Summary, Episode 19:

In 1988, Don became the first Canadian to win the U.S. National Fingerpick Guitar Championship. He won again in 1996, still the only two-time winner of the competition.

Don has toured regularly since 1989, across Canada, the USA, a dozen European countries, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia and India.

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He has played live and on recording with U.S. guitarist Andy McKee, Canadian singer/guitarist Brooke Miller, Canadian guitarist Calum Graham, & Toronto bassist Jordan O’Connor. Don composes scores for television, radio and film, and does production and recording engineering for a variety of other musicians.

He’s released numerous CDs and DVDs for the Candy Rat Record label, including his new album, A Million Brazilian Civilians, on CD and see-through orange vinyl.

(Timestamps are for audio version of the podcast.)

• 2:49 Welcome Don!


• 3:52 Don’s earliest musical influences.


• 6:50 Don as a composer first, guitarist second.


• 8:40 Discovering Leo Kottke’s approach…music with humor.


• 9:20 Exposure to modern composers Steve Reich, Xenakis, John Adams.


• 10:40 Don talks about composing for film & TV.


• 15:44 We discuss alternate tunings and why Don Does uses them.


• 22:33 Why composes away from the guitar.


• 24:04 Music – Don plays his composition – “A Million Brazilian Civilians.”


• 27:33 Don’s relationship to classical guitar.


• 31:04 I ask Don about his live sound setup.


• 32:50 Keep it simple…we talk pickups, pedals and other guitar nitty gritty.


• 34:53 Don tells his “pedalboard on the highway” mishap story.


• 39:46 What are Don’s hobbies outside music?


• 41:25 His best advice for musicians.


• 44:47 The guitar tablature “trap.”


• 50:22 Ending credits & podcast contact info.


• 53:14 Music – Don plays his composition – “Seven Seven Four.”

Don’s Links:

• https://donrossonline.com/


• Don on Facebook


• Don on Youtube


• Don on Twitter


• Don’s band project is called “Don Ross – Louder Than Usual”

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<figcaption>Don Ross plays his original composition “Seven Seven Four”</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<figcaption>Don Ross plays his original composition “A Million Brazilian Civilians“</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">
<figcaption>“Don Ross – Louder Than Usual” plays “Groovy Sunflowers”</figcaption></figure>

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