Artistry of the Guitar
is a concert music experience featuring performances by founder Ken Bonfield, Steve Davison, and quite often special guests, and can also include community based events such as Master Classes, Guitar workshops, or in-school performances. We can design a package that best suits your community's needs.
Yes Artistry of the Guitar is about the guitar and guitarists, but more importantly Artistry of the Guitar is about the music one can make with this often humble yet incredibly diverse instrument. Capable of making any style of music, the guitar compares only to the piano when it comes to stylistic potential - of course, we like guitars more; you can't put a piano on your back and carry it with you around the world.
Ken got to know Steve Davison during one of his frequent tours to Little Rock AR. Sharing the stage at the Arkansas' Governor's Mansion for Steve's Finger Food project, an annual guitar concert whose proceeds benefit Safe Places - a Little Rock refuge for mothers and children dealing with domestic abuse - they formed a strong friendship and developed an admiration of each other's music. Steve is without a doubt one of today's finest composer's on 12-string guitar. He's both rhythmic and melodic, and that's no easy feat given the nature of the instrument.
Ken and Steve hit it off immediately. Since their introduction the two have forged a strong relationship on and off the concert stage. This has translated to an often impromptu stage patter that amuses both the audience and the musicians!
At an Artistry of the Guitar concert you will hear exquisite guitar music ranging from country blues, ragtime, and folk, to traditional Celtic, jazz, classical, contemporary, and even rock inspired guitar slapping! Is FoCeltazzical a genre? We hope not because it's mighty hard to pronounce, but surely Ken, Steve and their special guests cover the gamut of acoustic guitar styles.
Experienced performers, Bonfield and Davison have been featured performers at such venerable rooms as Caffe Lena, the oldest coffe house concert venue in the country, Club Passim in Cambridge MA, Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, and Kent State Folk Festival, Newport Guitar Festival, Montreal Guitar Show, and the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. And they've shared the stage with acoustic artists of all stripes including popster Jahn Mayer, folk icon Arlo Guthrie, guitar luminaries Alex de Grassi, Adrian Legg, Ed Gerhard, Dakota Dave Hull, Bill Mize and more... More than a few Grammy's on that list!
Workshops and in-school performances are a key component of the Artistry of the Guitar experience. Ken has taught privately for almost 20 years, and is a key endorser for Thomastik-Infeld Strings, Alan Carruth Guitars, and LR Baggs Electronics. Together and separately Bonfield and Davison have conducted workshops all over the country at stores, universities, festivals, and concert halls. The two love to share the secrets of playing, writing, and arranging for the acoustic guitar with guitarists of all levels - helping each along their own path towards guitar artistry.
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