Interview

Mel Bay Guitar Sessions®

An Interview with Richard Gilewitz
by Stephen Rekas

Richard GilewitzGuitar Sessions: What inspired you to play the guitar?
Richard Gilewitz: My cousin Joyce used to play guitar when she would visit with the family in Cherry Hill, NJ. I was about 10 years old at the time and my brother began playing drums which is actually the instrument that initially got my attention. Soon afterwards my father brought home the Beatles album HELP! and George Harrison's work lured me back to the guitar. It was not until 1974 at the age of 14, however, that I first began guitar lessons in Huntsville, Alabama.

Was music a part of your householdwhen growing up?
Yes, and it was an interesting mix. My mother was a professional writer and had her own column in a bluegrass magazine and my father used to listen with me to the Dr. Demento radio show. In the summertime we would go to the Bluegrass Festival in Renfro Valley, KY. Then, I would listen to Donovan singing Hurdy Gurdy Man on the Demento show. I would also cut out the back of cereal boxes and listen to stuff like Sugar Sugar by The Archies. I had just enough dork in me to be open to all musical genres. (Many thanks to my dad for exposing me to classical music as well!)

Do you feel that your starting age was a critical factor in playing your style?
I'm not sure if the age had much to do with it but there was an unforgettable incident which has had an impact to this day. As usual, my cousin would come over with her guitar for a weekend visit. But this time she brought two records with her- one of John Fahey and the other of Leo Kottke's 6 and 12-string guitar playing. As we listened, I noticed her fanatical expressions but the music did not quite register with me. Coincidentally, that night Leo appeared on The Midnight Special, hosted by Wolfman Jack. After he played Vaseline Machine Gun I was transfixed by the style, which must have had quite an impact since it has never left me. I understand this was true for many fingerstyle players at the time, but somehow it has stuck with me over the years.

Tell us about your formal musical training.
I studied with guitar teachers for about four years from 1974-1977. My first teacher was Stan Lee and to this day I believe that, if I had not had such a kind and patient teacher, I would have quit. His desire to inspire me planted a permanent seed. During my years at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama I took a course in Music Theory. While attending the University of Alabama I began with a minor in music. The foundation I gained in these studies, which included music theory, ear training, harmony, sight reading, etc. have proven invaluable. I must add, however, that I received a great deal of the 'informal' training through friends, coffeehouse performances, and trial and error efforts that provided an equal if not broader foundation and source of inspiration.

What styles interested you when you first began to play?
The Beatles. To this day, I'm a huge Beatles fan. Among guitarists, the ones that got my attention in college were Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Peter Lang, Robbie Basho, Andrés Segovia, Fernando Sor, John Williams, Julian Bream, Christopher Parkening, John Renbourn, and my most inspirational teacher ever, David Walbert. I studied with David for many years and eventually wound up recording his entire body of work.

How do those preferences influence your current music and what other artists played a role?
Those styles of playing provided only the initial foundation for my playing style today. Many other forms of music from Depeche Mode, U2, reggae artist Jimmy Cliff, Kraftwerk, Enya and a multitude of other musical inspirations over the years have had an impact on my musical moods, although the music I play may not seem to a listener to actually derive from those sources.

Who were your teachers? Did they use any particular method books?
I wound up with the teachers I had by chance and I was extremely fortunate in meeting Stan Lee and David Walbert, as I mentioned. Simply put, I got lucky. The sources of material were collected over a period of years and an initial favorite was Aaron Schearer's Volumes 1 and 2 for classical guitar technique. Most of the other books were Mel Bay products including chord, scale, and fingerstyle approaches as well as individual pieces from varied sources.

Do you play any other instruments?
Not really. I did try 5-string banjo for a while but I couldn't get used to the high string being on top! I also attempted autoharp for some time but gave it up. I used to joke that I originally wanted to play the drums which is why my parents bought me a guitar.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with in a recording or tour?
Yeah, the Beatles. No, seriously, I have had the immense pleasure of involvement with other musicians both on stage and in the studio. It seems to be something that more often than not happens by chance instead of my taking an active role. It's almost unavoidable, which can make for some genuinely nice surprises. I have also opened for, performed or toured with such diverse acts as The Squirrel Nut Zippers, John Hammond, Kenny G, The Indigo Girls, Steve Morse, and Warren Zevon to name a few and it's never been anything short of a dream come true.

What musical avenues do you wish to explore in the future?
My main interest right now is in composing pieces for the guitar. I have spent many years attempting to mimic my heroes, developing technique, learning various pieces and improving my stage sound and performances. Although I have written several pieces I feel that it is time to tap into myself to see what might be lurking there.

What keeps you interested in the music business?
Playing and teaching. I have been fortunate enough to tour for nearly fifteen years now and love to travel, develop my craft, and share it with others, both listeners and students. I also enjoy the new challenges that I'm faced with on a daily basis.

