Important Guitar Insights

Important Guitar Insights

Common sense.  The word says it all... common. That means that everyone has it. Isn't it amazing how often our decisions are simply betraying this common-ality?

Guitar, education and faith have been the constant-s throughout my life by which I could make a "balance" every now and then. I would know where I was standing concerning my personal growth. The Classical guitar is a discipline, (discipline:1- the ability to control your own behavior and way of working 2-a method of training your mind to control your behavior) the guitar is life in miniature. In the constant pursuit of musical perfection, we put to work our whole self. The more we allow ourselves to do music for the wrong reasons, the more we are jeopardizing the path for those who do want to do music for the right reasons and the more likely it is that our work will not leave a path for future generations to follow. In a recent mail, a dear friend and a 30+ years guitar player  wrote me about his impressions on a concert he attended in Texas. These is part of his mail: " I am seeing what you are seeing in this world of guitar. The need for the public to hear recognizable music THEY can relate to is the way i want to go...I liked your updates regarding this! The concert music was 'over their (the public) heads' ...very techy pieces...a bit of a show off...".

In our world, and to be more specific, in the Western world, success has become something which has to be measured or that has to be at least measurable. What is worse, is that we are made to believe that success in life can be predicted on the basis of such faulty instruments as IQ or SAT tests. The real reason that these monsters have been created in the first place is that humans in general have a God complex by which everyone and everything has to be classified. Music and arts in general have always been the place, the refuge for free souls and creativity, and a place where people get a taste for less materialistic things. Musical talent and creativity are not detected by these  "faulty tests" because talent and creativity belong to a higher part of humans..the soul. This eternal part is being steadily suppressed and annulled.

Renato with Bellucci Guitars Master builder Rey

For the past 30 years you must have heard the following two words associated almost as an inseparable unit: music industry. Now, being music: the arrangement of sounds made by instruments or voices in a way that is pleasant or exciting... and industry: the production of goods, especially in factories...can anybody tell me by what sick formula the two words can be associated ?! One thing is sure, guitarists have been pushed to "industrialize" their playing more and more and the pressures created by this insane mixture has pushed players to put out a huge amount of worthless playing belonging more to the circus industry rather than the music world. What you have as a consequence, is herds of guitarists being classified according to the amount of revenues that they provide to the in-dustry. Composers on the other hand, or to be more accurate, on the other side of the assembly line, have started pouring an enormous amount of unpleasant sounds that are being thrown at us in concert halls everywhere.

After Segovia's debut in 1910, a local critic wrote the following: 

"They laughed when Andres Segovia sat down to play the guitar. The nerve of the man, bringing a flamenco instrument into the hallowed precincts of the concert hall. That stupid young fellow is making useless efforts to change the guitar -- with its mysterious, Dionysiac nature -- into an Apollonian instrument. The guitar responds to the passionate exaltation of Andalusian folklore, but not to the precision, order and structure of classical music."

The critic was being  prophetic and ignorantly wrong. Segovia was clearly not part of an industry, especially in 1910, and he did not change the guitar, actually he was hyper conservative ( the name of Narciso Yepes should stand out when referring to "change"...). Segovia's talent actually created an enormous amount of mysterious sounds that andalusian folk players could not even dream of (and most players today) and when it came to precision and order, Segovia understood that the magic of music does not lie in precision but in artistry and what the piano and violin could not deliver the guitar could... an immense palette of colors, the "right amount of notes" and, most of all, an instrument that everyone could relate to. The man was being prophetic because he was describing contemporary players, with the exception of a handful. The concert player in Texas I quoted earlier enters this prophecy.

This is part of an article in the New Your Times: MUSIC REVIEW; A Guitar More Democratically Inclined By ALLAN KOZINN

"Guitarists tend to be tinkerers, both by nature and necessity. Their instrument, in its classic form, is comparatively soft spoken, even when played with full force, and its string layout and tuning make certain kinds of chord voicings and counterpoint more difficult to realize than on the more democratically constructed keyboard. Jazz and rock musicians have escaped the instrument's limitations by amplifying it and inventing electronic devices to sustain, distort and color its sound in every way imaginable. Classical guitarists have been more conservative: some use discreet amplification systems, and some have added strings, usually to the bass range."
Now,  isn't that word perfectly chosen ? tinkerers...

