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!

For all of you who can’t wait to hear the final product (maybe its just me…) I have included a little excerpt from the work we did today.  I hope you enjoy it!

[dewplayer:http://www.simonpowis.com/image-uploads/01-Turina-Sonata-excerpt.mp3]Turina I excerpt

Peace, Love and Guitars

Simon

So, I have designed a draft version of the cover of my very first CD release!! What do you think? I designed the artwork myself with the help of the almighty Photoshop and I think it turned out pretty well. Of course, that doesn’t mean it will be the final product…

I do have a little problem though, (just one?), I am a little stuck for a CD title. The CD is really a culmination of several years of study and the pieces are from all over the place so the real significance of the recording is my debut as a professional musician. If you have any ideas about what it could be titled please leave it in the comments below!!

Also, if you are as excited as I am about the new recording you can pre-order it here to be one of the first to listen to it!

Peace, love and guitars.

Simon

For the last week I have been prepping the materials and on Tuesday we had our first session. To start off with, we had to experiment a little with the mic placement to create a good sound. Let me tell you, its no walk in the park. It’s like tasting 10 glasses of wine and trying to remember the best one. In the end we settled on a good sound and I think you will like it!

In the end the concert went well and it was quite an experience to remain focused and optimistic leading up to the performance. I learned a lot about focus and how important it is to keep a recital ready to go at the drop of a hat.

Needless to say the Chianti after the concert was well needed

-Simon

I performed the concert on my brand new guitar which was a pleasure to play. As much as I love playing my Alessandro Marseglia guitar, this new instrument allows me to make a more beautiful sound with less effort. Being slightly smaller (640 not 650mm) the guitar will take some getting used to but I felt comfortable enough on the guitar to play it in concert after owning it for less than a week.

The concert was recorded and filmed so I will get some excerpts up on the site soon. For now you will have to live with a nice picture that a friend of mine took of her computer screen during the live broadcast!

Thanks,

Simon

Last night I had an absolute blast conducting a workshop at the New York Classical Guitar Society. I presented some of my research that I have been doing on the topic of sight reading and I was really happy with how it went. I really enjoyed meeting the guitarists at the society, made some new friends and even bumped into some old ones!

Today, however, is a different story. Part of my studies for the doctoral program require ‘comprehensive exams’ which involve writing three substantial essays over the course of a weekend. As you can see, by the sheer fact that I am writing on my website, its tough to get the ball rolling.

One of the questions is a discussion on how classical guitar performance practice has been influenced by other plucked instruments int he guitar’s lineage (vihuela, lute, baroque guitar etc.). Another question is a comparison of the writings of Claude Debussy and his compositions. The third, well its a little complex, but let’s just say its going to involve a lot of books, a lot of scores and an hourly dose of caffeine.

If you want to send me messages to help me procrastinate I would be grateful

See you on Monday,

Simon

Thursday, February 4, 2010, at 7:00 PM
Manhattan Theatre Club Creative Center (on the 8th Floor)
311 West 43rd St. between Eighth and Ninth Avenues (map)
New York City

Bring your guitar and a music stand – this will be an interactive presentation!

“Reading facility is not simply a useful additional skill for a musician to have. It is, in a sense, necessary for full membership to the musical community.” – John Sloboda, The Musical Mind

Sight reading has a new found significance for guitarists in the twenty-first century with more guitarists getting involved in a variety of chamber music situations. The behavioral tendency of guitarists to be solitary figures has permitted poor sight reading skills to go largely unnoticed. Memorization of works plays a large role in the life of a guitarist and the use of memorization supplants the need to have adequate reading skills on any level, let alone at sight. The necessity of a well formed sight reading skill becomes more apparent as technique and performance standards rise to comparable levels with other musicians.

Despite the dramatic improvement in most areas of guitar pedagogy there are still several areas that remain undeveloped and desperately in need of attention. One of these areas is the skill of sight reading. Currently the level of sight reading among tertiary level guitar students is poor and inadequate for that required by most professional musicians. It is a deficiency that affects a musician’s life and the instrument’s reputation and there is no reason for the level of sight reading to remain as low as it currently is.

The presentation for the Society will look at why sight reading is at its current level and strategies for improving and teaching sight reading to guitarists. Bring your guitar and a music stand – this will be an interactive presentation!

With the end of my doctoral studies approaching in May, I plan to make my first commercial recording that will be available on CD and download. My head has been swimming with ideas for the album and I am sure that my imagination will continue to run rampant until I sit down and record. June will be the month for recording as I will have some time to focus on the repertoire after graduation and it will be just before I take off to Europe for two months, closely followed by a tour in Australia. A dear friend of mine has offered to lend her 1992 Smallman guitar for the recording. Her instrument is one of the finest guitars I have ever seen by Smallman and it would be amazing to record with it!

Thanks again, and please feel free to let your friends know about the recording if you think they will be interested.

Bye bye!

Simon