Archive for February, 2022

California Tour April 2022!

I’m super excited to be getting back on the road for the first 2020.

3/30 – Class & Masterclass, SF State University, San Francisco
4/1 – Concert, Museum of Northern California Art, Chico
4/2 – Concert, South Bay Guitar Society, San Jose
4/3 – Masterclass, South Bay Guitar Society, San Jose
4/3 – Concert, Center for New Music, San Francisco
4/5-7 – Artist Residency with two concerts, CSU Bakersfield
4/8 – Classes, Cal Poly Pomona University, Pomona
4/10 – Video Shoot, Guitar Salon International (GSI)
4/11 – Guest Artist Performance for the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra
* individual information can be found at the links above or on my calendar: alcguitar.com/calendar

Programs*:
A mix of new Bach keyboard arrangements, popular songs by Gershwin and Arlen, solos by John Cage and from the New Lullaby Project by Antonio Celso Ribeiro, Laurie Spiegel, Ian Wiese, Brian Schober, Ken Ueno, Antony R. Green, and Stepan Rak, the Legend of Hagoromo by Keigo Fujii, new works for guitar+electronics by Tom Flaherty, Lainie Fefferman, and Lou Bunk, and my own original compositions from ‘honey cadence’. Lots and lots of music!

Concerts are still being announced so check back in for more!

*Concert programs vary by venue.

Book – Glenn Kurtz’s ‘Practicing – A Musicians Return To Music’

I think it was 2008 when I met the writer Glenn Kurtz. Like myself, he was an alumnus of the New England Conservatory and had studied with David Leisner. It was Leisner who recommended Glenn reach out to me.

Reading-Recital in NYC, 2013

Glenn’s book, his first, ‘Practicing – A Musicians Return To Music had just been published by Knopf and he was looking to include a some guitar music during his reading at the Harvard Book Store in Cambridge. I agreed on the condition I would receive a signed copy, which I still cherish. In 2013, Glenn and I performed a few reading-recitals together in Boston and New York. We paired excerpts from his books with the matching pieces. A truly unique and wonderful experience, which attendees still ask me about!

‘Practicing – A Musicians Return To Music’ is an exquisite exploration of guitar history and teaching, and gives a nice glimpse of conservatory life from the eyes of a young musician. The personal story is based on his journals from the time and his desire to explore the musical flame that was such an important part of his life for so many years, but which was no longer. The personal trials and feelings of self doubt regarding “the path” of being a young musician are at time heart-wrenching, but they are always real. Though Glenn did not become the next Segovia, and I have no doubt that is completely fine with him, he inspired my saying, “once a guitarist always a guitarist”. Glenn is a beautiful writer and I highly recommend this book to all, guitar lovers or not.

Book Link–> https://amzn.to/3ssYStn

Have you read the book or heard Glenn read or speak about it? Did it inspire or possibly scare you?

Practicing: A Musician's Return to Music: Kurtz, Glenn: 9780307278753: Amazon.com: Books

https://amzn.to/3ssYStn