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Recent Entries
Fingerstyle 360 article! January 19, 2015
I am excited and grateful to say I am featured in the prestigious and educational Fingerstyle 360! There is also a transcription of my Celtic influenced guitar instrumental, McTammy's Jig, along with stories and music of artists such as Adam Levy (guitarist and songwriter with Nora Jones), Stephanie Jackson (classical and harp guitarist who I had the pleasure of appearing with in the Woodchoppers Ball) and many others. The cover story is on the amazing Tommy Emmanuel, one of my major guitar idols! If you read the magazine (which I hope you will do) you will see my Taylor 714CE guitar with Tommy Emmanuel's autograph! New CD! January 6, 2015
My latest CD, "Notes from Helen," is out! It is a collection of solo guitar original instrumentals plus arrangements of some of my favorite songs by artists Ralph Towner, George Gershwin, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles. I am most fortunate have an appearance by Guitar Star, Pete Huttlinger, in a duet performance of his lovely "Monaghan Jig." You can order the album on the CD page!
What a Week! Day 7 Pete Huttlinger! October 1, 2014
As mentioned at the end of the Day 6 blog, Pete Huttlinger invited me to join him at his 12 noon set on stage 3 at the Walnut Valley Festival. We met around 11:00 am to rehearse a bit. I arrived extra early of course. Pete suggested I play one tune on my own then we would play a couple together. I wanted to play Monaghan Jig which is one of my favorite Pete Huttlinger pieces. He arranged a traditional Irish fiddle tune in a beautifully inventive manner. The intro and outro have more modern chords than often heard in Irish traditional music like major 7ths and power chords, plus he has a percussive part that I just love. Pete put a lot of of open cross strings in the tune itself. Often one plays a higher note on a lower string then a lower note on a higher open string which gives a very full and legato sound. When I learned how to play this piece, the cross string part was so hard to read for me because of the disorientation of playing so many lower notes on higher strings that it basically forced me to memorize the music right away. The music is available in The Pete Huttlinger Collection Volume 1 c. 2004 Instar Records. I first arranged it for my Dutchess Community College Guitar Performance Ensemble and Classical Guitar Class. We had a lot of fun (and challenge) putting it together for a spring guitar party. Then I started performing the piece solo. Pete was agreeable to playing Managhan Jig (yay!) so we rehearsed that. Since I was playing it as written with a few embellishments I added at the end Pete made up another part on the spot to go with it. Two times through and we were ready. I asked him to play with me on the title track from my album "I Love the Moon." The first time through I was in musical nirvana! His playing supported my playing and voice in a manner that brought the song to life for me in a way I had not heard or felt before! Pete Huttlinger was John Denver's guitarist in the last years of Denver's life, and he also plays with Lee Ann Rimes. I immediately heard and felt why they would love to have Pete in their band. We ran the song 2 or 3 times. It felt better and better, as I said true musical nirvana form the get go for me! Then Pete went onstage and started his set. He said he would call me onstage later in the show. I practiced and listened backstage until he said my name and introduced me as the new 2014 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion. It was a packed audience. I performed Zambra which went well and went over well. Then we played Monaghan Jig together which was a major thrill as you can probably imagine. Pete jokingly said "What do you do with a musician who plays your music? Keep them around!" Before we played he asked if I ever played Stage 3 before. I said I had due to winning the NewSongs Contest in the past. I said I finally played all 4 Winfield stages because I had made it to Stage 1 for the winners performance. I said "I finally made a grand slam!" So Pete said that line in the show (I was honored.) He said "It took me years to play all 4 stages. I said it took me years as well!" 9 to be exact. Then we performed "I Love the Moon," and that was one of my top most happy experiences ever on stage. I hope I can record that and Monaghan Jig with Pete someday not too far away.... After the show Pete asked me if I would like to join him for another show that evening on Stage 3 with Mark Sganga (International Fingerstyle Champion 2009 and my touring buddy a few times) and Tim Thompson IFSC 2009 for some Beatles songs so we would have a performance with 4 champions onstage. Well, yeah, I would love to! Pete invited us up at the end of his set and we played While My Guitar Gently Weeps and When I Saw Here Standing There. Amazing experience!!! It was the most incredible way to wrap up a most wonderful week in my guitar and personal life. I could not have planned something so perfect if I tried. Huge gratitude for this week of wonder! Yeah, What a Week!!!
