My story?

Howdy Folks!

This morning I was about to answer to more emails about my story. Well, thank you! Actually y’all know that when we connect at a concert or clinic I always ask you the questions you are asking me

People’s life is so interesting and, I love learning from you guys. How you succeed, how you live, love, solve problems, what make you happy…  seeing this whole flow of life, all those infinite events surrounding, embedding us, make me feel melted in the World. All that is so beautiful! It is always a honor when people connect with me: so many are interesting!

But, okay, now the answers to your questions:

Was I a child prodigy? Am I from a family of musicians?
Actually not at all. Nobody in my family plays an instrument. It was really by chance I started to play guitar. Around my 13, I went to a shepperd workshop in Luc en Diois, Ardeche - South of France – one of the shepperd was playing guitar and taught me two chords: C Major and A minor. You only have to move one finger to create a completely different sound, mood and expression. That was, and still is, fascinating! 

My brother Jean Paul was in the military and use to come back home from time to time with a guy, Jacques who was playing guitar. Thus, on weekend I had my informal guitar lessons but the shock was a rainy Sunday afternoon. I turned on the TV and saw this black guy enjoying an up be-bop tune. As the camera zoomed out I could see this guy… was the guitarist playing and having a blast: Wes Montgomery! His hands were so big! It seemed motionless. The strings were poping and slapping on the fingerboard as he was passionately blasting the guitar with his thumb! Wes was not using a pick but the thumb. He composed a tune called the Thumb though.

The next day I went to many guitar stores enquiring about a guitar teacher playing like Wes… and I found one: Serge Donsey. When I arrived at his appartment, what a surprise! The door opened and a tall black guy opened!!! Serge is from les Antilles. We connected and he became my mentor. From him I learnt Classical, Brazilian music, and, of course, Jazz! The lessons were days long… Serge were showing me everything and I was absorbing like a sponge. No need to tell you, back home I was playing, playing and sleeping with my cheap Yamaha guitar… Serge is also so interesting; reading about science, philosophy, religions… he used to keep me for dinner he is a great cook) and we talked. One of the things I kept in my mind was:
“Be a specialist of the non-specialization”
We cannot climb like monkeys, run like horses or swim like dolphin… they are specialized… but, us, human beings, we can do a little bit of all that. What a fabulous skill in life! You can survive in any place!!! And survive to me was the word. My mom was single, Italian cooking in a restaurant and working two other jobs. We were living in a one bedroom apartment and it was a struggle for her to make it at the end of the month. Jean Paul, my brother who is seven years older than me, was taking care of me… I had to make my money to pay for lessons. The first place was at the Italian restaurant “La Gargotte” where, before school, I was cleaning fish, cut the french fries (I will tell you why they are not French) setting up tables, chopping bread… and get my weekly money to pay for my passion. I learnt the value of work, organization and to be fast and efficient.

Finally Serge get me ready to audition at the National Conservatory. I made it in and that was another world. My guitar teachers for classical were one of the best duet in the World: Ako Ito (you get she is from Japan.. ) and her husband Henri Dorigny. One day with Ako, the other with Henri. Both so different and complementary. Jacques Charpentier, one of the most famous composer, was my composition teacher and his classes were hours of creativity and passion. Deep culture and connecting the arts, history, philosophy… The great thing in my education was not to have music teachers but artists sharing with love and passion their knowledge.

The summer was always with one of the most unbelievable guitarists and man I met: Alexandre Lagoya. He formed with his wife Ida Presti the most prestigious guitar duet from history. When she died in 1967, he started teaching and a few years later, a solo career. Great character, passionate virtuoso… I always had complex about my cheap guitar… everybody had a Ramirez like the master. Classical is for rich people in Europe, for the elite, and we were poor… One morning after a jamming night with friends in the dormitory, I grabbed my guitar standing against the wall and ran to the lesson with Maestro Lagoya. As he wanted to demonstrate something, he took my guitar and, I realized this guitar was not mine… the sound was rich and loud, incredible dynamics… who’s guitar was that??? As he gave it back to me, I realized it was mine… but played by a master! Okay, you do not need to have a great guitar but to become a great musician. I decided to work more my intonation and have all the juice out of this piece of wood. Later, with the same guitar, I won the Arles International Guitar Competition. I was the youngest (17) and the reason I competed was the 1st prize: a guitar made by one of the world greatest luthier Paulino Bernabe, from Spain. I got it!!!

Gosh! that was like a dream!!! My brother still has my old Yamaha…
Therefore I started to book my first serious shows. I was a model at that time and working little jobs, and decided to become a performer. Thank you Internet, I do everything electronically now. At that time, I learnt typing and get my first typewriter to send letters with tape to everybody. Follow up with phone calls, riding buses to go to appointments and developed my career. Well, it cost a lot of my little money to get prospects, right? and huge amount of work. Therefore, I must have the show, I MUST. If they throw me away when I get in through the door…. I will come back through the window.

My ability on guitar?
Everybody is puzzled by my technique. I got a secret and share it with you today… seriously… are you ready? Okay, let’s go.
When I was a kid I was practicing up to 10 hours a day. 4 hours only technique in the morning and my repertoire in the afternoon… Yes, TEN HOURS. The first time I heard the flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia, playing at a dazzling speed, like you see me doing nowadays, I could not sleep! My target was to play that fast… even faster!!! That’s why I came up with all my “new” techniques and share that with you. What you learned from me in a one hour clinic took me thousands of hours of practice, thinking, frustration… I got to be the best!

Now you know all the “how it started”> a few pics of where I was leaving and my influencial persons will complete the story.
Peace and Light to you. Thank you for being so interested in this human being playing on a piece of wood (but Alhambra LOL) and strings (but… D’Addario of course).
Guys, it’s such a daily honor to be connected with you, thank you! This is why I always answer emails and comment – more than I practice now! – it’s because of the gratitude I have toward you. YOU make me feel and understand everyday how this world is a beautiful creation, how amazing you are. For that, I give you all my best, at each second we spend together.
Love and Light to you…
AW! The French Fries subject!!!!! I got tons of mail about it… okay, next time now…

Philippe

Tags: alahmbra guitar, America, Brazil, d'addario, france, French Riviera, Nice, touring, travel