"My music is from the heart..."
I work hard constantly to improve and develop this art form. I take my musical career and creative expression seriously, in order to deliver the most stylish and tasteful performances every time. I have the "complete package" to offer, my presentation is always professional, fashionable and innovative. I can draw inspirations from my immediate surroundings and can easily set the appropriate mood to any setting. I stand behind my work. I am 110% confident in my artistry, and consider myself adaptable to any situation as I am a very good problem solver. I am very accomidating when it comes to providing the best suited performance for any live music venue, event and even for that special day! Attention to detail and having a keen understanding of sound technology helps me excel in this business! My musical stylings are diverse, from pure ancient inspired (minimal/Zen/earthy/traditional) to highly avant-garde and post modern impromptu. Drawing inspiration and ideas from old stories/myths I've read to plain mimicing other musical forms from other genres but mostly inventing as I go.. I guarantee my performances will earn you great reviews for years to come! If you wish to have a live preview performance anytime, please stop by the Eau Claire Festival Market down town in Calgary where I "busk". Busking is a form of street or public performance. I earn most of my income from busking and it is one of the best ways for me to plug into the community. At the market I connect with every individual on every level, and it is here that I share the diverse cultures which I represent. The most joy and gratitude is found here when a smile and word of encouragement are expressed. When a child lights up and dances about, my heart sinks and I feel that everything in the world is just perfect!
"Music is my life!"
I hope your life is always so full of music! Where would we be without it? I can't imagine!
Gu zheng (goo ~ jung) which means "ancient zither":
An ancient plucked stringed instrument from China in the family of asian long "zithers". The history of this instrument dates back 2500+ years and is the predecessor of the Japanese koto. Standard guzhengs have 21 strings. There are also 23, 25 and 26 stringed guzhengs. Each string is supported by a movable bridge which you fine tune the instrument with. The top and bottom soundboards (on quality models) are made from single sheets of paulownia wood or "kiri wood", "empress wood", etc, an Asian medium-soft wood. The sides (found on top grade zhengs) are of rosewood and so are the bridges, these instruments may be plain (with just the pure beauty of the wood grains showing), or adorned with intricate carvings and inlays of cranes and caligraphy or flower motifs out of wood, jade, abalone shell or paints. The right hand plucks the strings while your left hand provides effects for the notes (left of the bridges). A performer would have to fasten finger picks on their right hand, these picks are made of tortoise shell (or other materials including plastic) and are taped around the (fleshy parts of the) thumb, index and middle fingers using a bandage tape.. The strings are of different gauges (string 1 being the highest pitch and 21 the lowest string furthest from you), where the tuning is pentatonic: do, re, me, so, la (1, 2, 3, 5, 6); the strings of the more commonly used northern China gu zhengs are of nylon and silk wrapped around piano wire, where as gu zhengs from the south are of steel strings. The sounds capable on this instrument are heavenly and mellow -- almost water like, but with many years of practice there isn't a single thing you can't do with the instrument; it can sound strong and deep or even firery and intense like a flamenco guitar... This is a very forgiving instrument, meaning it simply sounds good no matter what level you are at. FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE LINKS SECTION OR TYPE GU ZHENG INTO ANY SEARCH ENGINE AND BE DAZZLED!!!!!
The Japanese Koto is simply a marvel, it stretches 6ft in lenth (the longest in the family of Asian zithers) and highest grade kotos are construted out of a single hollowed out log of paulownia wood! It has 13 strings of the same gauge made of "tetlon" (a form of braided nylon). The bridges are white made of resin to mimick the characteristics of ivory they now have a heavier, more dense grade of plastic, this also applies to the three finger plectrums. There are two schools for Koto: IKUTA and YAMADA, the shapes of the Ikuta school finger picks (plectrums) are square ended where as the Yamada's are narrow and round ended like the finger nail. This is a very strong and sturdy instrument and it's sound is more like that of a harp, or sometimes a classical guitar. The koto is the most popularily used asian long floor zither to make its way into America and Europe. You'll hear it in experimental music and jazz. Large ensembles of kotos have also performed classical music from Bach or Mozart. I love the koto most of all as it feels most comfortable for me to play and I can be most expressive with it! Plus I have an infactuation over Japanese music..
Is the similar to the southern Chinese Gu Zheng which has a unique body shaped like a half bamboo shoot! The tops and bottom pieces are made from paulownia while the sides are "king wood". Traditionally the instrument has 16 strings. To meet modern needs and for more range there have been tranhs made with 17 and 21 steel strings. I have purchased a custom 26-stringed Dan Tranh from a very special friend and luthier in Ha Noi (his name is Dung Do Viet), please visit his link below for more. This instrument is gorgeous in tone and appearence, it is massively inlayed with the richest of abalone and in the motifs of lotus blossoms, prosparity symbols and of people (mine also has my name inlayed). The strings are of different gauges of steel as you go down the scale. Steel, plastic, horn or tortoise shell finger picks can be used to play the instrument depending on what tonal expressions you wish to achieve..