Bellucci Guitars, Port Orford Cutaway  

It is almost impossible to predict the path that our music will trace for each one of us. If we keep our minds and our hearts open, we will probably hear the subtle and constant callings. Keeping an open mind also means to struggle to stay as free as possible from the many unnecessary complications that our hyper consumistic world drives us in thinking as indispensable. We need very little to be happy people, and it is often preferable to have a little less than necessary than a lot more than necessary.  Musical careers shape up  with the years and with time we get the feeling that a veil or curtain is being lifted. The most rewarding stories usually embrace the learning, performing and teaching stages. These stages are very often so interlaced that it is difficult to tell when or where one starts and another ends. These stages often walk simultaneously. One day, without even knowing exactly why, people call us Maestro. It is then, and only then that you really understand that there is no such thing as "the best guitar player" etc. In the world of arts you reach a certain point of dedication and commitment which is very similar and different at the same time for us and our colleagues.

The aspiring guitarist facing a new born 21st century  will need a whole new set of tools or will have to use the same tools in different ways to make his way in a, to say the least, tough scenario. Neither the "tuxedo" Bream look, nor the "slob" Williams look will get you and me anywhere. Right, cause if you are dressed like a slob and you happen to be Williams, you will be described as casual... if you are me at a guitar competition and you wear an elegant sport suit instead of a smoking the judges will not even consider you for the following round. The poor representatives we had for the past decades have closed many doors for us. Boy!  These guys had the chance to pave our way and all they did has been to fill the way with holes!  We are told to join duets, trios, quartets -the inn term is ensemble - because it is more likely that we get some gigs this way...We are told that it is "too hard for a solo career nowadays". LISTEN: Some guitarists ought to be court marshaled !! Whatever you do, do not follow these advice. You would be carrying the weight of these losers' sins !! The more honest advice is: do something else besides guitar playing in order to make a living. Many great guitarists did...  (though they wont write it on their curriculum): - "...studied with Segovia, won the Tokyo competition and taught English for a living while waiting for a miracle...".  Don't think for a minute that duets or quartets are in great demand. REAL duets are usually the natural product of natural circumstances: husband-wife (Presti-La Goya), brothers (Assad), father-son (Romeros). Plus, all the money ensembles  make has to be split in 2, 3 or more parts. Then I ask: How many piano quartets do you know...or violin quartets for that matter...not to mention piano orchestras or violin orchestras.... come on, give me a break! Let us not put the guitar at a lower place than it was when Segovia picked it up 100 years ago!! The dying Dinosaurs ought to get on their knees and ask for forgiveness. No, they prefer to show us another losing road !!

I can understand a BA in music...  with a little effort I can understand a Masters in music...   with a HUGE effort I can understand a Ph.D. in music. For crying out loud, who can possibly explain to me a Ph.D. in guitar !?! What else are they (the bad guys) going to invent ?! A Ph.D. in fingernail care !?! They are simply running out of things to do in order to sell the idea that the guitar is a serious instrument. The guitar is definitely serious, worry not about her...it is you, the Doctors, that make me laugh. Most of these Ph.Ds are still struggling with horrible squeaks in Lagrima...but they will be scandalized if you did not play Segovia's transcriptions or one of their Ph.D accomplices'...

The beauty of every new year starting refreshes my whole spirit. It is as if I get a new chance to rewrite or re-edit and re-examine many  pages of history which were filled with errors and horrors. We have been fooled for centuries (to be more exact from the 17th century on), in thinking that science, the arts and  religion cannot possibly walk hand in hand. The Galileo incident was not seen as such but as a great excuse... The truth is that true science, true art and true religion can only walk hand in hand. It seems as though 300 years have thought us a lesson and we are slowly becoming more sane....These 3 powerful motors of our culture are  converging again in every walk of life and profession. True art and true religion are not oil and water but milk and chocolate. The guitar has been affected by this incredible schizophrenia from its very start. It reached its zenith in the mid 80s, but its roots were planted decades before. Getting up 8 times after falling 7 is the formula for success and the right japanese saying for times like these. The guitar definitely deserves another shot at greatness and the simple fact that she survived the horrors of the past 25 years is a clear symptom that she is a tough act to fade away.

Playing for someone besides yourself, whether it is for 1 or 100 people is what I usually call the "missionary" part of guitar playing or any other instrument for that matter.

Many things have been written about the public performance of music (anxiety attacks, stage fright, cold hands, etc.) and I have gone through a few books dealing with the issue hoping to read something like "in order to eliminate that butterfly feeling from within yourself, you must do the following..."

