Category Archives: Composing

Guitar players! Check out my summer workshop…

Posted on April 11, 2017 by fretgenie

I will be offering a 4-day acoustic guitar workshop this coming July at my home in beautiful southwest Scotland. If you are a guitar player interested in learning my integrated percussive approach, this will be a thorough, in-depth opportunity to … Continue reading →

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The 20th anniversary of my instructional video

Posted on March 26, 2014 by fretgenie

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of my 1994 instructional video, The Guitar of Preston Reed: Expanding the Realm of Acoustic Playing on Homespun Tapes. (I can’t believe it’s been twenty years!) In the late 1980’s I … Continue reading →

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A unique festival

Posted on September 22, 2013 by fretgenie

I recently participated in a unique music festival in Rochefort, France, called Rochefort en Accords. The slogan of this small festival in the south of France — the brainchild of French Canadian organiser Pascale Graham and her partner, American cellist … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Composing, Creativity, Culture, Learning, Music, Performing, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The value of identifying your values

Posted on December 4, 2011 by fretgenie

I was asked a few months ago by Pat Strother of Strother Communications to name my three core values as an artist, musician and composer. He was looking for a three-word distillation of the guiding principles that motivate me to … Continue reading →

Posted in Composing, Creativity, Performing, Thoughts | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

What is practicing?

Posted on October 29, 2011 by fretgenie

I am often asked how I practice, what I practice, and how much time I spend practicing guitar. I always feel like answering: I don’t :^) This is not true of course. But what is true is, the practicing I … Continue reading →

Posted in Composing, Creativity, Guitar, Music, Performing, Touring, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Moving forward requires making decisions

Posted on July 31, 2011 by fretgenie

I am writing a tune at the moment. I have reached a point in the development of this tune where a decision must be made about what the tune is, what it is saying, and where it is going. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Composing, Creativity, Guitar, Music | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The groove cloud

Posted on July 17, 2011 by fretgenie

While teaching a guitar workshop this past weekend, I was reminded of a key factor in the performance of music: the connection between groove and memory. In order to teach “Tractor Pull”, one of my busier tunes, it was necessary … Continue reading →

Posted in Composing, Creativity, Guitar, Music, Performing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments