Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel, what a treat:
This astounding acoustic guitar legend returned to New Zealand for four concerts during September 2017.
How privileged I was to attend all four concerts, not only to take some extraordinary photos and video but to also spend some valuable time to get to know and understand what makes this man tick.
Tommy Emmanuel has two ARIA Awards (Australian Recording Industry Association), two Grammy nominations, and untold honours in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll.
Tommy totally captivates his audience and there is no doubt he has to be one of the most outstanding solo performers anyone will ever experience. One of the aspects of his performance that surprised me was there is no stage plan, in other words there is no set plan, Tommy can’t wait to get in front of his audience and just senses what the people are after and he delivers it with passion. No sign of stage fright with this guy.
Tommy Emmanuel’s gift has been attained by true dedication to the instrument, how many hours of practice has it taken to reach this level? Quite frankly beyond belief, hours upon hours have earned him multiple awards worldwide.
“I write as if I’m writing for a singer,” he says. “I don’t think, ‘Ah, it’s just a solo guitar piece.’ I try to imagine I’m playing with a band or with a singer, but then I play the whole thing as a solo piece and look for ways to give it space.”
Tommy Emmanuel was destined to become a world-class musician. He had his first guitar at four years old. Tommy , together with his brother Phil they were committed students of the guitar at an early age, and both of them have had distinguished careers. One other point worth mentioning here is how humble this person is, he has time for everyone, he supports other guitarists wherever and whenever he can, he respects the superb playing that other masters of the instrument have achieved and has created music schools for students in many cities throughout the world.
The performing venues for Tommy Emmanuel were:
– Christchurch – September 19 – Aurora Theatre, 8pm
– Nelson – September 20 – Annesbrook Church, 8pm
– Hamilton – September 22 – Claudelands Arena, 8pm
– Auckland – September 23 – Auckland Town Hall, 8pm
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