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Here is a link to a scratch track from my first solo guitar recording project. I'm messing with mic setups right now but I'm getting pretty excited and hoping to be done in August. This track is my arr. of Come Thou Fount, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and All Creatures of Our God and King.

Goodbye Harry

Like the rest of the world I am now at a theater one hour early waiting for the premiere of Harry Potter. I think my attraction is due in part to the Christ figure that Harry represents to me. The irony being that so many fundamentalists have been so adamently against the books and the fims. Fearmongering in current politics and against pop culture have left us missing many opportunities. Their is a place we are summoned to and there is spiritual craft to work on. Even in all the distraction there was and is a resurrection stone and I pray we all experience it.

I'm of the proud teacher of Peyton Wilson, this year's O'haire competition winner.

So I went to FYE and was feeling rather adventurous. Bought several Imogen Heap albums which most get a big thumbs up. I also picked up another Segovia album in which he plays Rodrigo's Fantasia para un Gentilhombre and of course it's fantastic and I probably own it already. The attrocity and perhaps biggest mistake of my life was Franz Ferdinand's Blood album. I couldn't even get to the end of it and maybe the Oklahoma heat will do the honor of melting it like it did my ears. It was so bad I'm now scowering the internet for why it's so bad. In the end, it's dub.

paulzii-blog

So this summer I have to admit I've fallen back into habits that I haven't had since I was a teenager. I have started playing video games again. My favorite variety is basketball games which is funny because I don't watch any sports. So here I am at 11pm and picking up my guitar for the first time today. Therein lies the problem. There's something about video games in particular that after playing them for a long time that I feel this incredible sense of waste. Probably, because musically I have so much to do. The end of this month I'm the coordinator for the Romero Guitar Institute and I personally get to study once again with maestro Pepe Romero. I want to give him my best and the past week I've blown hours that could of been used to hone my craft. Beyond that I am playing with a top notch chamber ensemble and orchestra in a few weeks. Oh yes, and this solo album I keep rambling about, that too.

Video games aren't the devil but they can steal potential as fast as any other addiction. I have a couple of college students who will remain anonymous that I can count on ditching a lesson the night after the next "shooter" game comes out. They actually wait in line for the store to open but apparently they are far from being alone. For the last few years games have had a bigger profit margin than the movie industry. Anyway, I know there's so much of value that could be accomplished with our time that is often robbed by our desire for leisure.

On the other hand, the Guitar Hero games, although maybe annoying in nature have brought a new generation enthusiastically to the guitar world. While the game doesn't teach technique, how to read, or really anything about the guitar it does teach timing and coordination. I can actually tell a positive difference in students who play Guitar Hero versus another beginner off the street. Another plus, is that students with this type of background have a vision and a direction they want to go. Of course I want to expand that vision and introduce them to the wonders of J.S. Bach, Domeniconi, and Rodrigo but there's really nothing wrong (Don't gag on me) with a little Smells Like Teen Spirit or Smoke on the Water.

Meanwhile, I will delete this game and try to spend much less time in front of THIS COMPUTER!

My student, Sam, just let me know that Candyrat Records signed a classical guitarist. I'm always glad to see classical music crossing over. We need to steal classical music back from the stuffy concert halls.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INANIMATE OBJECT?

La guitarra

Nail Solution for guitarists : ALASKA PIKS

I'm sure most classical guitarists would be weary of fake fingernails that resemble banjo finger picks but I have been pleasantly surprised by Alaska Piks. They fit snug around your finger and can be filed to a good shape and even thinned out a little bit. The reality is that many people genetically do not have strong enough nails to play the guitar on a day to day basis. Definitely diet and nail hardener can be enough for many to keep there nails in good performance shape but what if they are still breaking. For one of my students fake nails and regular playing had destroyed her nails almost to the roots. My students parents took her to a specialist hundreds of miles away to help solve the problem. In the end, conventional methods were not going to work. Still this student is extremely talented and wasn't ready to through in the towel.

I was nervous when my student arrived and I was desperately hoping that this would be a solution for her. I was pleasantly surprised by the tone and strength that she was able to produce with these nails. After shaping the nail the tone was enhanced to a degree that it was virtually indistinguishable from a real nail. The only downside is that it is hard for the Alaska Piks to go unnoticed due to their color and design.

#Alaska #Picks #Piks #Guitar #Nails #Finger #Shape

Robyn Hilger is my hero.

Music lovers, you need to check out Petrucci Music Library. The goal is to create a virtual library containing all public domain music, and music from composers willing to share their work with the world without charge. That means all music on IMSLP may be downloaded free of charge.

My nephew Cole. Guitar prodigy.

Lagrima to the eye

I'm so happy and proud of my students Henry, Ryan, Peyton, and Carey that will be heading off to Spain tomorrow. They will playing all around the Madrid area. What an amazing experience and quite the addition to the resume. After the tornado I decided it would be best to be stateside while the reconstruction of my house was taking place. What a difficult decision, but I still feel that it is the right one. Besides, my students will be in the most capable hands of maestro Enric Madriguera. I guess this is a regular part of teaching and it feels good to know that at this point they don't need me to play with incredible passion, love, and God forbid...accuracy. In a way, I'm still going to Spain as I live vicariously through my students. I believe I will be back in Spain Spring of 2012 and have performances based around the Segovia museum. To smell the air and interact with the culture that brought the world Segovia, Rodrigo, Tarrega and so many other musical immortals. It brings more than one Lagrima to the eye.

In Heaven we will all be sounds. Joaquin Rodrigo

#Enric Madriguera #Henry Dillon #Peyton Wilson #Carey Morrow #Guitar #Spain #Classical #Madrid #Segovia #Rodrigo #Tarrega

Villa Lobos - Chord Planing

Villa Lobos Chord Planing v.2

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The 3rd and final mvt. of Picture on a Train. Tomorrow the inspiration and meaning of the piece. See if you can find the hidden hymn in this movement.

This is a showcase of music recorded by classical and contemporary guitarist Matthew Denman. More music, videos, educational materials are available at www.matthewdenman.com

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