Dave Wirth
I recently caught up with an old friend of mine from grad school. Corey Harvin is a classical and rock guitarist based in Miami. He is professor of guitar at Palmer Trinity School in Miami, had studied classical guitar with both Bruce Holzman and Nicholas Goluses, and also travels around the world to perform. He earned his DMA (Doctorate of Musical Arts) from the Eastman School of Music. Getting a DMA from Eastman is an incredibly difficult feat. The exams a person must take at Eastman are comparable to the MCAT in difficulty.
In short, Corey really, really knows what he's doing.
Great guitarists make playing guitar look easy. Simple. Like breathing. There is an ease of movement that speaks loudly of years of practice and study, a lifetime of learning. What is really impressive, and quite intimidating too, is that Corey manages to make the most difficult pieces in the classical guitar repertory look like they are a piece of cake to play.
I am pretty adamant that playing guitar is easiest when a person plays with only the right balance of tension. Tension, in playing and learning guitar, is comparable to a clogged drain; it tends to collect in the body at specific places. One of the most common places that tension can collect is in the mouth or jaw. I've mentioned this a couple of times before on this blog, namely here and here.
Corey is a textbook example of having no tension in his mouth.
What's more interesting about Corey is that although he has mastered all the technical aspects of guitar, he is unafraid to try out and experiment with new avenues of expression and creativity. He has done rock and roll and continues to write and record music on his own. This is a stark contrast from many of the classical guitarists I have met in my life, who just hate the idea of playing with a pick. It's too bad; As I am very happy to admit, we rock guitarists know all too well that plugging into a loud amp and pissing off our neighbors is immensely enjoyable.
It goes without saying that it's really intimidating to watch a guy like Corey Harvin play guitar, too. He's damned good. He has practiced years and years, and has come to extraordinarily refined place in his artistry. Does that mean he has "arrived," so-to-speak? Does that mean he is done learning? Nope. As I mentioned before, Corey has no trouble experimenting, and he always seems to be looking for new stuff to create with. Learning is lifelong.
No matter how much we know about guitar, we'll never quite have access to everything. Although that can be frustrating, it's also quite beautiful, too.
Finally, this is a video of Corey playing a selection of the concerto for guitar by Villa Lobos. It's gorgeous! It is my hope that he can come to Austin at some point and give us guitar enthusiasts a concert.
