[Creative Fridays] #5: Gustavo Assis-Brasil
Friday, March 2, 2012 at 10:00AM
In today's [Creative Fridays] interview, we geek out on guitar & have an exclusive interview with Jazz Guitarist Gustavo Assis-Brasil. He's most known for his awesome series of books on Hybrid Picking - explaining and dissecting this guitar technique.
I first met Gustavo when I taught at Berklee College of Music's Summer Guitar Sessions back in 2007. We had a mutual friend in common, Jazz Guitarist John Stowell who I remember talked fondly about Gustavo's playing and teaching. Eventually, I got to sit for a song in one of their duo gigs at Cambridge, MA's LilyPad, a cool intimate performance space.
Since then, we've kept in touch and I've been following his musical adventures (which are super cool!). Gustavo has been a real inspiration to me in both his music and work in music education - so I'm really happy to have him to be a part of this series. I hope you'll be inspired too, and check out some of the cool music he's into!
And now... presenting Gustavo Assis-Brasil! =)
1. What's your latest project?
My newest project is my new book about hybrid picking. The book is called ‘Hybrid Picking Lines & Licks (foreword by Guthrie Govan). This is my third book on the subject and it is a collection of 284 modern phrases exclusively written for the pick and fingers combined. Chapters include: Triads, Arpeggios, Pentatonics, Scales and Modes, Atonal, Intervallic, and Octave Displacement Lines and Licks.
2. What inspires your music?
It changes from time to time. I remember writing songs inspired by some paintings at some point. Lately I’ve been inspired by exercises based on permutations of notes and fingers, and also by some new chords I learn.
3. What's your 5 Desert Island Albums?
This is a hard one. I like so many different styles, so I guess I could pick 5 from each style. The ones that come to mind writing now are:
- “Epiphany” (Vince Mendoza),
- "Princess Sita" (Dominique DiPiazza)
- “The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites Complete” by Yo-Yo Ma
- “Aerial Boundaries” (Michael Hedges)
- “Solo Guitar” by Ted Greene.
Again, there are many many other ones, but if right now I had to pick five, I’d pick these ones.
4. Who's one artist/musician that you love but most people probably don't know of?
Nelson Veras
5. What's an advice you wish someone told you when you started in the arts?
My grandfather used to tell me to choose something that I would love to do for the rest of my life as a profession/major, since I was a little kid. I thought I wanted to be a dentist, but 6 months before I went to college, my mom convinced me to go for a music major.
6. How do we reach you?
Website: www.gustavoassisbrasil.com
Twitter: gabguitar
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/gustavoassisbrasil (personal)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hybrid-Picking-for-Guitar/97934682789 (hybrid picking)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gustavo-Assis-Brasil-Music/251450864889051 (my music page)
*****
If you liked this interview, do let me know by...
1. Clicking Like or Share this post on FB or Twitter
2. Leaving a comment below (anyone you'd like to see featured here? Questions you wished I asked?)
3. Read other [Creative Fridays] posts here:
http://www.azsamad.com/creative-fridays
Thank you so much! =)