BarakaSolo

The Music

Pablo Casals was quoted as saying, “the cello is my oldest friend, my dearest friend”. He played the same cello for over 50 years.  My guitar has been my oldest friend.  A friend that has taken on different forms as the years have passed.  I began my journey with music using a twelve string guitar my parents bought me from Sears and Roebuck.  I learned my first two chords, E minor and A minor, and my life as a composing guitarist began.  

 

In time I moved to six strings and more user friendly instruments, finally arriving at the classical guitar.  For me, the purest form of expression is through the classical guitar, where you hold the instrument in an intimate and delicate manner to produce sounds with an array of timbre and dynamics, all with your fingers in direct contact with the voice of the instrument, the strings. 

 

Over the years my musical influences have broadened. I began listening to the Beatles and moved on through Bob Dylan, Pentangle, John Martyn, the Paul Winter Consort and Oregon.  Focusing on my choosen instrument, my foundation has extended to include a number of notable guitarists: Ralph Towner, John McLaughlin, Julian Bream, John Williams, Paco DeLucia, Carlos Santana, Andre Segovia, Bola Sete, Gabor Szabo, Tuck Andress and a number of other classical guitarists that I have heard and added to my list including David Russell, Andrew York, Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser and Jason Vieaux.