Category Archives: Thoughts
How I beat tendonitis
At a workshop in London earlier this month I was asked if I had ever had to deal with any physical problems related to playing guitar, and specifically tendonitis. Many times over the years guitarists have asked me a similar … Continue reading
Let’s get bored
When I was in China last fall I watched a teenage girl on a Beijing subway say goodbye to a friend getting off at a stop. As soon as they had waved goodbye and the doors closed, the girl pulled … Continue reading
Recording an instructional video project
A few weeks ago I flew to Colorado to record a video series for an internet company specialising in online guitar lessons. I had been contacted by the company about six months earlier and liked what they were offering guitar … Continue reading
When you are doing nothing, you are doing something
When I first finish a challenging creative project, I feel a sense of relief and euphoria. That feeling may last for a little while. But eventually it wears off…and I am left feeling exhausted. The truth is, the project has … Continue reading
An incredible year
I think this past year has been the biggest of my life. It was a year of creating, producing, traveling, performing, making new friends, learning, meeting challenges and growing. It was a year of “firsts” — my first album in … Continue reading
Thoughts on openness
I gave a talk at TEDGlobal 2012 in Edinburgh recently, alongside a young guitarist from Pakistan named Usman Riaz. It was an instrumental guitar performance, but still a TEDTalk with a great (and true) story behind it. The video of … Continue reading
The anxiety of opportunity
This is an unusually big month. In addition to going into the studio several times to continue recording my next album and heading over to Ireland to play at a festival, I will be playing my first-ever hosted, internet live-on-air … Continue reading