guitar

When I'm studying, I like to have music in the background. However, I find that when I have music with lyrics in it, I often get carried away with the words, and forget to concentrate on the notes in front of me.

Sometime in the fall of 2005, Andrew Smith came to Charlottetown Community Church to put on a show. It had a coffeeshop feel, with the couches in the Space pulled right up to the front, low lighting, and little white Christmas lights surrounding the stage. It was just Andrew up there, or I should say he and his guitar. He played like no one I've ever seen before.. it was like that guitar never left his side. I don't quite know how to describe it.. some musicians clearly own their instruments, and the instruments do what they tell them to, and they're very good at it, and everyone is happy. With Andrew, it was as if he was in conversation with his guitar - they were working together. He didn't strum the guitar, he plucked at the strings; no, plucked isn't quite right.. his fingers pranced along the strings, and sounds came out that I didn't even know an acoustic guitar could make.

As sorry a description as that was, I can assure you that the experience seeing him live was extraordinary, and at the end of the show I bought his self-titled cd for my roommate's birthday. I rediscovered it last night while studying, and found it most conducive to concentrating; he occassionally sings some lyrics, but for the most part it is instrumental.

For more info, and probably a better description of how he plays, check out:
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=21096.