Michael Curry performs in the WITF Music studio on May 18, 2023.
Jeremy Long / WITF
WITF Music: Michael Curry
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Joe Ulrich
Jeremy Long / WITF
Michael Curry performs in the WITF Music studio on May 18, 2023.
Guitarist Michael Curry of Dillsburg stopped by our studio to perform some of his favorite classical works by J.S. Bach and Francisco Tárrega. But he came of age listening to a lot of rock music and played in a rock band while living in Nashville. Now he performs and teaches classical guitar.
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So you were listening to pop music and rock music and things like that growing up?
Yeah, a lot of rock. A lot of hard rock. Probably the first thing I learned was the “One” Metallica riff. I loved Metallica. A lot of classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, a lot of punk rock, Green Day.
It seems like there often is a connection between either heavy metal or hard rock and also classical.
A good example was Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist. He studied classical and he would play classical exercises when he was not playing with Ozzy. There’s definitely an overlap there.
Jeremy Long / WITF
Michael Curry performs in the WITF Music studio on May 18, 2023.
And you said you played Guitar Hero growing up?
Yeah, that’s probably what inspired me to to seek out the real thing.
Did you have favorite songs on Guitar Hero?
My favorite probably is Dragon Force “Through the Fire in Flames”. That was an introduction to a crazy band. I didn’t know music sounded like that. It’s like a speed metal type song. It’s like the final song at the end of the game.
Jeremy Long / WITF
Michael Curry performs in the WITF Music studio on May 18, 2023.
Did your interest in classical music and classical guitar come from taking lessons or had you been exposed to it before?
My first memory of hearing classical music was probably from my grandmother who listened to Mozart. So I heard it at a very young age when I was at my grandparents. I didn’t necessarily love it at the time. But then as I got older, I did start to lean into it a bit more. I appreciated the musicality of it.
Do you have a favorite guitarist?
My favorite guitarist is probably Anna Vidović. She’s a Croatian guitarist. I’ve seen her live and she’s breathtaking. Her playing is absolutely wonderful.
Who are some of your favorite composers?
My favorite is probably Bach. Bach has some of the greatest pieces that translate very well on classical guitar. Our classical guitar that we play today wasn’t around in the Baroque era, so a lot of what is played is either violin, harpsichord, lute, cello. But his writing was just so good. Astor Piazzolla is a composer from Argentina. He has a lot of amazing pieces as well. Isaac Albéniz, Spanish composer in the romantic era. Very amazing music.
You had played in a rock band for a little while?
I was in the band Carverton. We were around for probably about five years. We did a full length album, we did an EP, we were based out of Nashville. I always had a love for rock. I’d been in multiple bands growing up, and that was my latest band. It’s very different than what I do now.
Jeremy Long / WITF
Michael Curry performs in the WITF Music studio on May 18, 2023.
Recuerdos de la Alhambra involves this technique that was blowing my mind, watching you play it and listening to it. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Recuerdos is a tremolo piece where essentially your thumb plays the accompaniment, the bass line, and your fingers then play the lead melody and it always is plucking the same string. The goal is to have a single note singing while a bass line is moving behind it. So it involves a lot of dexterity and moving the fingers.
You were using two fingers, you said there’s some people who will use three.
Many classical guitarists will use, it’s called I, M and A are the names for the fingers. So that’s a three finger tremolo. I use two. My favorite guitarist, Ana Vidović, I saw her live and I’ve watched videos of her playing Recuerdos and she would only use two. So I got curious and I started trying it.
It was a little harder at first, but I do see why she chooses to play that way. I find you can get quite an articulated sound out of just using the first two fingers because the third finger tends to be a little weaker.
Why did you pick that piece?
I’ve heard the piece for many years. It’s one of those pieces that sticks out in the world of classical guitar. It has such an iconic sound, just the opening to it. So I naturally feel drawn to that piece. It’s very mesmerizing, and it’s very fun to just get lost in the movement of it.
The Bach piece, tell me about that one.
The Bach piece is the final movement in his 998 work Allegro. And it’s a very fun. It’s in a major key. It’s very complex and has a very intellectual sound the way the melody moves through different modes and subtly changes keys. I love Bach. He’s my favorite composer. So any chance I get I love to play a piece by him.
Tell me about the guitar you’re using.
My guitar is an Esteve guitar. It was made in Valencia, Spain. It’s a lattice brace guitar. So the shape of the inside is a bit different than other classical guitars. It’s meant to project a bit more.
I’ve had it for a few years now and I just really love the guitar. It has a cedar top, which produces a warmer tone. And I just feel a connection with that instrument.
What was your favorite show that you played?
I would probably say when I was in my band Carverton, we played Firefly Festival. And then I’d say solo, I performed my first solo recital last year at Historic Peace Church in Camp Hill. And that was very fun.
Connect with Michael Curry:
https://www.facebook.com/michaelcurrymusic
https://www.instagram.com/mikecurryguitar/
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
