John Hartford certainly embodied a distinctly original style of music that drew on his vast knowledge of musical history and his early influences while adding his own unique input. I wanted to include John because I fell that his view of bluegrass music was very similar to my own. As this body of work is somewhat of a documentary of musical playing styles of the musicians I have chosen. John Hartford had a great knowledge of history. He took music and the history of music very seriously but had a whimsical and fun approach to his sound. By concentrating on his left hand in the drawing I wanted to show the importance of his style in noting his instruments. I also wanted to include the head of the violin with the small red ribbon tied around the carved head of the violin to emphasize John Hartford's humorous and fun loving approach to his music. I titled this work "Grab it by the Neck" because of the unique fiddle that John Hartford used, which had the bust of the violinmaker as a head that personified the fiddle. I also wished to reflect upon the courageous way in which he lived with and battled with cancer. He continued to perform until he was too sick to play even after he lost the use of his hands. He did his last gigs with his violin sitting in his lap while he sang. Because of John Hartford's love of music and its, his influence on the musical genre and its performers may be second only to Bill Monroe himself.
|
|
|
Return to Hands of Music
|
