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  • hello all !!!! .... an introduction to Keira Witherkay

well where do i begin...1stly this is a fab site ... glad i found it ....already i posted about travel gear and alan and some others have been really helpfull... thanks

ok about me... i'm "an acoustic instrumental fingerstyle world/jazz guitarist"

i been a pro musician all my life.....

i used to be a "musical prostitute" and play for who ever's cheques did not bounce....

but fortunately a couple years ago now i had lets call it a "near death experience" ... and realised life is too short to be a musical puppet ...and i was brave enough to revert to my passion of acoustic guitar ...and multi part fingerstyle playing....

with the mission to only ever perform music i loved.... and never be a slave to the commercial music scene again.... and strangely enough i have been working pro gigs doing what i love...acoustic world/jazz music.... and i do well enough to support myself with it....

i believe music must come from the soul and since i embraced that philosphy my playing and how it's received has just skyrocketted...

my idea also is to get as much out of one instrument as possible without loops/electronics/backtracks or effect ...just an acoustic guitar and whatever i can do live to create my palate of sounds... basically use the guitar as fully as possible...

it gives my great joy and a happy soul to be able to take what equates to a wooden box with strings glued to it and make grooving melodic music....

simplicity is everything .... i have stopped trying to over think music just let it happen....

i have spent much of my life travelling and performing worldwide
and call myself a "Musical vampire" i have the ability to by just being exposed to a style of music pick up the escence of what it is....and being a world musician i can use these influences in my playing ... my original music is influenced by so many styles... (Flamenco/latin american/indian/african/arabic/morroccan/celtic/classical/jazz/ragtime/ cuban ...the list goes on)

i am currently in jhb for last 7 months now( i recently returned from singapore /thailand ) and an currently performing and teaching in Johannesburg ....

to see what i do type Keira witherkay into "you tube" search .....or go to my website www.showcaseyourmusic.com/keirawitherkay

we all have dreams and i am fortunate enough to be living mine...

all i want out of life is to basically find love in music, people and art

peace and light
keira WitherKay

ps i'm keen to meet as many acoustic musicians in jhb as possible so if thats your bag too contact me...

    Welcome to GFSA Keira - Nice to have a non- commercial pro guitarist aboard
      As you mentioned, we've spoken already, but this is your official welcome: Hello! to the forum.

      I play fingerstyle (although electric) with some classic and flamenco influence, and there's more than a few acoustic guitarists around here too. So you're in good company.
        Hi and welcome .....


        have checked out some of your work and really love it , you play with alot of passion.
          Keira WitherKay wrote:
          ps i'm keen to meet as many acoustic musicians in jhb as possible so if thats your bag too contact me...
          Hi Keira, and welcome to GFSA. If you're based in JHB then there's a couple of things that may be of interest to you.

          Andy McGibbon's Acoustic Music Forum convenes once a month at Old Parktonians in Randburg. This is run by Andy of Andy McGibbon's Guitar World. It's acoustic and all acts must play original music - no covers. There's a cover charge, but it pretty much just covers costs. Any profits are donated to charity at the end of the year. Andy provides a PA and specialist acoustic guitar amps. All performers appear for free. The standard is pretty high, and Andy also wants "the forum" to serve as a place that will allow musicians to network and maybe spark some collaborations.

          TJs Acoustic Music Club meets at Marks Park. Most of the participants are amateur or "occasionally pro", but it doesn't have to be that way. They allow covers but welcome originals. They have two regular, more formal sessions a month (probably just one this month whilst everybody recovers from the festive season) and one open mike session a month also at Marks Park but in a smaller room. Again there is a cover charge to cover costs, and TJs provide a PA (you can plug your guitar straight into their system or lug an amp around). Open mic night is open - turn up, say hello, book yourself a slot. The other nights are more formal and organised.

          I'm not involved in the running of either, but I attend, am on mailing/SMS lists, and will try to be more diligent in posting notifications on the forum.

          I am in Jo'burg, own a pretty good acoustic guitar but I'm not sure I qualify as a guitarist ? I sometimes test my embarassment limits at TJ's open mic nights. Otherwise I provide an answer to the question "what do you call somebody who hangs around with musicians".
            Hi Keira!
            Welcome to our little corner of the world!!
              Welcome to the forum. Enjoy!
                What is this "fingerpicking" you speak of?

                OK, just kidding, welcome!
                  Hi and welcome!

                  Really great to have you here and I'm sure we can learn a lot from you. I love accoustic guitar (and everything else that makes noise as well). My finger picking abilities are however limited to the Leonard Cohan style of picking and the odd Leo Kottke tune. I'll check out your youtube videos tonight from my home computer.
                    hey all thanks for the welcome....

                    and Guy hehehe loved the quip re the "whats this fingerpicking thing????" heheheh yeah truly sometimes i feel like a dinasour( i'm 40 ish) lol and my acoustic fingerstyle technique a style of the past....

                    since most of the great fingerstyle players are all prob in late middle age or older .......(martin taylor/tommy emmanuelle / Don Ross/ tuck andress/ ralph Towner/ steve newman/ tony cox/ steven king doyle dykes ect ect all middle aged of beyond )

                    but then i see a player like antoine dafour from canada...and justin king too and i realise there are a few young musicians taking up the challenge...

                    or i guess the other angle and quite comical realisation is that the multi part fingerstyle technique might just be enough of a challenge that it takes one till middle age to play it well enough to get noticed...hehehehh


                    anyway i'm glad to be part of this forum .....

                    and acoustic players feel free to contact me

                    peace and ligh
                    Keira WitherKay
                      Welcome to the forum, great to have you here
                        haha, yeah, I’m just having too much fun with solid planks and tube amps at the moment.

                        My favourite ‘picker is Dufour by far. I'm really into his voicings. His track "Memories from the Future" is mind blowing.

                        Let us know if you play in CT. ?
                          I want to play "take five" like that.

                            in responce to Squonks post "I want to play "take five" like that."

                            yes take 5 is such a crowd pleaser.... i wonder if the world even know any of the other brubeck tunes...

                            i have loads of fun with that live.... lol if you really tricky and not in a "Jazz purist frame of mind" you can work the 'rolling stones riff from ' Paint it black into it... but it requires a time shift from 5/4 to 4/4 and back try it it works ...heheheh

                            have fun with your music

                            peace and light
                            Keira

                              Welcome Keira! Would like to hear you playing!
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