#27 David Leisner: Playing with Ease & Letting Go

English guitarist and one half of the incredible Eden Stell Guitar Duo, Chris Stell and I (Rosie Bennet) discuss the benefits of having to start over building your confidence, strategies for making difficult decisions and how his meeting Mark Eden completely changed the course of the career that he had imagined. We mused on the positive changes that the 2020 pandemic brought about personally and how and why that time has reflected in Chris' teaching practice. A beautiful conversation with a wonderful friend! Enjoy xxx Music - Ão "Cover" Copyright Rosie Bennet 2022 Listeners of Fret Not get 50% off Augustine Strings with the code FRETNOT50 on www.augustinestrings.com for US listeners and www.ivormairants.co.uk for UK listeners

Grammy award winning American guitarist Jason Vieaux and I (Rosie Bennet) discuss growing up in a non musician family, how he found his way into a full-time touring career and how he is managing his life in a post-covid world.  Listen to Jason's new album here! Bach Volume 2 A beautiful conversation with a long time hero of mine! Enjoy xxx Music - Ão "Cover" Copyright Rosie Bennet 2022 Listeners of Fret Not get 50% off Augustine Strings with the code FRETNOT50 on www.augustinestrings.com for US listeners and www.ivormairants.co.uk for UK listeners

Russian guitarist Irina Kulikova and I (Rosie Bennet) discuss her growing up in the USSR as a child star, studying at the Gnessin Academy in Moscow and the Mozarteum in Salzburg and how her move to Europe changed her circumstances. We chatted about Irina's daughter, how she balances being a mother with her busy career, how she overcame challenges of financial hardship and postpartum depression and what her advice is for those going through similar moves and displacements.  A beautiful conversation with a long time hero of mine! Enjoy xxx Music - Ão "Cover" Copyright Rosie Bennet 2022 Listeners of Fret Not get 50% off Augustine Strings with the code FRETNOT50 on www.augustinestrings.com for US listeners and www.ivormairants.co.uk for UK listeners

Guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan and I discuss his definition of success and by token his definition of mistakes, Segovia's influence and whether or not he would be able to make a career in the current industry climate and what it truly means to make a difference as a musician. Music - Ão "Cover" Listeners of Fret Not get 50% off Augustine Strings with the code FRETNOT50 www.augustinestrings.com  for US listeners and www.ivormairants.co.uk  for UK listeners www.altamiraguitars.com I play an N3 concert guitar  Copyright Rosie Bennet 2022

Scottish guitarist Matthew Mccallister and I discuss what drives our need for people to like us, how he finds his artistic centre and history as a series of patterns rather than progress.  Listeners of Fret Not get 50% off Augustine Strings with the code FRETNOT50 www.augustinestrings.com for US listeners and www.ivormairants.co.uk for UK listeners www.altamiraguitars.com  I play an N3 concert guitar  Music - Ão "Cover" Copyright Rosie Bennet

In today's episode Alan Gogoll and I discuss success, spotify playlists and why writing music with money in mind leads only to tears (if not money!). We touch briefly on the problems with extraction of data, the differences between the classical and the acoustic guitar worlds and how 2020 taught him the most valuable lesson he has learnt so far. www.augustinestrings.com www.ivormairants.co.uk FRETNOT50 for 50% off your Augustine strings - I use Imperial and Paragon reds. www.altamiraguitars.com Music - Ão "Cover" Copyright Rosie Bennet 2021

In today's episode Jiji and I discuss how she found her soul in electric guitar, how pressure nearly put out the flame for her with classical music and how nobody, not even the people you admire, have it all figured out. Music - Ão "Cover" www.augustinestrings.com Use FRETNOT50 at checkout to get 50% off of Augustine Strings! www.altamiraguitars.com Copyright Rosie Bennet 2021  

In today's episode I talk to Sam Brown about how ego interacts with our ability to learn and listen, the ephemeral quality of our art form and where harmony, rhythm and their analysis fit into our life as musicians and as animals. Music - Ão "Cover" www.augustinestrings.com Use FRETNOT50 at checkout to get 50% off of Augustine Strings! www.altamiraguitars.com Copyright Rosie Bennet 2021  

Guitarist, composer and writer David Leisner and I discuss how letting go of the need for control changed his life, his playing and his career, how loaded and political language in the music world reveals our deep rooted obsession with pain and what he's looking forward to this year. A wonderful episode with a lot of laughs!   Music - Ão "Cover” www.augustinestrings.com www.altamiraguitars.com Copyright Rosie Bennet 2021

In today's episode I talk to Jordanian-Canadian guitarist Tariq Harb about his work as a guitarist, composer and teacher and his approach towards playing "in style" in each of those lives. We discussed the benefit of playing with presence over perfection (something new to me!) and Tariq even gave some exercises to practice being more present during your practice. Hope you enjoy this one - we spent forever talking and it was wonderful! Rate, review and subscribe, Thanks x www.augustinesstrings.com - I use imperial reds and paragon reds www.altamiraguitars.com - I play an N3 model Music - Ão "Cover" Rosie Bennet copyright 2022