Featured Flatpicker for February 2004 - Allen Shadd
Name:
Allen Shadd
Age:
39
Town:
Lawtey Fla
At what age did you start playing guitar?
7
First guitar:
Telestar ordered from a Spiegel catalog. First real guitar was an Epiphone at the age of 9, then I got my Martin D35 when I was 10. I put it in the bed with me at night for the first month I had it!
Early Influences:
First couple of years I just played along with tapes I made from the radio- mostly Waylon and Don Williams stuff. I went to my first bluegrass festival when I was 10 and it was all over for the radio stuff. Listened to Doc, Mark O'Connor,Tony Rice. Along that time I met Randy Howard and he was one of my first and biggest influences for the big picture, not just the playing but the attitude and approach as well. Locally Gary Holmes and Dale Simpson told me about the pickers I needed to hear. My biggest influence though would be Billy Sandlin, from the early Front Porch String Band days. Monster player and incredible friend for a kid to have.
First gig:
That would probably be the school talent show but I'm not sure.
Acoustic Guitars you own:
I've scaled down alot but I've owned almost everything. I now own a '97 Collings D2h, a '98 Gallagher Doc Watson model, my same old '73 Martin D35, and 2 custom built Ronnie Griffin guitars. One is a Walnut back/sides dreadnaught and the other is a east Indian back/sides parlor guitar that thinks it's a D28.
Favorite Guitar:
The best guitar I've ever played is my friend Peter Fryefields '37 D18. Of the guitars I own my Griffin Dreadnaught is my favorite overall.
Your Style, and how you developed it:
I played along with records of Doc alot when I was first learning to flatpick. As I got a little older I started playing some electric guitar and listening to guitarists that were outside the box so to speak. Like Clarence White on acoustic, Steve Morse on electric. Playing alot of different types of music began to shape my flatpicking, so I didn't sound like a Tony Rice clone or someone playing straight from Steve Kaufmans tab. I also learned to play the banjo with the idea that anything I could learn to play with 3 fingers on a banjo would be incredible to do with a flatpick on a guitar.
Practice Regimen:
What's that? Sounds like work. The only time I practice is if I'm preparing for a contest. I'll play daily for 30 minutes or so 2 months before a major contest like Winfield in '97. By a month before I'm up to at least 1-2 hours a day with one day off a week to break things up. 2 weeks before I'm up to 3-4 hours a day, the last week if I'm awake I have a guitar in hand. I record rhythm tracks on tape to accompany myself.
Favorite Artist(s):
For guitarists,David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Barry Bailey (Atlanta Rhythm Section), Kansas, Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Steve Morse, Mark O'Connor, Eric Johnson, Clarence White, David Grier, Steve Vai, Norman Blake, Scotty Anderson, Clint Strong, Django, Chet, Phil Keaggy. Too hard to narrow this one down.
What general suggestions would you give to someone who either wants to start playing guitar, or start playing guitar- having come in from another genre?
Don't limit yourself by trying to sound like your guitar hero. I mean learn the foundation of their playing and incorporate that into your playing, but don't play everything note for note like them. Use all of the tools available these days. That includes tab, videos, workshops, the internet, flatpick camps, and nothing takes the place of just getting out and picking with others. When you feel like you're in a rut, back off for a short break. When you come back it'll feel fresh. Get a good guitar, something that makes you want to play it alot. Always remember that it's a gift from God and be genuinely thankful, it can also be taken away.
Proudest Musical Moment?
Hard to say one. I got to pick with Doc when I was 13. The last year I seriously competed I was fortunate enough to do pretty well. Winning Winfield in '97 is obviously a proud moment. During the following year I got to spend some time with Cody Kilby and it took him 2 minutes to figure out the stuff that I played to beat him in the contests. Only of course he played it better than me. I went back to Winfield in '98 and accompanied Cody when he won, I'm as proud of that I think. Since then I have been fortunate enough to share some tunes on and off stage with some of my heroes including David Grier, Steve Kaufman, Norman Blake, Jim Hurst, Roy Curry, Jack Lawrence, for guitarists, as well as Vassar, Peter Rowan, Chesapeake, the Kruger Bros, David Grisman and so many more. But it makes me just as happy to hang out with people that love the guitar as I do, like hanging out at animal house at Kaufman camp or pickin around the fire at Winfield, it's all good. Other than that, I'm real proud of my cd, alot of friends helped me out on it and it's a tribute to the musicians that helped me when I was young and trying to learn it all at once. I feel like I have an awful lot to be thankful for.
Click to listen to samples from Allen's cd A Cut Above:
A Buck and a Quarter Allen Shadd
A Cut Above Allen Shadd
Making Tracks Allen Shadd
Cuckoo's Nest Trad.
To purchase this CD, contact Allen Shadd via email.
Archives:
Terry Barnes
Paul 'Gus' Gustafson
Gary Smith
Bryan Kimsey
David Dugas
Allen Shadd
