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A Word on Inspiration ...
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In
1985, during my college years in San Diego, I saw Paco De
Lucia in concert, 5th row center. What I saw him do with his guitar was
awe-inspiring to say the least, and I'll never forget that performance.
It took 10 years, but in 1995 in the small town of Guanajuato, Mexico,
that inspiration
finally took a hold of me when I met my first flamenco guitar teacher
and took my first "lessons". They were very informal, as is often
the
case, but it was enough to get me motivated. In subsequent years,
I
studied with two different teachers in nearby San Miguel.
This turned out to be the place where I received not only the majority
of my instruction, but also endless inspiration.
San Miguel de Allende was founded in 1542. A colonial town
in the cradle of Mexican independence, San Miguel was declared a
national monument in 1926 and has been protected as such ever
since. As Mexico's
most celebrated art community, San
Miguel de Allende is a great place to learn just about any art
form, enjoying international patronage at it's world class language and
arts
schools, the Instituto
Allende and Escuela
de Bellas
Artes. Many smaller educational entities and private
teachers are
available as well.
At around 7000 feet,
San Miguel boasts
incredible year round weather,
with warm days and cool nights. One of the first things I
noticed was that no
one was ever in hurry around this place. People busied themselves
with all sorts of things, but did so at a decidedly more relaxed
pace. The old churces, colonial mansions and
cobblestone streets
made for the perfect environment for anyone writing, studying Spanish,
music, art . . . As a
student of the guitar, there was always another "rincon" or "callejon" to discover to sit down be
inspired, draw, write, paint, think, or weave some new falsetas on the
guitar.
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click to
enlarge ...
Nothin'
like a good roof top for some pickin', a cold one, and a San Miguel
sunset
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