Take my word for it, you will never read this anywhere.

Renato Bellucci in Concert. December 2013.

Having played for many years, practiced constantly and having received the highest grades in college, are by no means the indicators that you are fit to play concerts. Concert playing is a special vocation within the vocation. Playing flawlessly is not what it takes and having the guts neither. The whole issue has to be examined from a different angle. Start by asking yourself:

Why do I want to play concerts?

If the answer are any of the following:

1) "I played for many years and it is time for other people to see what I have been up to".

2) "I think people needs to know my interpretations which are simply better than the ones by other players".

3) "I need to feel the energy flowing between the audience and me".

4) "I won all the major competitions and I deserve to play for real people".

5) "I think that in a materialistic world playing music brings people closer to their spirit".

Then: remember that most hard workers are never known but discovered at best, what you think about your playing is just that, what you think, there is no energy flow in concert giving but a lot of sweat and very patient people waiting for you to finally play Recuerdos, the sure thing competitions give you, besides an over inflated ego, is a huge, ugly repertoire and the music scene is so prostituted lately, that souls will most likely be disappointed by your silly virtuosity.

Music making is neither about doing finger acrobatics nor a matter of who plays a piece in less time.

I agree with you that, unfortunately, there is a lot of showing off going on by players all over (In the violin and piano world this has simply been going on for a loooong time). The roots of this evil are sponsored by major competitions that push players to give up musicianship and embrace circus acts. Classical guitar magic, is not about speed record breaking but an idiom which common people love because it supposedly makes art music available to everyone. Yes, just about everyone I know owns a guitar, or knows someone who does... an old 50 bucks guitar maybe, but a guitar nevertheless.

The piano and the violin intimidate common people, the guitar does not unless you aim at doing that on purpose. The "show off" have made the road very hard for the rest of us. They may fool common people, but they sure do not fool me. I have attended MANY concerts where the audience looks around to "understand" whether they just attended a good guitar concert or not. They need "someone" to certify, maybe with the nod of their head, something... anything, because they simply understood nothing.

They made it all the way to the concert hall, paid the ticket and got slammed in the face by the very artist! They waited and waited and they were never given the gift of hearing those somewhat familiar tunes (Recuerdos, Romance, Estrellita) because, come on, the interpreter was too good to indulge in that easy stuff. He was there promoting some ugly contemporary piece.

Renato Bellucci at ASA 60th Anniversary Gala. May 2014.

It is easy to hide behind unknown pieces. It is easy to impress at 200 miles an hour than at 5! Guitarists think that everyone has heard enough of the classics! NOT TRUE! If your reasoning has become so distorted that you truly believe that, it is, either because you are attending too many guitar festivals, or because you think that everyone has a Segovia or Williams recording. NOT TRUE! The guitar repertoire does not need to be expanded. What the guitar repertoire needs is true musicians with their feet on the ground who make a great effort to make the tunes common people love "guitar playable". That is a challenge!

What about the other horror of imposing pieces in competitions? Or the even worse horror of being judged by fellow colleagues, when in the real concert scene our survival will depend on the audience and not those ridiculous judges!

Imposing an age limit! Talk about discrimination! It shows that the very organizers of these monstrosities do not trust the audience which, ultimately, will make the event happen. You are all making part of a dark chapter of guitar history.

All the above answers, converge in one big truth. Our ego craves to be fed.

When your reasons start sounding more like, everything else I tried does not make me happy nor puts food on my table (usually these two truths converge in life) or, there are simply not enough players in my town, or... I want to remind my fellow human beings that the human body and brain can persevere silently for hundreds of hours in the pursuit of perfection and music brings happiness to the soul, then you will at least sound honest or have a clear idea of what concert giving it is all about.

Ultimately, all musicians, will have to learn how to co-exist with the physical and psychological sensations that concert giving bring along and the million dollar question: "Why did I have to book myself for this concert in the first place?".. will always hound us in the hours or days prior to a concert.

Some musicians have a character which allows them to deal with the concert scene in a more "detached" fashion, others are masters at choosing the repertoire, others simply practice so many hours that they do not have a life, others should have simply not bothered. If you are an anxious person, you can deliver but will probably suffer a lot. You see, artists in general, are romantic, soulful and sentimental people plus all the normal human mixture of feelings. This explosive mixture is not exactly what you seems to need when it comes to facing a crowd.

