Actually, this is an autobiography to some extent, as it's me, David, writing this. I hope it's incomplete, you can imagine, as there is lots more life I have remaining. I've left out parts that don't relate to making the music, and didn't mention most of my influences, such as a beautiful view of some creation of nature (possibly dappled in sunlight,) as there are far more of these than I could recall or tell here. I'm not trying to withhold information but would rather influence your enjoyment of the music upon your hearing it than the far less accurate measure of its merits through reading of the printed word. So- here goes.
The guitar is my favorite instrument, and I love playing it. It is an intimate experience to have the vibration of the lower bass notes resonate within your body as it's played; the beauty of the natural, unpainted grains of the varied woods found in guitars, held in your arms and hands, treating the eyes. That's touch and feel! The sound is the compelling ether though. Is it really a mistake when the unintended note is struck, or is it Source teasing me into taking a little longer here, go a little further along that phrase there, draw it out and discover sound on a new vibrational path? I wonder.
I have been playing on and off since the Beatles era. (Mostly on.) Early on, the choir director at my church wrote to our State University, College of Music after I had played my first original composition for him. He was very encouraging and certainly was excited that acceptance for admission was granted without my actually having applied. I was too, but the fact remains I was not about to go to music school. I knew I couldn't possibly attend - for two reasons. There was no formal training in my history; it was clear they assumed I had more of an extensive musical background than I really did. Secondly, I didn't read music, and catching up with the many talented and likely competitive students seemed a formidable if not impossible task. Thanks, but at the time I had been playing music for a short time. I would have been blown away, humiliated, humbled. No, that was not going to be my introduction to the instrument wherein I found such beauty. So;I passed on that opportunity and rationalized that I had always heard music in my mind and it just might be overshadowed or possibly lost with rigorous instruction. Later, I saw the advantages of going to music school and tried to augment my technical knowledge with questions about playing, which I would ask at every opportunity. I joined The Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society and The Delaware Valley Fingerstyle Guitar Association, where I was fortunate to meet many great artisits. Jason Vieaux and Roland Dyens coached me on tone, as did Joseph and Kathleen Mayes. Sharon Isbin, master guitarist at Julliard, graciously helped with her vast expertise, and Tommy Emmanuel gave classes that I attended. Pete Huttlinger freely offered to my growing knowledge base, as did Clive Carroll. It’s fair to say I have gleaned important information from popular icons in guitar music, and will always be very grateful for the impact they made with me and the help they provided.
The songs first came to me in earnest about a decade ago. I basically play only the guitar yet was raised in a musical family and was aware of the interweaving of orchestral instruments. The orchestration you hear was written using “sampled” instruments. To date the guitar music arrives first, and when I hear the accompaniment in my mind, those instruments are added. All of the music was written by me including the music for the violins, cellos, flutes, and vocals (there are many oo's and ahh's -but no lyrics.) The only drums I've written are on Autumn's Glory. They're the big kettle drums near the end of the song and to me, they represent distant thunder.
I live near the lovely town of West Chester, Pennsylvania where I record in my home studio.
Hopefully, you’ll like the music because of the way it makes you feel. I truly hope you find them as moving as I do, and that my enjoyment of the music and the serenity that I feel as I play is captured here and shared by you.