Classical Guitar Tour Makes Stop in Deadwood
Local News
by
Thomas Patrick
last edited on
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Thompson square rocked the Deadwood Mountain Grand tonight. But earlier today another nationwide tour made a stop Deadwood.
The guitar is one of America's most iconic instruments.
But when you strip away the amplifiers, the electronics, all the way down to the pick, you're left with something that feels much more classical.
Classical Guitarist William Feasley tells NewsCenter1, "My brother was already playing violin and he was a professional bass player, great bass player, but when he was practicing the violin, he sounded like someone was strangling a cat, much more slowly and so, my parents, we lived in a small house, and one squeaky instrument is enough, play the guitar instead, so I did.”
The modern day guitar has only existed for close to 150 years, but when put in the hands of a classically trained musician, even this new instrument can rival the sounds once heard in the renaissance era.
"I was lucky there was such a good teacher at the college, for classical guitar, and also, when I was about 12 I saw the great Christopher Parking and he played in a Lewiston, Idaho gymnasium and I went to see him play and that was very transforming.
Feasley's influences came up though many different locations. He grew up Washington state, studied music in Mexico City, and has even lived in Spain for a year with his family. Feasley is proud to have many teachers in his youth, and now he himself teaches the guitar to any able bodies willing to learn the classical art.
"I really focus initially on technique, that's always a physical limitation and the more technique you have the more expression you can use."