Seattle Classic Guitar Society
Articles

Evelyn's Corner:
An Interview with the Eastside Classical Guitar Group
By Evelyn Arvey
Welcome to the newest addition to the Soundings Newsletter and the SCGS Website! I am very pleased to be a “Roving Reporter” for the Guitar Society, and over time I plan to talk to and interview a wide variety of Society members and local guitarists. Why do we play the guitar? What are our best memories? What is the most difficult thing we deal with?  Do you feel this is a solitary endeavor? I think it’s time that we all get to know each other a bit better! I decided to start with an interview with members of the Eastside Classical Guitar Group.

The group was enthusiastic about being interviewed; they even came up with several questions of their own! I had planned to only take up ten or fifteen minutes of the meeting time – but our interview session lasted well beyond that. Everyone loved hearing each others’ stories. (Maybe I’m on to something here?) Many thanks to the participants of the interview: Nancy, Scott, Paula, Karen, Paul, Vinay, David, Mark, Manny, Didi, Bob, and myself. You guys are great!

Question One:
How did you first become interested in learning to play the Classical Guitar?       

Answers (In no particular order):
I wanted to impress the girls; I had an image in my mind – playing in front of a fireplace with friends singing (it has never actually happened!);  I heard a recording by Julian Bream;  I watched Frederic Noad’s show on Channel 9; I didn’t know any better;  I had a student who was interested in Classical Guitar and I heard him play and I was curious about it;  I inherited a guitar; My Dad had Segovia and Bream and Williams records; I fell in with a group of Flamenco guitarists when I was 25 and one of them also played Classical, he became my first teacher;  I was fascinated because with Classical Guitar you can hear all six strings independently – not strummed like chords; When I was 14 or 15 I heard a concert in a church where the guitarist played “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” and it struck me hard.

Question Two:
Do you remember your first Classical Guitar Concert? Who was it?       

Answers:
Andres Segovia in 1957 in Seattle;  Don’t remember; Ricardo Iznaola; Christopher Parkening; Christopher Parkening; Oscar Ghilia; The Katona Twins; Don’t remember, but it was here in Seattle;  Andres Segovia; Christopher Parkening in 1989; Paco de Lucia.

Question Three:
Do you currently study with someone?       

Answers:
Yes (Michael Partington); Yes (Peter Caruso); Yes (Cole Valenti); No, but I did before; Yes (Peter Caruso); Yes (Kevin Callahan);  Yes;  Not now but I did in the past;  Yes (Kevin Callahan); Yes (Peter Caruso); Yes (Kevin Callahan);  No. 

Question Four:
Did you ever take a long break in your guitar playing?  How long?       

Answers:
Seventeen years;  32 years;  No break in my playing;  20 years;  1 year;  Two weeks – and it was a REALLY long two weeks;  27 years;  No break;  18 years;  2½ years during my Army time.

Question Five:
What other instruments do you play (or have played in the past)?       

Answers:
Piano and viola;  Violin;  Trumpet; Sax;  Piano and harmonica;  Piano;  (This next person is an orchestra all by herself!): “Piano, accordion, cello, flute, sax, and clarinet – but the guitar is better than all of them!”       

Question Six:
Who is your current favorite guitarist?        

Answers:
I can’t answer that, too hard;  It depends on my mood;  It changes;  Michael LeFevre;  Denis Azabeigic;  John Williams; Ana Vidovic;  Jorge Morel and Chet Atkins – he also plays classical;  Yamandu Costa.

Question Seven:
How long had you played guitar before you tried changing your own strings?       

Answers:
Five years;  I still don’t do it – I take it to the shop and say “Here, can you change them for me?”;  I don’t remember, but it was soon after I started;  Four months;  Ha! I never even changed the strings on my first guitar;  Two months;  Six months – I asked my teacher to show me during a lesson;  Two years, my teacher never showed me how;  I did it myself right from the beginning;  Same answer – right from the beginning;  Six months;  One month.

Question Eight:
How many notes are there on a guitar?       

Answers:
(Looking hard at guitar) I don’t have a clue;  Twelve notes;  Twelve;  140;  Twelve;  Hmmm – with variations on an octave, I’d say there are LOTS;  TOO MANY! There are limitless notes if you include all of the harmonics and bent notes;  120;  Twelve;  Countless.

Question Nine:
How many hours a day does Michael Partington practice?       

Answers:
Four;  Three;  More than me;  Three; Four;  Four; Three to Four;  If you include THINKING about the guitar – about twenty;  3½;  Two;  Five;  I suppose it depends on what he’s doing, if he’s getting geared up for a concert.       

That’s all, folks! The interview was a lot of fun. And now a few questions for all of you readers: How many notes ARE there on a guitar? We all want to know! Should one of a student’s first lessons be how to change the strings on their own guitar? And why is it so dang scary at first? But the most important question of all is - how many hours a day does Michael Partington practice? Hmmm? Write your answers to me at evelynarvey@gmail.com and I will put them in the next issue and reveal how many hours a day Michael practices.