Name: Todd Habekost
Age: 35
Town: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hometown (if different from current town): Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
At what age did you start playing guitar and why?
Age 13, I liked the way it sounded and it was a lot cooler then Piano lessons.
First guitar: A Mann Acoustic.
Early Influences:
The who, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, the same as everyone else!!
First gig:
Playing in a Jazz Big Band at the Red Deer College. Terrified! Found out that adrenaline and Alcohol don't mix very well.
Acoustic Guitars you own:
Just one, a Larrivee OM-9
Favourite Guitar:
My Larrivee
Your Style, and how you developed it:
Contemporary Celtic. I use this Term loosely as I do a lot of different things but it all revolves around the Acoustic guitar. It developed by becoming involved in Traditional music, French music through the band Malicorne, then hearing Scottish music, in particular Tony Mcmanus and The Old Blind Dogs featuring the great singer Ian Benzie. Not knowing anyone who I could play with I put down my pick and started playing fingerstyle and became largely a solo artist.
Before I heard Tony I played the melody of tunes kind of like block chording or on the Bass strings. Then I heard him and Breton guitarist Soig Siberil and moved the melody lines to the top two strings. Now I am finally trying to work in things by my all time favourite guitarist, Pat Metheny. A little bit more colour although Tony is great at that as well.
Practice Regimen:
I usually work on trouble spots in tunes. If I screw something up on a gig I will practice that. My best practice routine is writing songs that I can't play! I will compose a tune then try to play it at tempo and find out I have to learn how to play it. There is still one tune I wrote a couple of years ago that I still can't play live because I haven't got a good enough handle on it yet. My technique has yet to catch up with my writing which is better then the other way around!!
Favourite Artist(s):
Tony Mcmanus, Pat Metheny, Old Blind Dogs, Led Zeppelin, Beethoven, Bach.
Is there anything else you want people to know about you, your playing style or your views on today's music in general?
My music is really about playing a good tune. I don’t worry about being a "Guitar player" but rather worry about being a musician. I think that is what sets Tony McManus apart. He plays these great Scottish songs and doesn't ruin them by trying to be flashy. Pat Metheny besides being a great Guitar player writes great tunes. I think a lot of people missed the boat on Led Zeppelin. All their records are about a mood, a song and a sound. That is what I try to do. I think the Acoustic guitar is the greatest of all instruments and I love being a Guitar player.
To learn more about Todd and hear his music, please visit www.toddhabekost.com
|
|
If you are a guitarist with a cd out and would like to be featured here please
contact me.
