THE STORY OF GUITORCHESTRA ™
THE HISTORY
GUITORCHESTRA™ is a concept band created and developed by Mychael John Thomas. The dream of GUITORCHESTRA™ was born on a field trip to hear the Nashville Symphony when Mychael was still a boy. By the time he became a staff writer for Tree Publishing in 1978, the dream had germinated and grown to full bloom.
While working in the free creative environment with access to a studio, he composed the first ever work for rock guitar orchestra entitled "The Life Sonata (a composition for rock guitar orchestra)." The entire piece was actually developed around the second movement, "Twilight Melody," which was, ironically enough, a piano piece that hadn't inspired words since its creation five years earlier.
In the recording of Neon Dreams, as artist MYCHAEL, he included the sonata with the other vocal songs as a kind of complete picture of his artistry. The executives at RCA were very skeptical, and one even told him, "You need to leave that off the album and stop talking about a guitar orchestra. People think you're crazy." But with a clear vision of the future, he fought to keep the sonata on the album. As of 2008, it is still receiving airplay after all these years while most of the other vocal performances have fallen by the wayside. It also received a mention in the September 1979 issue of Guitar Player™ magazine calling the work "especially interesting."
In 1983, Mychael began work on a rock opera titled "Freedom Fire" using his guitar orchestra as a musical backdrop. Some initial demos were recorded, but the opera was never finished. However, in 1996 the story resurfaced in the form of a novel in progress by Mychael John. As a companion piece he assembled all the musical themes in an overture performed by his newly named GUITORCHESTRA™. In the digital studio built in his house, he recorded the "Freedom Fire Overture," "Foray Rhapsody," and a recut version of "The Life Sonata." The first Mychael John Thomas' GUITORCHESTRA™ CD was released in 1997.
THE CONCEPT
All sections of the traditional orchestra are represented in these pieces with primarily guitars. There are four bass guitars (double bass), six E-bow™ guitars (usually viola I parts), six acoustic guitars (usually viola II parts, sometimes cellos), one full set of acoustic drums, one full set of electric drums (percussion), two keyboards (some percussion and high string parts), one acoustic grand piano (universal in music), four electric lead guitars (violin I and II parts), and two electric guitars (sometimes cello, sometimes violin III). Some rock influences are weaved into the musical fabric, but the basic sound approach is still classical.
CREDITS and INFO
Mychael John Thomas' GUITORCHESTRA™ Composed, Arranged, Performed, Produced, and Engineered by Mychael John Thomas
FROM THE COMPOSER TO THE LISTENER
Freedom Fire Overture: Musical Impressions from the Book
1. Contemplation 2. Procession/Dream Walking/Procession 3. Space Duel/Aftermath 4. Summit – Betrayed! 5. Flying 6. Battle Plans 7. Gotta Get To You 8. Attack Of The Aliens/Discovery 9. The Chase 10. Revelation – The Angel’s Warning
As I explained in the foreword of the novel, Freedom Fire began as a rock musical in the early ‘80s, but the musical was never finished. In early 1996, I started to organize notes for the story, compiled since '83, planning to write a book. For a while, I toyed with the idea of expanding the music and finishing the musical, but it never came to me. So, I pieced together all the themes and recorded this one long work. It was recorded in late 1997, just before "Foray Rhapsody." The original demo was recorded in 1983 and included three vocal pieces. I changed some of the music and dropped the vocals while still retaining most of the original musical themes. It was recorded over a period of about two and a half months. I edited and remixed it in 2000 and again in 2007 - 2008. It has a special place in my heart, as it was the realization of my dream.
Foray Rhapsody
This was composed and recorded during the late part of 1997. I recorded the background music over three days, and then the solo guitar at a later date. The solo was unrehearsed and performed in one take. The theme is—what else?—the passion of love.
The New Life Symphony
I. Realization
II. Investigation
III. Peregrination
IV. Acquisition
The theme of this work is man's spiritual awakening, in my case Christianity. However, anyone who has experienced a life change has probably also had an epiphany of some sort. This is my attempt to express that change in music. The musical inspiration of this work centers on an electric sitar. I used a Rogue™ copy of the sitar from the sixties. The piece was recorded from October 2004 through January 2005. In late 2007 and early 2008 some of the guitar parts and drums were re-recorded.
A Rose For Sharon
This romantic waltz was originally recorded in 1999 in two days. The track was renamed and new acoustic leads were recorded in April and May of 2008. The theme is the hope, disappointment, and blessing of a true love finally realized. It adds a gentle touch to the heaviness of the rest of the CD and closes with a statement for everyone, "Love conquers all..." I feel like it closes the entire album with the gentle depth that love truly has to offer.
This entire album has been digitally remixed and remastered in April and May of 2008. Hope you enjoy the music . . . Mychael John Thomas
www.myspace.com/guitorchestra
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