About Me
Around 1986 i saw a Picture of Tony Levin (i think it was the same as in Emmett Chapmans Book "Free Hands"), playing an Instrument i had never seen before. At this Time, i played Bassguitar in a local Hardrock/Progressive Rock Band in Düsseldorf.
While i was watching the Pic of Tony,i became aware, that this Instrument would be the one for me, to play notes and to produce sounds in a way, that i only could dream of.
But just in 1989 i got the Opportunity to buy a Chapman Stick. (Nowadays it is hardly possible to buy a Stick or even Strings here in Germany and that is a pity !! )
The Experience i made with the Stick was probably the same as other Stickplayers made (i would guess !). In the Beginning it was quite easy to play exciting notes but the Point of a Progress slowing down came quickly.
Just in 1998 i took the Stick up again, in a more intensive way, practising and
writing songs just for my own Pleasure (not necessarily for the Public,but i think this has changed now a little bit. :-)
My Approach to the Stick now, is to use all the Possibilities the Stick has to offer (bass,chords,melodies,solos) all at once (when playing solo-stick pieces) or detached, when i stack up multiple sections with a drum loop underneath.
Another big issue is the Sound of the Stick. Im not the biggest Fan of a complete pure Sound,without Effects (especially on the melody-section)
The Ideal for me, at this Point, is the Guitar (sorry Emmett, but the Stick sounds boring without (a lot of) equalizing,compression and modulation-effects.
Though i talked a lot about the Instrument, it is just secondary.
The Music itself comes at first. Everyday i take up the Stick i say to myself:
Stop playing the Stick,start playing Music. (Sorry again Emmett, this is no advise to other Players !) As much as i like The Stick,its just a tool to give ideas a Sound.
My Interest in Music is all-embracing. I do not bother about any kinds of Adjectives like heavy,smooth,loud etc. or about any genres. (Forget about my declaration in my Profile refered to musical direction)
I like to listen to Bach or Honegger as well as to Coltrane or Holdsworth or Smashing Pumpkins or Ralph Towner or Kate Bush and many others.
Either i like the music or I do not.
So now i am in the Process of (Home)-Recording of some tunes of mine.
Some Videos of Solo-Stick-Pieces will follow soon.
Plan for the Future is forming a Band consisting of Stick,keys,drum, and perc. to play it live.
Dear Reader ! Forgive me for my English!
All the best from Daniela href=
