John Fahey
John Fahey
John Aloysius Faheywas an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who played the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been greatly influential and has been described as the foundation of American Primitive Guitar, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the self-taught nature of the music and its minimalist style. Fahey borrowed from the folk and blues traditions in American roots music, having compiled many forgotten early recordings in these genres. He would later incorporate...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth28 February 1939
CountryUnited States of America
As for the source of the music, I believe it comes from the unconscious; that there is no such thing as talent.
A sound knowledge of geography is essential for understanding global events and their impact on the rest of the world. National Geographic has always recognized the need for geographic literacy and will vigorously continue its efforts to educate our young people and empower them to be informed citizens and responsible stewards of our planet.
They are missing a component that is very important and should be one of the skill sets for the 21st century that every kid has when they graduate from high school.
They are too focused on the audience rather than on their own emotions, or they are too focused on technique or perhaps on both.
Oh, 1962. The music scene was so bad that several of us decided to come out to Berkeley and take over the folk music scene here.
So what I do is this - when I go to the venue, I become the entertainer John Fahey.
So when people ask me how good I am, I usually cop to being brilliant, even better than that, but short of genius.
I do not even laugh at this like others do because the relationship between entertainers and groupies is pathological.
The other thing in composition is opening up the unconscious.
Being worshipped is a horrible experience.
More American young people can tell you where an island that the 'Survivor' TV series came from is located than can identify Afghanistan or Iraq. Ironically a TV show seems more real or at least more meaningful interesting or relevant than reality.
But I say these things in an objective dispassionate manner because, you know, and I can't explain why, but being one of the greatest guitarists in the world simply is not very important to me.
I had a big background in listening to classical music and I started trying to compose, like I was playing the guitar but I heard an orchestra in my head.
Well folks, that's about it for the show tonight.