CHENNAI: A head of his band's debut at Radio Room next week, guitarist Matt Bacon talks to CE about his love for the classical guitar, teaching the YouTube generation and why he thinks he is born in the wrong era
An obsession with Jimi Hendrix and The Doors took Matt Bacon through a musical journey that is nothing short of magical. As a two-year-old, he often found himself standing in front of the TV conducting the Mickey Mouse Orchestra with a magic baton. When his father bought him an Olympic White Squier Stratocaster, his first, there was no looking back. Now, from pursuing a degree at John Hopkins to teaching at the prestigious KM Conservatory, the 29-year-old has come a long way, with a gradual leaning towards classical music on the guitar.
“I like old-school rock/blues. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era, between that and my classical guitar tastes,” says Bacon as we sit down to discuss his upcoming performance at Radio Room on June 1. Watching the long-haired musician strum a tune on his guitar is oddly satisfying as we explore the various influences on his sound. We happen to come across the video for the title track of his band’s upcoming album, The Crossover. The gentle strums of a guitar with an eerily melancholic violin meet your ear, set against a crimson sky above the sea.
“This piece was written in about 30 seconds during the flood and is basically a musical depiction of my move to Chennai,” he says, promising audiences a rendering of this track along with a few other original compositions done with singer, Snigdha Chandra. Shuttling his independent music with his hectic teaching schedules at KM Conservatory is no mean task. “I'm still debating whether to do a full album or EP first. The challenge is balancing recording time with my teaching schedule. I am fast in the studio so I have about five songs completed now where I have written and recorded all the instruments by myself. At Radio Room — you'll get to hear 11,” he adds.
The five-member outfit will see Gabriel Jimi, a KM colleague on the keyboard, Kashyap Jaishankar on bass and Guberan on drums besides Matt and Snigdha. As we try to place a finger on the influences behind the confluence of sounds, Matt tells us, “I suppose everything I’ve listened to, even peripherally, has had an impact. Composer Ramesh Vinayakam was among the first few people I met here and he introduced me to Carnatic music. Songs like The Crossover wouldn’t be possible without him.”
Ask him what sets the classical guitar apart as an instrument and the connoisseur in him awakens. “Classical guitar is significantly harder than other styles not just because of the demands on the fingers, but due to the mental clarity, gradual understanding, and musical conceptions needed to play truly well — it raises the bar for overall musical ability. The good news is that I think it's the most honest instrument. No faking with pedals and special effects — you get out exactly what you put in,” he avers.
Perhaps this explains Matt’s need to take in and impart something through every minute spent making or listening to music. While he lauds his students at KM, he also points out “This generation is the generation of YouTube learners, so you've really got to ingrain in them the idea that some things are better off done the old fashioned way. That’s our primary responsibility as teachers and the results speak
for themselves.”
Hardly managing to catch a breath in the middle of a packed timetable, Matt manages to sneak some time to unwind by playing bass once in a while. “The childhood spent before a TV orchestra spilt over to real life after all. I just can't wear the wizard outfit and there's no chocolate ice cream,” he smiles.
Rapid Fire
Musical influences: Isaac Albeniz, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Muddy Waters and Led Zeppelin. I am practically a Zeppelin encyclopaedia.
Favourite guitarists: Julian Bream. I'd rather hear him play Pop Goes the Weasel than anyone else play pretty much anything because there is so much personality in his playing. Also my teacher, Ernesto Tamayo. He was a mentor and friend.
About AR Rahman: ARR's work ethic is a lot like mine, in that it's nonstop. My impression is that he takes it one step further though and also he doesn't sleep. I played on the 24 film score and I'm sure another project will roll around, but right now my focus is on the teaching and my music.
Wisdom to newbies: Do the KM Summer programme and I'll whip you into shape.
A style out of his comfort zone: Jazz fusion
(The writer is a freelance journalist)