Have you ever had to weather a creative dry spell in your playing or composition and if so, how did you overcome it?
Every day! Every, every day!! For me it seems to come in waves. I have always equated writing to fishing. It's more like reverse fishin because it is about not only the willingness to wait, but also enjoying rather than simply 'enduring' the wait. But then, the fish (or tune/ or motif) hooks you! You don't hook the fish. When that riff or idea plants itself, you've got to wake up and get to work. Focus on it, don't focus on it...play, drift, drool, but don't give up.

There are different approaches. Some people write down actual notes and hone it from there. Some put ideas on tape, and some are willing to just run with the tune. I have tried all of the above. Sometimes the whole tune will come in a day or a week and sometimes, like children, they take years to grow up. I may overcome a dry spell by learning a piece of written music or listening to a new piece to get something new inside.

Which of your albums would you recommend to someone buying one of your recordings for the first time?
Voluntary Solitary or Synapse Collapse; both offer a nice array of styles. Synapse features Gumbi Ortiz on percussion and David Webb on piano on a few cuts for those who prefer some backup to the guitar. Those two guys are beyond outstanding. The Music of David Walbert is a collection of pieces composed by my teacher. They are more classical in nature but that is probably my best recording.

Can you name a career high?
I have had many fortunate and sometimes magical moments in my career but I'd have to say without a doubt, when Leo Kottke recorded one of my original pieces, Echoing Wilderness renaming it Echoing Gilewitz I was, and still am floored! It's one thing to meet your hero, another to become friends, and still another for him to acknowledge my music to that degree. It also gave me permanent confidence in my writing. I remember that when I taught him the piece I only had to show it to him once. (He's still the best guitar student I've ever had!).

Career low?
I was once double-booked with a rap artist. We decided to alternate songs during the show. I remember a huge guy standing in the middle of the dance floor grinning from ear to ear, shaking his head from side to side...he came up to me after my 2nd tune, smiled, and said, "I'm gonna help you get out a' here!"

How has your family affected your music?
It's more like affected by it! My mother only likes bluegrass music and is horrified by most of the stuff I play, but extremely supportive. My dad was always supportive but kept wondering when I was going to learn to play fast. I used to come home from school and play for him. Once, he got so bored watching me tune for nearly 5 minutes he snapped and yelled, "Come on!! Just play the song. Tune it later!" My brother is still stuck on 50s music and wonders when and why I took a left turn. One sister is perpetually indifferent to my music and the other now likes it 'cause her new baby stops crying when she puts on my CD.

Apart from music, what are your interests?
About the same time I took up the guitar I started in martial arts. I eventually got my Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and was an instructor at the University of Alabama for three years. Although I don't compete or work out as much anymore, I feel that the training, experience and positive attitude I acquired during that period are invaluable to this day. Besides that I'm an avid movie and sports fan; I enjoy reading and doing absolutely nothing.

Do you teach or act as a musical mentor?
I began teaching after taking only three or four years of lessons. I was attending the University of Alabama and the local guitar shop in town hired me, which was a nice way of helping with school expenses. I have been teaching ever since and have become fortunate enough to conduct seminars nationwide with the support of Peavey Electronics and GHS Strings, both major manufacturers in the music industry. As far as being a mentor I don't feel that one ever intends to become one, but if it happens on a student's behalf I'm flattered and always hope I can point someone in a positive direction.

Have you produced any instructional materials such as books or videos?
Yes. I released my own book of tablature and notation for a variety of pieces I have recorded on my first two CD's and I'm currently completing material for my collection of original pieces to be released in late 2001. In early 2001, Peavey Electronics released a video I did entitled Music and Instruction for Fingerstyle Guitar.

What sort of practice routine would you recommend for the beginning, intermediate or advanced player? Also describe your practice routine.
I'll answer the entire first half of your question by only telling you how I did it. During the early years I tended to be very organized and methodical in my practice. If I practiced 18 minutes I might have written it in a book. If I thought I should practice 18 minutes, I'd write in a book, "Practice 18 minutes!" Over the years, music and playing etched its way into my way of life. I've been playing for about 27 years and I'd have to say that during the last 10 or so, if I notice that I'm not playing enough, I start feeling sick...and if I'm playing too much I start feeling sick! So for anyone else, at any level, I'd suggest you find your own triggers, and if a method works for you, stay with it. Above all though I'd recommend to anyone to have fun, don't take it all too seriously, and if it just becomes a hobby, that's ok.

Any particular teaching/learning techniques?
As I mentioned previously with triggers, set yourself up with options. For example, I used to leave three guitars out in full view at all times: a classical, a 6-string and a 12-string. I might have each one in a different tuning. I would also keep music that I was working on in close proximity. It might be tab for a folk piece, standard notation for a classical, a cassette of something I was trying to write, or a recording of someone else's piece that I was trying to learn. Then, I'd just go for it!

Depending on my mood, which varied throughout the day or night, I would bounce around between the tasksI had laid out for myself. In that environment, I felt that I would be more likely to get in a few hours of practice. I would also stress the importance of taking breaks to allow yourself the time to let things 'cook' inside for awhile.

