Michael Hedges’ composition “Because It’s There,” first released on the recording The Shape of the Land in 1986, was a milestone in guitar literature — a major event. The harp guitar was fashionable in the US in the early 1900s, but it was rarely used in virtuosic music. While its photogenic … [Read more...] about “Because It’s There,” harp guitars, The Shape of the Land, 植村直己物語, 冰峰物语, and Lost in the Wilderness
Joseph Spence
by John Stropes and Justin Segel Joseph Spence is an artistic paradox. His music is powerful, captivating, and unique, yet he has never composed a song. He lives in the Bahamas, but describing him as a “Bahamian guitarist” is both inadequate and misleading. Spence has drawn upon the Bahamian … [Read more...] about Joseph Spence
Little Gremlins
In composition and in performance, Michael Hedges invests his music with thought — thoughtful consideration of the musical import of his choices. That's why we find his music fascinating. As we listen to it more closely and as we try to perform it ourselves, we can understand the intelligence that … [Read more...] about Little Gremlins
Submarine Harmonics
One thing I've learned from years of teaching is that a person who has information about a composition has a very powerful resource. Information about a piece (imagery, details) allows a performer to jump up to a new level. After all, the imagery that can be expressed though music is part of its … [Read more...] about Submarine Harmonics
A Fun New Way to Play the Guitar!
Working with the music of Michael Hedges is a great joy. The more you know, the more you realize how much more there is to know. When I transcribed the music for the book Michael Hedges/Rhythm, Sonority, Silence, I suspected, but did not fully realize, the significance of a technique that cropped up … [Read more...] about A Fun New Way to Play the Guitar!
Imagine This!
No survey of fingerstyle guitar can ignore the enormous contribution made by Michael Hedges. Like Leo Kottke a decade earlier, Hedges’ creative genius has taken the guitar a giant step forward. His composition “Aerial Boundaries,” which was released in 1984 (Windham Hill Records, WD-1032), is a … [Read more...] about Imagine This!