SONG OF THE DAY
“Ragamuffin” by Michael Hedges (Aerial Boundaries, Windham Hill Records, 1984). Written by Michael Hedges.
INTRODUCTION: OUR NEW GUEST BLOGGER
This is a real treat for anyone who appreciates the craft, innovation and true artistry some musicians on this earth are just plain blessed with. My good friend from college, Dave, is an acoustic guitar genius and a lover of music, just the kind of guy a girl like me wants to sit around the campfire with. And I did, many times! I only wish the distances we live apart now weren’t so great and that I could enjoy his great company and his rendering of the Mario Brothers theme on guitar once again! I admire his talent and trust his ear tremendously, and was so completely honored when he suggested a piece on Michael Hedges. Since Michael Hedges influenced Dave’s own artistry so much, let’s let him do the talking now….
DAVE’S TAKE
“Ragamuffin” by Michael Hedges was the first piece I ever heard of Michael’s music. It holds a special place for me as it brought me back to guitar. Michael’s playing is very spiritual, and this song in particular has stayed with me. This piece is very subtle (note the dichotomy of what his right hand and left hand are doing), and listening through it a few times helps you appreciate just how subtle his work truly is.
Michael Hedges redefined how the acoustic guitar is played. His influence has most notably given rise to guitarists like Andy McKee, Antoine Dufour, and Erik Mongraine. Michael may very well be the most influential guitarist you’ve never heard of.
Playing exclusively in alternate tunings, he was able to create sounds never before imagined. Traditionally, a guitarist will fret a note and simultaneously pluck the string. Michael’s thinking was to separate the right hand from the left hand. Often, he would hammer-on or pull-off notes with his left hand, which allowed his right hand produce extra melodies, either through hammer-ons over top the neck of the guitar, or through slap-harmonics. Michael would also use his guitar as a drum hitting it when necessary to give his music a percussive element. According to Michael, when he was in a rock band in high school, his drummer got a girlfriend, and he could never practice, so Michael decided to add the percussive element himself. Possibly his most subtle technique is string-dampening (or string-damping), which was derived from his background in classical guitar when he studied at Enid University and the Peabody Conservatory. (A short but helpful example of string dampening can be found here).
Michael’s sense of humor always shone through his music. He describes the song “Ragamuffin” as consisting of two distinct parts. The first part, he describes as what he envisioned a 17th century European block party might be like. The second part, he admits has more of an Indian trance cultural switch, and he consequently switched the name from “Rag-a-muffin”, to “Rah-ga-muffin.”
Tragically, Michael died in a car crash just after Thanksgiving in 1997. However, his legacy remains.
If you are interested in hearing more of Michael Hedges’ music, a large proportion of his work is available on Youtube (it is good for something after all!). Users Type3Secretion and RLutge have a substantial amount of videos of Michael’s performances, and I believe that more you listen to Michael, the more you realize how amazing his work truly is.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
– Aerial Boundaries, considered to be one of the greatest acoustic guitar records of all time, was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Engineered Recording. [It features an outstanding cover of Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush”]
– Michael was discovered while playing in a Palo Alto club. William Ackerman (founder of Windham Hill Records) was so overwhelmed by Michael’s talent, that he drew up a contract on the spot on a napkin.
– Some of Michael’s work is written with a harp-guitar.
– Michael thought of himself not as a guitarist, but as a composer.
– He was a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and flute on his albums.
– Michael always hated the term “New Age” and made up his own words to describe his genre including “Violent Acoustic”, “Heavy mental” or “Acoustic Trash”.
– Bassist Michael Manring can be found on nearly every record Hedges made.
– Michael began singing on his records as he was encouraged by William Ackerman.
– After his tragic death at age 43, David Crosby and Graham Nash helped complete his last recordings.
– “I considered him to be a genius and when he died I lost a great friend.” – Graham Nash
– “I feel I can always hear his heart when he plays. He respected my playing too, and that simply thrills me.” – Pete Townshend
– “Michael was unique. His music transcends genre and trend. It’s truly musical, fun and enlightening.” – Steve Vai