Choose your repertoire wisely and wait for the right time. If audiences are not ready for you yet, be extremely patient. A musician suddenly happens to find himself giving concerts and, forcing the issue, will simply make you frustrated and miserable. If you are not giving 100 concerts a year, wait and think about it because you might actually get what you are asking for. Make sure it is what you really want and can handle.

We have to learn to accept the fact that we all fear the possibility of this virtual disaster... a monster shaped as a guitarist getting stuck in the middle of a piece while people throw tomatoes and lettuce at him, our colleagues nodding "no good, no good, I want my money back" or "Thanks God I didn't have to pay for this %?$", the critics saying "A disastrous concert by John Smith" or people pointing at us in the streets saying "That's the guy who got stuck in bar number 25 while tomatoes were flying".

I have felt and will surely keep feeling these monsters attacking me every time I decide to play for people. The only thing that has changed with the years, is my attitude towards these phantoms... they are my friends now and they change into angels the minute I walk on stage. You better be willing to accept this truth because as long as you are from planet Earth, this will be the norm.

Just like any other human being, we prefer the intimacy of our studios rather than the coldness of a stage. Yes, stage is cold no matter how cozy we try to make it. It is here that we have to start examining a series of factors which will surely put things in perspective and help us see the whole thing in its real light. I will tell you what I do when I practice and prepare for a concert: I am always in a "giving concert mode" in my practice. My faith has thought me that I always have an audience, one made of my children and wife, Angels, Saints and God himself. Having said that, and, admitting that faith takes more work and dedication than guitar playing, it is easy to understand that when I go on stage I have: all of the above plus a few struggling souls very much like me helping me fulfill my mission in life. Mistakes on stage: I see as nothing compared to mistakes behind and beyond the stage and the applause: It helps me to think: "If these people heard my Confessions, they would certainly not clap their hands!". I recommend you consider these issues very deeply.

Renato Bellucci Concert at Teatro Municipal, 2013.

Scientific and psychological approach to the concert situation, which is an intellectual activity, have some good answers and it has been proven that the right amount of anxiety and total control is the ideal place to be for optimum performance. The term that describes this situation is called hypomania (hypo=less than usual mania=strong desire for something). In other words, a controlled desire. Being professionals gives us the know-how, while being intelligent gives us the right perspective.

Several tests have shown that good humor is a powerful trigger that helps balance these two factors. I often walk around the backstage with my Walkman, hearing stand-up comedians. It is a great moderator. It is far better than playing scales like crazy.

It helps if you remember these facts: Emotions are, in essence, impulses to react instantly in order to handle life. It is a mechanism that evolution has instilled in us. The root of the word emotion is motere, Latin for to move, plus the prefix e = move away, suggesting that a tendency to act is implicit in every emotion.

- Anger makes blood go to the hands and generates adrenaline, not good for performance.

- Fear makes blood go to the legs. We tend to freeze. Not good for performance either.

- Happiness general rest and readiness and enthusiasm for whatever task. Great for performance!

- Love calm and contentment. What do you think?

- Sadness, depression drop in energy. Forget sadness and performance.

What I have discovered throughout the years is that there is a place, very deep within ourselves and, at the same time very much under our very skin, where we are all great, unique performers (practice and dedication are the foundations and are our peace of mind).

I'll take the word from the movie Jerry Mc Guire (Cuba Gooding Jr and Tom Cruise), the key is the Kwahn (Flow). A state where we reject any type of tension, a place where nothing really matters, where we are not ashamed of what we do because what we do is beautiful and, most importantly, glorifies God. I am not into yoga or transcendental meditation, actually, I can say nothing about these practices which are far from my upbringing or surroundings. But the word delivers and I think that in the music world it is very handy.

As we become worried or anxious, we tend to tense our muscles and that is precisely what we do not need when a major run or challenging phrase is coming up. As these tricky parts approach, what we really want is to "lose control" and not the opposite. If you make a mistake, do not tense-up, relax more and let yourself go.

Learn this technique in your practice. Feel totally relaxed, do a "muscular check" to see if there is even a tiny amount of tension in any body muscles, and, if tension is present, send the command RELAX. As you pick up the guitar, you must do the "muscles check". Every once in a while, send the command -relax- as soon as minimal amount of tension appears anywhere. If you work on relaxed practicing, you will be learning to perform without tension... every performer's worst enemy.

