Monthly Archives: September 2019

Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar part 1 of 2 (with Don Ross) Ep065



Canadian guitarist Don Ross is a legend in the acoustic fingerstyle world.  With decades of experience, he employs modern techniques, altered tunings, and a strong melodic sense to write memorable songs.  Aaron Sefchick and Joe McMurray have a fun and informative conversation with Don about a wide range of topics including his musical journey, his guitars, acoustic guitar pickups, traveling with guitars, songwriting, recording, his most memorable shows (good and bad), and much more.
In part 1 of 2, Don tells Aaron and Joe about his musical upbringing in Canada and his early influences.  He talks about how his love of R&B music led him to write some songs around strong bass lines.  He also talks about how altered tunings can be used to solve compositional problems and expand the range of the guitar.
Don talks about his Beneteau guitars, and how he maintains them on tour.  Check out Fret Buzz’s interview with Marc Beneteau (Episodes 47 and 48)! Don sheds light on several different pickup systems for acoustic guitar amplification, including products from K&K and LR Baggs.  Joe asks Don how he safely travels with his guitars.
Find out more about Don Ross at https://donrossonline.com/ or check out his music on any music platform.

Jazz Vocals, Music School, Vocal Technique Part 2 of 2 (with Darden Purcell) Ep064



Dr. Darden Purcell is a jazz vocalist and the Director of Jazz Studies at George Mason University.  Joe McMurray and Aaron Sefchick have a wonderful time talking with Darden about her musical journey, her duties as a “Director of Jazz Studies,” how to transition to singing jazz music, and specifics on vocal technique and practice.
Part 2 of 2 is packed with useful information and tips regarding vocal technique and practice (applicable to all styles of music!).  Darden tells the guys about vocal habits such as speaking and singing on vocal fry, scooping into pitches, and falling off at the ends of words.  There is a discussion about the short careers of some singers resulting from poor vocal health.  Darden talks about how certain food and beverages affect your singing voice, and she emphasizes the importance of sleep leading up to a performance.  It is important to understand that your vocal range changes depending on the time of day and how far into a performance you are.  This is incredibly useful when choosing the keys of your songs and planning your setlist.
Darden tells Joe and Aaron about her favorite gigs, ranging from performances with symphonies to jazz gigs with great audiences.
Finally, Darden gives a ton if information regarding vocal practice.  She stresses the importance of singing with the piano and a metronome, critically analyzing the music you are singing, and keeping a practice log.  She addresses proper breathing for singing, singing long tones, singing with lip trills, and a couple other exercises to master pitch control.
 
Find out more about Darden at http://www.dardenpurcell.com/.  Find out more about George Mason’s music programs at https://music.gmu.edu/.

Jazz Vocals, Music School, Vocal Technique Part 1 of 2 (with Darden Purcell) Ep063



Dr. Darden Purcell is a jazz vocalist and the Director of Jazz Studies at George Mason University.  Joe McMurray and Aaron Sefchick have a wonderful time talking with Darden about her musical journey, her duties as a “Director of Jazz Studies,” how to transition to singing jazz music, and specifics on vocal technique and practice.
In part 1 of 1, Darden tells the guys about how she started singing jazz music, her experiences singing in the U.S. Air Force Band, her time working and performing in Nashville, and her experience in graduate school at the University of Illinois.  They discuss the music scenes in New Orleans, New York, and Chicago.
Darden explains her duties as the Director of Jazz Studies at George Mason.  They discuss trends in the incoming pools of students and how they are related to trends in society.  They also talk about Darden’s students and some of her teaching approaches.
Darden has released two albums, and she gives insight into her studio experiences, her influences while producing these albums, and the unintentional consequences of releasing an album with complicated arrangements (it’s hard to gig!).
 
Find out more about Darden at http://www.dardenpurcell.com/.  Find out more about George Mason’s music programs at https://music.gmu.edu/.

Backing Tracks, LA Music Scene part 2 of 2 (with Quist) Ep062



Quist has built an enormous online presence through his jam-backing tracks, and he recently performed as the lead guitarist for Bryan Ferry (Roxy Music).  This Danish guitarist has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Coachella, Glastonbury, and Abbey Road Studios, and has established himself in the Los Angeles music scene.  Aaron Sefchick and Joe McMurray enjoy an awesome conversation with Quist, diving into his musical journey, his jam-backing tracks, the LA music scene, and building and maintaining an online presence.
In part 2 of 2,  Quist talks more about the origins of his backing tracks, and how he built a following on YouTube.  The guys discuss balancing the work-load of YouTube video releases, other musical endeavors, and personal time.
Aaron and Joe ask Quist about opportunities to do session work and to tour.  Quist says that he is selective about the work he accepts – it has to be great music with great people or the right money!  His advice for acquiring this work involves 1) being great at what you do, and 2) networking, especially through jam sessions.
Quist reminisces about his most exciting performances and studio experiences: highlights include performances at the Hollywood Bowl and the Royal Albert Hall, recording at Abbey Road Studios, and performing in Colombia with Mike Dawes (fingerstyle guitarist).  The conversation ends with a discussion on the eternal quest to improve as a musician, the insane levels of talent that exist on the internet, and the importance of playing meaningful, emotive music.