What a Week! Day 6 Post Contest September 30, 2014
The top 3 winners in the Fingerstyle Championship play a show at stage 1, the grandstand stage at the Walnut Valley Festival. I was excited and a touch apprehensive as it was one the largest venues I have played so far. Plus, I would follow Hirotaka and David after one of my favorite WV Fest bands, The Greencards! It was after a very late night as you may well imagine, so I rested up a bit that morning and then got ready and went to the festival to make my grandstand debut. The day was sunny and warm but nice and breezy. It was so fun to finally get backstage of Stage 1. (I have played the other 4 stages before. They are great too!) I crossed paths with Kelly of Still On the Hill. Kelly and Donna run the NewSongs contest and they are a fabulous married couple duo based out of Arkansas. Between them they write great songs, play banjo, fiddle, guitar and other instruments as well as sing, harmonize and exude good cheer. I have had the pleasure of getting to know them and their music for the past 9 years. Kelly had heard I won and gave me a joyous hug. Then I met Carl Miner, guitarist extraordinaire of the Greencards after he came offstage. David Youngman came back after a fabulous 2 song set and said "it felt great out there!" The crowd wanted Hirotaka Keneto to play another song but he was out of time. Then I went up and performed "Rhapsody in Blue" and "I Love the Moon." David was right; it felt great. All nerves flew away and I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the stage where I had seen Tommy Emmanuel, The Greencards, Mountain Heart, Hot Club of Cowtown, Still On the Hill, John McCutcheon, fingerstyle and flatpick champions and so many other artists I admire and enjoy. Afterwards my fingerstyle buddies and I took a couple pictures. I met the Greencards again. Carl Miner said "you are a star!" Later that evening I went to Pete Huttlinger's show. It was great as always. He is one of the most fluid, clean and sparkling players I have ever heard. He also had Mark Sganga join him for a few tunes. They are an excellent duo. Afterwards I went to Pete's merch table and said "hi." He said "I have a show tomorrow at noon. Would you like to join me for a couple tunes?"!
What a Week! Day 5 International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship September 29, 2014
Thankfully it was warm and sunny. After a morning of guitar playing at the motel it was time to go to the festival. All the contestants gather around next to Stage 4 in a sort of bull pen under a tent. It is a friendly cacophony with guitarists from all over the world warming up, greeting old friends and making new ones. Eventually we are called to order and our names are called for "the draw." 40 contetstants take one number out of a hat held high above their head so they can't see in. I was number 23. That gave me a bunch of time to get ready and also watch some of the other competitors. As always the standard was very high, one might say intimidating! At least that is what I would say! Incidentally I was the only female this time. That has happened in the past. At most there have been 3 women participants the times I have competed. Come on lady guitarists, this is fun! You can meet many male guitarists in case that interests you! : ) In all seriousness, the fingerstyle guitarists are incredibly kind and supportive. I find it very uplifting to be in their midst. Each musician brings their own unique way of interacting with their instrument and creating music to a very high level. I have learned and improved my playing so much from seeing these great musicians. For round 1 I played "Rhapsody in Blue" and my latest version of "Signed Sealed, Delivered." (I am still revising my SSD arrangement.) It went well, especially SSD which seemed to generate a lot of enthusiasm. Toward the end of the first round (4 hours later) I went back to the bull pen to warm up in case I made round 2. Then back inside to await the results. Numbers were called and I made it! Yes! Now it was down to 5 of us. We drew numbers again and I was 5 so I would go last, the last contestant of the entire contest. The same thing happened to me last year when I made finals for the first time so I was ready. I practiced the whole time (as silently as possible) in a little room backstage so I did not get to hear the others play. I could not help but notice some very big applause and cheering, however. All the finalists are excellent players. I know and have competed with all of them except Hirotaka Keneto who was the Japanese Fingerstyle Champion this year. In some fingerstyle championships (Japan, Canda, Indiana) part of the prize is the winner is automatically entered into and sent to the International Fingerstyle Championship. I heard Hirotaka play his first round and I instantly became a fan. I was not a bit surprised he made finals. As soon as I heard him play a little bit