos and GSP labels, and with the LAGQ he has recorded for GHA, Delos, Sony Classical, Windham Hill, Deutsche Grammophon and Telarc labels. Their Telarc release LAGQ Latin was nominated for a Grammy award, and it was their current Telarc title LAGQ’s Guitar Heroes that won a Grammy as the best classical crossover recording of 2005. Tennant is best known for his performances of Spanish music, and his recordings of the music of Joaquín Rodrigo.Due to a technical glitch, the conversation enters mid-stream as we were talking about the way classical guitar playing levels have changed over the years. We go on to discuss his injury that nearly ended his playing, his recordings, we talk about traveling and balancing a teaching schedule, the state of the recording business these days and much more. Enjoy!
In this episode, I discuss strategies and tactics for keeping a winning mindset or attitude. I look at sections from the book “The Champion’s Mind” by Dr. Jim Afremow and give tips on keeping a frame of mind optimized for success.www.tacticalguitaracademy.comGet The Champion’s Mind here: https://amzn.to/2lTeWVP
In this episode, I’m speaking with London-based guitarist and composer Laura Snowden.Hailed a ‘string sensation’ by BBC Music Magazine, British-French guitarist and composer Laura Snowden is acclaimed for her ‘poise and intensity’ (Guardian) and playing of ‘extraordinary depth’ (Strings, Classical Music Magazine). The first guitarist to graduate from the Yehudi Menuhin School, made possible by the Rolling Stones, she was invited by guitarist Julian Bream to premiere his latest commissions at Wigmore Hall in 2015 and 2017. Laura’s international appearances have since built rapidly, with festival debuts across Europe, China and the US, as well as concerto debuts with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Münchener Kammerorchester, and a recording of Lisa Streich’s guitar concerto Augenlider with the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester.Described by Classical Guitar Magazine as ‘linking guitar’s past, present and future’, Laura’s eclectic musical output has ranged from producing arrangements for Noah and the Whale frontman Charlie Fink to giving dozens of world premieres by composers including Julian Anderson, Errollyn Wallen and Olli Mustonen. She has also collaborated closely with her folk band Tir Eolas, appearing with them at Shakespeare’s Globe at the invitation of guitarist John Williams. As a composer, Laura’s music has been performed at Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall and Sadlers Wells, commissioned by the Park Lane Group, Birmingham Symphony Hall and International Guitar Foundation, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland and Hong Kong Radio 4.Laura currently teaches at the Yehudi Menuhin School and has given classes alongside performances at venues including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Birmingham Conservatoire, Brussels Conservatoire, Uppsala International Guitar Festival, Altamira Hong Kong International Guitar Symposium, the Volterra Project in Italy and the Guitar and Lute Festival in Sweden.Laura’s principal teachers were Julian Bream, Richard Wright (Royal College of Music and Yehudi Menuhin School) and Gary Ryan (Royal College of Music).Laura and I cover a lot of topics. We talk about her history, working with Bream, composing, teaching, we get into the topic of expression and interpreting music, how she handles challenging things like self-doubt and those pesky existential questions like “what am I doing?”, and so much more. We had a great time over these two different interviews and I hope you enjoy. Featured clip from her composition titled Light Perpetuum, which was commissioned by VIDA Guitar Quartet, performed by them and saxophonist Amy Green, and appears on their latest album Bachianas.https://www.vidagq.com/http://www.laurasnowden.co.uk/
In this mini-lesson, I discuss a few reasons why self-discipline is so important along with some tips on how to be better at it. For more on this topic, visit our Facebook group or join the Tactical Guitar Academy at www.tacitcalguitaracademy.com
This episode features L.A. based electric guitarist Tracy Lambertucci. Born in 1990 in Caracas- Venezuela, Tracy Lambertucci began playing guitar at 15 and started performing just a year later. Her early studies in guitar were done at the Conservatory Lino Gallardo and the Taller de Jazz Caracas.During that time, Tracy had the opportunity to study with some of the best jazz players in her country including Oscar Fanega, Abelardo Bolano, Gabriel Davila, among others.In 2011 she moved to Los Angeles, CA, to continue pursuing her dream to be a musician. She was accepted in to the Musician’s Institute and graduated Cum Laude in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Guitar Performance and a minor in Audio Engineering.Tracy has been working ever since as a session guitarist, teacher, and hired by numerous touring acts to perform live. She’s performed with artists including Honey County, The Suffragettes, Fair Avenue, Mustang Sally, and the list goes on and on. She has toured all over the U.S and South America gaining recognition and getting featured in magazines and radio/ TV shows like Classic Rock Magazine, LA Talk Radio “Troy’s Room”, Buzz Bands LA, Pop Vulture Entertainment , Music Industry News Network, and Sin Flash Venezuela, among others.You can find out more about her at her website tracylambertucci.com and more so on Instragram at @tracy_lambertucci.We talk about her career, what kinds of challenges she’s overcome, how she gets work, her view on social media, being a woman guitarist in the field, wellness, and a lot more.It was a pleasure to speak with Tracy and I hope you enjoy. There’s a lot to take away here. Enjoy!More Links:www.tacticalguitaracademy.comwww.tacticalguitarist.com