On The Fly

In this episode, The Tommy Emmanuel Effect: Casual Listener to Accomplished Guitarist . . .  The first time you see Tommy Emmanuel perform, you might swear it's like watching a magic trick. You're kidding  —   where's the bass player and drummer – hiding backstage? But no — it’s just him, one guitar, and a sound so full it feels like a whole band is coming from that single instrument. You don't believe me, click here. If you’ve ever felt uninspired in your guitar playing—or always wanted to learn but lacked motivation—Tommy Emmanuel might be just the spark you need. Tommy isn’t just a guitarist; he’s a force of nature. His signature mix of Travis picking and percussive techniques transforms the guitar into a full rhythm section, melody line, and harmony all at once. His control and precision make it look effortless, even though he’s juggling what feels like three instruments at the same time. It’s no wonder that Chet Atkins honored Tommy with the rare title of “Certifi...

In this episode, Twinkle Little Star . . .   Did you recognize the melody in the introduction? The audio was one of twelve variations for piano of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, composed by Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music. Born on January 27th, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, he was a child prodigy who began composing at five and performed before royalty by age six. Mozart's musical genius was apparent from a young age; he composed over 600 works in his short life, which ended at just 35. His compositions include operas, symphonies, chamber music, and piano sonatas, and he is known for his mastery of various musical forms. Why Mozart, you ask? I refer to a recent discussion with an eight-year-old we introduced you to in a previous podcast, Sierra. You see, Sierra is a rather clever young lady. A Lego enthusiast plays chess and sends the best thank you letters (snail mail) ,  AND  we di...