I thought "finalist, could be the winner." He had it all, virtuousity, excitement and lovely original compositions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxtkQjpUlHc Roger Hardin was the Indiana Fingerstyle Championship winner this year and he came in second at Winfield last year. He plays in a Chet Atkins style sometimes and he has the most beautiful and impossible sounding arrangement of "Carol of the Bells" that I have ever head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EplkRpC3RLo Jack Wilson is from Chicago and he has won many shredding contests in the past before he took up classical guitar, he won the first Indiana Fingerstyle in 2012 and he has been a Winfield finalist a number of times. He plays rock tunes like Steeley Dan's "Reelin" In the Years" with all the parts on one guitar. He is truly a one man guitar band. His tour de force is "Low Rider". In that he creates a cowbell sound on the guitar which he keeps up while playing basslines and melody. http://willsphoto.smugmug.com/Videos/Finger-Style-Guitar-Contest/i-wL9KNBQ Then there was David Youngman who I have been impressed by since I first saw him at the Indiana Fingerstyle in 2013. He writes wonderful percussive and tuneful compositions, and he can do things like sound like a digital delay and play amazing cascades of harmonics. He came in second both at Indiana and Canada this year. http://www.davidyoungmanmusic.com I performed "Zambra," a Flamenco piece I became acquainted with from accompanying Flamenco dance classes at Bard College. I followed it with "Ashokan Farewell." A number of my friends were in the front row and they kindly gave me a standing ovation! It felt quite amazing! Then it was to the backstage to await the results. Eventually the five of us were called into the little room to be told the outcome. Roger Hardin and Jack Wilson were top 5 finalists. That meant I made top 3, my high hope for this contest after making finals the year before. David Youngman came in third. Wow, I must have come in second(!) then I thought. Then Hirotaka Kaneto was congratulated for second place. The presenter turned to me with a big smile and said "this is a historic moment, you are the first lady to win the Internatinal Fingerstyle Champinoship!" My response was "you're kidding!" I was actually rather stunned. Then I was asked to try three gorgeous looking and sounding guitars that were laid out in a line on a long table. They were all wonderful! It was such a surreal moment! I chose the Taylor 814e. It felt like home to me as I have been playing and loving Taylor guitars since 1998. Then it was time for the awards presentation. We each took turns onstage to get a trophy. The top 3 finalists each played what I like to call a victory song. I thanked a lot of people in a sort of acceptance speech and performed "Icarus" by Ralph Towner. It is one of my top favorite pieces of music by one of my top favorite guitarists ever. Then there was more celebration to come, believe it or not!
What a Week! Day 4 Pre-Contest September 28, 2014
The day before the Fingerstyle Championship I had to take something of a day of rest. I had a bad headache so after going out for a delicious lunch from The Purple Carrot Co-op at the WV Fest which I could barely eat (so sad) I went back to my motel room and took a nap. Then I got up, did laundry and practiced. Thanks to Brian Henke I had an appearance scheduled on Stage 5, the most "official" of the "unofficial" festival stages, located in the Pecan Grove camping area. Brian has a collection of us fingerstyle competitors take turns playing a short set; the perfect opportunity to run our contest pieces. Then I ran over to stage 3 on the festival grounds in order to see Mark Cruz, the 2013 International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion. I was so impressed with his classical guitar style and performance at last year's championship! Mark played a beautiful and exciting set which included his wonderful arrangements of "New York New York", Ode to Joy," "Malaguena" (which he said he plays differently every time), and a lovely hymn. We chatted after and I picked up his CD, Hymnody Volume II. I have been enjoying it very much. http://www.markanthonycruz.com/ Then I had a chance to do a soundcheck on stage 4 with some other competitors. This is where the contest is held so it was quite the opportunity to get to do something of a preview. Then over to the camps again where I performed the contest pieces again for some kindly campers. That is how it is at Winfield. Walk by a circle of musicians in a camp and they are very likely to invite you over to jam and they will happily listen to you as well. So much fun! Back to motel where I was up until past 2 am changing guitar strings. (As usual the night before the contest!) | |||||
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| © Helen Avakian |
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