What do you feel are your technical strengths and weaknesses?
I'm fairly confident about the right-hand technique that I've developed. It allows my fingers to avoid tripping over themselves. I have also spent a great deal of time on working out a variety of fingerstyle tonal colors. As far as weaknesses, the first that comes to mind is a lack of time spent jamming with other players. I never quite focused enough on scale studies to know where to go when someone else is playing an H chord!

What is your opinion of tab vs. notation?
I have always felt both are advantageous. Tab tends to lay out the fingerings more simply for some players, and notation better demonstrates the intended note values. One drawback with tab is that too many players are tempted to use it as a crutch, avoiding notation completely; a drawback of pieces written only in notation is that they can scare away some players, causing them to miss out on what might have been a great piece to add to their repertoire.

What do you do to keep your repertoire sounding fresh?
I have always gotten bored once I have played a piece too many times, so it's always been in my nature to not only add a new piece of music to the repertoire, but to expand the styles or moods of the pieces. Eventually, when you have a quality repertoire of more than two or three hours worth of music, it takes time to maintain all the pieces. I tend to put a few "up in the attic" for awhile and later come back to them. They eventually get recycled into the repertoire and sometimes take on a new voice after having "gone on vacation" so to speak. (Maybe they're afraid they'll be forgotten forever and come back with a newfound spiritual vengeance!).

What are some standard areas of repertoire you would like to explore?
Their are some pieces in the classical repertoire that I avoided as a youth due to their level of difficulty; I would like to take another crack at them. Also, ragtime is a musical form I've always gotten a kick out of and never quite explored. But I'd mostly like to continue fishing around for new tunes of my own.

What are the key elements of your technique and style?
I like to improvise within the notes and treat them differently each time I play the piece. Many of these adjustments are incredibly subtle and I don't think they're planned. It's more about me relaxing during a performance, getting out of the way, and letting my fingers react. This allows a piece to have a slightly different voice and lets me enjoy the music as an observer.

Is there a logical sequence to enhancing ones harmonic palette?
The best way I feel that I have achieved an expanded palette was by playing a small fragment of a piece, maybe just two or three bars, and recycling them over and over until I can see what's inside. You can't avoid feeling and playing the section a little bit differently each time and as you insert these puzzle pieces back into the song, the entire character of the music will expand.

In your role as a teacher, what areas do you emphasize with your students?
To have fun, work hard, and accept whatever role music eventually takes on in their lives. If it becomes a hobby, that's ok. too. There are so many options in the field of music: teacher, performer, recording artist, session player, music store owner, salesman, or just playing in your living room at the end of a busy day to help unwind or escape. Playing the guitr is absolutely NOT a competition! I try to encourage people not to say, "Well, I'm going to burn my guitar when I get home," after they've seen a player they admire. I suggest they use those players as a source of inspiration and challenge, and that music is something that can be with you as an avocatyion for your entire life.

How do you approach the teaching of interpretation?
I try to let students understand options available in music and give them a simple palette of similar chords in different positions and voicings, explaining doubling, substitutions, and inversions. I also emphasize ear training. If an arranger hears the music in his head a certain way, how does he locate that sound on the instrument? Sometimes pitching the instrument down as many as one or two full steps, using capos, open tunings, theory knowledge, and trial and error...they all come into play.

Any suggestions on forming a concert repertoire?
I always try to keep these elements in mind when performing a set of music: an opening, a closing, variety, momentum, pacing and the element of surprise - and then select carefully. In other words, don't just suddenly follow a blues tune with a classical piece and then oh wow! hey everyone...here's a bluegrass tune now. The threading of the music has to have purpose. Put yourself in the audience and ask yourself whether the transitions flow or just shock.
Gear

What strings and instruments do you use?
I prefer GHS Golden Bronze strings which are materially and acoustically somewhere between phosphor bronze and bright bronze in character. I have several guitars including a Tacoma, a Dan Crary model Taylor, a Dakota, three Peavey's, Augustino and Guild 12-strings, a Hirade classical, and a 6-string Banjitar. I also have an electric but I'm afraid of it!

How about pickups for your acoustic guitars?
When performing I usually utilize a Sunrise magnetic soundhole pickup, occasionally a Fishman Rare Earth magnetic pickup, and either an internal GHS soundhole mic or an external condenser mic when available at the venue. I currently have endorsements with Tacoma Guitars, GHS Strings, Peavey Electronics, Sabine, and Shubb capos.

Management and Tips for the Road

Do you manage yourself or work through an agency?
I have professional management through Alligator Alley Productions, but always seem to find a way to stick my fingers in the pie! I have always self-produced my recordings and handled the distribution through touring, amazon.com, and my personal website: www.richardgilewitz.com. This site also displays my upcoming tour schedule.

Any tips on touring, performance etiquette and artist/venue manager relations?
Absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt...stay HEALTHY!! This is crucial to everything. As often as possible, eat right, sleep right, get some amount of sunlight and exercise. I cannot stress enough how this will affect your state of mind, attitude, stress level, durability, performance level, and professional dealings with not only your audience but your employers as well...not to mention the length of your career. Nice guys DO finish first. Your life depends on it.