Amanda,
I almost missed this but I did not know you played the Guitar.
I started when I was ten years old. I learned and played
for years than the drinking and addictions took over
my life for many years and my interest and what was important
seemed to have been drowned out.
That is over and my new life is here. I play and proactive everyday
and for some reason I cannot stop writing new songs.
Just yesterday I pick it up and started another new one.
I love it. Do you have any recording up?
I use to play piano the way I was taught, so I played the way the music was written and kind of wooden and I heard other people play they brought in a rhythm of their own which I liked.
I had a friend whom was teaching piano and guitar as well as theory which was her strongest. I went along to learn to play guitar and borrowed a spare of hers for a few weeks and decided I liked playing so bought my own. During the course of learning it opened a whole new window because I learned to transpose music as well as using a kapo (bar that you place over the fret so you can keep playing the chords that are easiest and you don't have to learn the difficult chords)
I had to sing while playing so my confidence grew and different temposdeveloped in the 6 weeks I took the lessons, I did not have to learn music as I already knew how to read.
I was able to change my whole outlook playing piano, keyboard or organ and bring in that natural rhythm I had desired.
My first few poems was set to music. I started when one of my girlfriends back in NZ showed me her book of poems and I really like a couple of them and sat down and wrote music to them.
Then I wrote a couple of my own lyrics and setting them to music.
I have a love for music and mostly the guitar and working with soundtrack recordings.
I have studied Jazz, but would not call myself a jazz guitarist. I also work with Spanish,
Flamingo, Classical, and Mexican styles.
There is a Blues and Rock sounds that may at time, seep into some of my playing.
The type of music I play comes a lot from the mood I am in, or inspired by something,
someone, what I heard, or what I have seen. For many years
I listened to fusion jazz from people like Jean Luc-Ponty, Al Di Meola,
Stanley Clark, just to name a few. I did not want to be just another one playing
someone else's music so I started writing my own and working on my own style
of playing. I play hard, I play fast, I play soft, and I play with feeling.
Project: "Mark's Guitar Works"