Eventually, we will never have to send the command, or we will not be aware that the command is being sent (real objective). Live performance must be the "ultimate relaxation state" and I know this sounds impossible, but it is the only place where the whole you and I will come through. Energy flows where knots are not present... let us make sure that our muscles and phantoms do not create the knots. Every time a concert is over, it is time to make an evaluation, an objective one. Whatever happened is ok, as long as it makes us better performers and better human beings.

Performing live is a skill that needs us to deepen into two very important aspects of music making. One, physical, and the other psychological. These are two very vague terms that poorly describe the challenges involved in the live performance of music. The physical aspect can be better described as the technical (see the technique page) facet of playing plus a literally physical growth of our muscles, bones and the tissues involved in playing. What this means, is that we must allow for time to do its work, and we will be wise if we accept the fact that a given technical difficulty will simply cease to exist given the right amount of time. When our left hand finger 4, say, will have grown that extra millimeter or two we need to reach that elusive note, we will have witnessed this phenomenon taking place.

TRUTH! There is always more than 1 possible fingering and, at times, literally many more than 1.

When I started working on Bach's Chaconne with Maestro Carlevaro in 1986 (I was 24), he made it clear to me that I was not physically fit to play certain passages yet (I must stress that he was a Maestro in the way he pointed it out to me avoiding words that might hurt my feelings). I was mature enough, loved and respected the man so as to listen and wait... 10 years passed before I could record it. I think that the Chaconne is not the kind of piece you play to an audience. It is more like a piece you play to an audience after a one week "Chaconne appreciation class".

Renato, Charla Gramo 2013

We worked out alternative fingerings, moved a few notes here and there, and in the process, he took the time to show me his own fingerings from different times in his life. He made me buy 3 original copies of Segovia's arrangement and told me I would need them when the markings on top of the markings would make reading the notes impossible. He was right, so right.

Most non-guitarist composers, work with a guitarist during the composition process (a good one will do), that shows the composer the technical difficulties, the sound capabilities of the instrument so as to create the best possible piece of music for the instrument and the guitarist that will premiere the work. Carlevaro worked with Vila-Lobos on the 5 Preludes in order to make them more guitarristic. Vila-Lobos was not in close contact with Segovia (to whom he dedicated the pieces), and the exchange of ideas was made mostly through mail.. Carlevaro's fingering of Vila-Lobos Preludes is a must have and then again, he re-examined each single bar with me to help me figure out how to adapt his concepts to my hands, and in the process, helped me create MY technique.

Anxiety

Guitarist feel close in terms of the instrument we share, but can be very distant when it comes to body size, arms and fingers length, muscular flexibility and stamina, nail shape and thickness, character and personality, interior life and presence of God and, since art is the sum of thousands of small parts bonded together, we must understand that these physical,  mental and spiritual properties are the cement which keep the parts together. Therefore, we better be extremely patient. Know yourself very thoroughly. You must learn that you are body, mind and soul. You cannot neglect your soul or your body and mind will faulter.

I foresee a time when guitarists will be so specialized in their repertoire that all they will be able to play only a handful of pieces. What creates the anxiety is the times we live. Anxiety is well described as “Being here but wanting to be somewhere else”. It is like a non synchronized part of our being and definitely one of the most deterring emotions that a human being can withstand. This is so true that during one of the introits of the Catholic Mass we pray "Free us Lord from all anxiety..."...  We forget that Bach never heard any of his masterpieces as well played as they are played today. Actually, some of his masterworks, were never performed during his lifetime. We forget that we are always improving as performers and all that is asked of us is that we do our best with all our best.

Anxiety was approached scientifically in the early 1960s, by Richard Alpert who noticed how anxiety affected him negatively during tests while his classmate, Ralph Haber, was affected positively by it. Eventually, Alpert discovered that it was not the anxiety that influenced the performance but the response to it. Roll May, one of my favorite psychiatrists, considered Anxiety to be good and said that we have to learn how to use it to our advantage and prevent it from causing harm in our lives.

The other thing that a professional musician will discover with experience is that anxiety can be anticipated. A good example to explain this phenomenon is the first time skydiver and the professional skydiver. The novice takes all his anxiety to the very moment prior to the dive, while the professional undergoes a longer anticipated anxiety which is evenly distributed in the hours or days prior to the jump itself.

I often look at a painting I have on my studio wall. I see its colors and shadows change as the light in the room changes according to the time of day. Art is an idea we have in our mind and all we really need is the light to make it visible. The same thing happens to my playing: I considered it beautiful many years ago and I still consider it beautiful, though, little has remained unchanged if nothing at all. All we have is the composer's ideas on a musical score.

