Artistry of the Guitar
Artisry of the Guitar is a concert music experience featuring performances by founder Ken Bonfield and Steve Davison, and quite often special guests, and can also include community based events such as Master Classes, Guitar workshops, or in-school performances. We can design a package that best suits your community's needs.
Yes Artistry of the Guitar is about the guitar and guitarists, but more importantly Artistry of the Guitar is about the music one can make with this often humble yet incredibly diverse instrument. Capable of making any style of music, the guitar compares only to the piano when it comes to stylistic potential - of course, we like guitars more; you can't put a piano on your back and carry it with you around the world.
Ken got to know Steve Davison during one of his frequent tours to Little Rock AR. Sharing the stage at the Arkansas' Governor's Mansion for Steve's Finger Food project, an annual guitar concert whose proceeds benefit Safe Places - a Little Rock refuge for mothers and children dealing with domestic abuse - they formed a strong friendship and developed an admiration of each other's music. Steve is without a doubt one of today's finest composer's on 12-string guitar. He's both rhythmic and melodic, and that's no easy feat given the nature of the instrument.
At an Artistry of the Guitar concert you will hear exquisite guitar music ranging from country blues, ragtime, and folk, to traditional Celtic, jazz, classical, contemporary, and even rock inspired guitar slapping! Is FoCeltazzical a genre? We hope not because it's mighty hard to pronounce, but surely Ken, Peter, Steve and their special guests cover the gamut of acoustic guitar styles.
Experienced performers, Bonfield andDavison have been featured performers at such venerable rooms as Caffe Lena, the oldest coffe house concert venue in the country, Club Passim in Cambridge MA, Eddie's Attic in Atlanta, and The Mozaic Room, Blackstone River Theatre, Kent State Folk Festival, Newport Guitar Festival, Montreal Guitar Show, and the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. And they've shared the stage with acoustic artists of all stripes including popster Jahn Mayer, folk icon Arlo Guthrie, guitar luminaries Alex de Grassi, Adrian Legg, Ed Gerhard, Dakota Dave Hull, Bill Mize and more... More than a few Grammy's on that list!
Workshops and in-school performances are a key component of the Artistry of the Guitar experience. Ken has taught privately for almost 20 years, Bonfield is a key endorser for Thomastik-Infeld Strings, Alan Carruth Guitars, and LR Baggs Electronics. AOG conducts workshops all over the country at stores, universities, festivals, and concert halls. They love to share the secrets of playing, writing, and arranging for the acoustic guitar with guitarists of all levels - helping each along their own path towards guitar artistry.