Eurostar

The world is whizzing by outside my window as I head from London to Brussels on the Eurostar. I am off to spend two weeks with close friends in Bruges that I met in the Iserlohn festival of 2003. I have to pop my ears every few minutes as the train ducks in and out of tunnels. It’s a pretty amazing ride!

While I was in London I performed for the Australian Music Foundation and I also caught up with some old friends. As I had studied in London back in 2003 it is a very familiar city to me and I enjoy re-tracing some old steps. I went back to the Royal Academy this afternoon and managed to slip by the security guards with a backdoor trick I learnt many years ago. Little has changed in seven years but the sights and smells of the buildings bring back a lot of memories.

I also visited the Spanish Guitar Centre in London which was a regular hang-out for me, especially on work breaks at the Wigmore Hall. I took the opportunity to interview Juan for Classical Guitar Review and it was interesting to hear him talk about what has changed over the years. The most interesting point he brought up was that in the seventies players that came and played in stores like his all had very distinct techniques which were enjoyable to watch. “These days its like a factory” he said. I have to agree with him as there are few guitarists that I can single out as being utterly unique. As much as I would like to say that my playing style unique, I must admit that I sit with the rule rather than the exception. It definitely gives food for thought, but an individual style cannot be forced it develops over time. Perhaps the best way to encourage individuality is to be around non-guitarists for the most part?

Right now… I am under the English Channel… how strange!