Susan Alcorn
From:
Baltimore, MD, USA
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Posted 2 Mar 2018 11:40 am |
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For those of you crazy enough to be interested, last September I was invited by the Brooks Long and the Creative Alliance of Baltimore to take part in their “Songster†series - to sit down, play my steel guitar, talk about a variety of musical subjects, and take questions from the audience. There are four videos documenting this early evening get-together, so it might be a bit to wade through, but I imagine most steel guitarists will find at least something to pique their curiosity if not their interest.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUqZaVUdfVjueET03_z8IccNWcM351T-T
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Here’s what’s in the videos:
Part 1
It begins with me playing one of my pieces for steel guitar, “Twin Beams" and talking about how I composed it (early one morning at an empty opera house in Leipzig, Germany); then I go through an overview, perhaps not completely accurate, of the history of the steel guitar, particularly the pedals. I end this segment by shamelessly aping two of my favorite musicians, Jimmy Day and Dickey Overby.
Part 2

This one begins with me, again channeling another steel player, the great Buddy Emmons (and also, I think, at the very end, Hal Rugg). After playing his version of an old traditional tune, I say some things about steel guitar pre-Buddy Emmons that I now regret (things can go south pretty fast when somebody opens their mouth, not finding the right words, but keeps talking anyway). After that, I play short examples of a couple of jazz standards then play short examples of a couple of western swing steel guitar instrumentals. It ends with me explaining and then playing another of my compositions and, finally, going into a little bit of Richard Wagner. (Yes, I’m all over the place which is what my music teacher scolded me about as a child)
Part 3
The third video has more talking than playing. I attempt to explain my musical philosophy, my feelings about synthesizers and effects pedals, then the subject turns to composers John Cage and Pauline Oliveros, a mentor. I end the evening playing a piece from Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Timeâ€.
Part 4
This one is a short video which contains something I wrote titled “And I Await the Resurrection of the Pedal Steel Guitar". After that is my somewhat literal approach to rock music.
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So . . . it’s a lot to wade through in one sitting unless you’re like me and have nothing else to do (except procrastinate on your practicing). Like all music of this kind, I think it is a better experience if you listen through headphones or decent stereo speakers. Thank you to those who watch the whole thing and to those who only watch a little bit. I hope you enjoyed the music.
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www.susanalcorn.net
"So this is how you swim inward. So this is how you flow outwards. So this is how you pray."
- Mary Oliver |
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