These things are not something that can be explained in a single sentence. One needs to delve into it deeply and then a whole new world opens up. One begins to see music in a new way. It is like a rebirth of the senses, or rather an awakening of the senses to experience and fathom the higher octaves which are hidden within and emanate from all things. It is the dif- ference between active listening – which I call alpha listening - on a deep level – and passive listening, which is the way most musicians and most people are experiencing music and all things.
This magazine is read by mostly non- guitarists who teach music to children in a school setting. Do you have any advice or thoughts that would be inspiring or a message that you feel will benefit them?
Maybe, although it is hard to give ran- dom advice like that. Each situation is different, as is each class and each teacher. In general, I have a feeling that a lot of teachers are over-chal- lenging the “not-so-musically-aware” children with too much unnecessary information. Stuff they are not ready to digest yet. Stuff that means very little to them and which they cannot resonate with. The result is alienation. I am always trying to first connect people with the roots and heart of music and that can be done in sur- prisingly simple ways. Above all, one needs to be inspired when teaching and one needs to achieve an inner resonance with the children. A good teacher of children is he who can still think and feel like a child. That is the first pre-requisite. A child teaching a child, but with the knowledge and “wisdom” of an adult…
I designed the Sky Guitar in or- der to enable me to do things that were previously impossible on tra- ditional guitars. In the beginning, it was particularly the somewhat limited 3-and-a-half octave range of standard guitars that I found very limiting. I of- ten found myself literally running out of frets and the logic of several of my solos demanded that I needed some higher notes. Therefore the 7-string Sky Guitar encompasses the range of a Cello plus that of a violin. That is almost double the standard range for guitars. I wanted an instrument which enables me to play the exact part of a violin concerto, without having to transpose the melody down an octave. That would ruin the orchestration and sounds completely wrong in most cases.
Please share with us your philosophy
and views that led to the creation of your innovative instrument that you have po- etically called the SKY Guitar?
You have been a pioneer in the area
of performing classical melodies and ar- rangements by historical composers such as Vivaldi and Paganinni on the electric guitar in addition to incorporating this genre into a rock setting. Was this a gradual development or a revelation that came to you at once?
It was a gradual development, al- though early on I dreamed of one day being able to write my own violin con- certo. In the beginning I didn’t have the skills for that. I first had to learn the tools of the trade so-to-speak. It was just a distant, somewhat preten- tious dream.
You have traveled the world and pre-
sented your workshops to guitarists of various playing abilities. Is there a uni- fying factor or statement that is close to your heart that you feel will benefit all?
“ A good teacher of children is he who can still think and feel like a child. That is the first pre- requisite. A child teaching a child, but with the knowledge and “wisdom” of an adult”. UJR
TEMPO 38
All persons are at different stages in their personal lives. Some are begin- ners, some are advanced, some are ac- tive seekers and ambitious to improve, others are more passive in their gen- eral outlook. There isn’t a single idea or sentence that can be understood by all in the same way. Instead, it is more the combined impact of the teachings which is important. Certain key ideas may be completely inspirational and eye-opening for some, while others are struggling to comprehend them, or it completely passes them by. In my seminars I am always trying to bring across the gist, the essence of those ideas, but not all ideas will reach all people on the same level, because not all people have equal access to the same mental frequencies. That access is contingent on the respective level of their mental and emotional evolve- ment, as well as their ability to open up to new ideas and assimilate their implications. I aim to turn on light bulbs in the minds of the participants, to light up parts of their subconscious, which they have had no access to, but which should be lit up. We are using the language of music to do that. One has to be ready for certain ideas. We can only understand that which we
OCTOBER 2013
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