The moment we walk on stage we are saying: “Now, I will try to re-create this work of art” still, we'd be crazy if we believed we were Bach, then Tárrega, Barrios and so forth through the concert program. We grasped the overall idea and mixture of feelings the composer had at the time he sat down to write. The time and dedication of our patient practice plus the audience expectation will be the tools we have to achieve the goal.

Nobody would throw tomatoes at Van-Gogh if he did not replicate his Starry Night exactly the way he did once... The same applies to us and, yes, the rest is only what other people think or say. Applause will be there for the idea, the effort and the moment... maybe, not certainly, for the flawlessness.

Video 1/3

Video 2/3

Video 3/3

PRACTICAL ADVICE

Advice I have and a lot has been written about the practical things we can do in order to give a good recital. These are some of the things I learned and apply to me.

DO NOT PLAY A PIECE OF MUSIC IN PUBLIC UNTIL YOU LIKE IT IN PRIVATE. Do not think for a second that the mistake/s we make while practicing wont appear on stage. They will FOR SURE.

PLAY MUSIC YOU REALLY LIKE and avoid competitions unless this point and the previous one are ok and make sure you go there to win and not to learn. Everyone knows who the winner is after the first round is over... the rest is meeting the scheduled dates. Learning should be left for practice time not for competitions and as Berlioz once said "Competitions are for horses, not for musicians".

REMEMBER THAT ONLY 0.5% of the public will notice a mistake unless you put a TAG on it (like saying I am sorry).

99.9% of the people attending are there to cheer you up, make sure you are one of them.

If a PRO is there, you are lucky.

START THE PROGRAM WITH THE PIECE OR PIECES YOU ARE TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH. In other words, start-off with the right foot, unless you are in for the thrill of your life.

IF FOR ANY REASON YOU DECIDE THE CONDITIONS ARE NOT RIGHT FOR A GIVEN PIECE, SKIP THE PIECE. Trust your feelings, nobody gets a receipt on the way in or out a concert hall.

CHANGE THE STRINGS AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE A CONCERT.

IT'S PERFECTLY OK TO HAVE YOUR SCORES ON STAGE.

YOU ARE NOT THERE TO IMPRESS ANYBODY.

REST ON THE DAY OF THE CONCERT, even better, have a great time, laugh a lot!

ENJOY THE MOMENT and make your own personal list.

LOOK FORWARD TO A BAD REVIEW, It's better than no review at all and you were at least worth the ink.

S.D.G.

These 3 letters separated by a dot have been an inspiration throughout most of my adult life. I was first introduced to them when reading a J.S. Bach Biography when I lived in Spain in the early 1980s. I was 22 years old. My insatiable pursue of mastering the classical guitar with the great Spanish Masters Andres Segovia and Narciso Yepes was only shadowed by an equally insatiable thirst for a deeper meaning to life. By then, It had become clear to me that as soon as "an apparently unattainable goal" in life war reached, it was immediately replaced by a new apparently unattainable goal that needed to be accomplished with at least the same urgency as the previous one. My heart knew that there had to be more to life than a continuous pursue of dissatisfactions.  I was totally convinced whe I read St. Agustine immortal saying: “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” A series of providential coincidences orchestrated by God himself (I invite you to hear the story here) took me by the hand and I was revived to my faith. Although I come from a Catholic cradle, my faith had been dormant. But it all changed in the Spring of 1983. I understood the infinite meaning behind the 3 letters that Bach used to dedicate all his work to God: S.D.G. Soli Deo Gloria. To God All the Glory.

But of course! That was the great secret to a heart full of joy and meaning ! What else could a human heart desire beyond having performed with and for God himself? There remained nothing to be desired! From that day on I learned that the endless hours of practice were never in vain. To this day, I never know when I will be facing a live audience or if I will ever give another concert but I do know for sure that when I embrace my guitar for practice today, in the silence of my home, in the morning or evening hours, I will swiftly look at the Crucifix on my practice table and tell Him: "This Concert is for you". I know that all the Saints, Angels, The Virgin Mary and the Blessed Trinity are all attending this "private" session and my heart needs no more. This has been the driving force allowing me to persevere with the classical guitar throughout the years.

In the image above I am playing Bach Fugue BWV 1000 for my Celestial audience one Summer evening in San Bernardino Paraguay. March 9, 2015.

 

 

Continues in the members area.

The continuation of this class is in the members area, become a member today.