So I’ve recommended Eric Whitacre, but this piece and artistry is well worth another recommendation. That and I can’t this music out of my head at the moment.

So Eric already has these amazing choral pieces and know has put together a “virtual chior” to perform them. (Find out more on his website here.) The idea is such a creative use of technology. I eat stuff up like this. Basically he has singers from around the world submit individual youtube videos of themselves singing individual parts to his piece Sleep. (and previously Lux Aurumque) Then, with the help of others, he combines all the individual tracks/videos to make one “virtual chior.” (Find out more from his TED talk here) The idea is sooooo amazing. So for Sleep he got over two thousand people to sing it and the thickness of the choir sound is quite incredible.

Without further adieu here it is:

I was trying to work the other day and being a curious guitar player decided to look more deeply into a style of playing called “travis picking.” (Nope I wasn’t trying to avoid work at all.) And then stumbled upon the “inventor” of “travis picking,” Merle Travis. And it was a real treat. His style really helped shape and pioneer country, blue grass, and blues. It’s amazing that he could get so much sound out of a guitar with only two fingers. That’s right the other three are just chilling out/getting a tan on the face of the guitar. And not just skill level to be able to play what’s he’s playing, but what he’s playing and distinct/pioneering it was in it’s day. Wow.

Needless to say I’ve been trying my hand at it ever since. Here’s a compilation clip of him on youtube. Enjoy.

My friend and talented musician Kevin Brown recommended an artist/composer named Eric Whitacre to me recently. So I picked up the album light & gold. Just the first track moved me to almost to tears. I actually had to turn the music off to recompose myself. The depth and emotion of the music is beyond this time and place. And really music is just simply audible/physical emotions. That first track is what I’d like to share. I would venture to say this is some of the best music I’ve ever heard. Although I am slightly biased to choral music.

Here is Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque

I can’t get this guitar part out of my head lately. As you may or may not know, I’m a pretty big Dave Matthews Band fan. In the past few months I don’t believe I’ve listening to the Groogrux King album all that much. But then all of sudden a guitar part starts singing in my head and it’s the riff for my baby blue. So here it is. Not only is the song great, but strings arrangement is amazing and fitting.

One quick thought for any guitar players out there: I was thinking how can he be playing this guitar part and singing at the same time? Well the riff actually get’s simplified a bit once the singing comes in. And thank goodness, because that would otherwise be ridiculous.