Repost - Master Class with Christopher Parkening, Bozeman, Montana, August 1980, Part One

It's like this, truth is: it's looking out while everything
happens; being in a place of your own,
between your ears; and any person
you face will get the full encounter
of your self.

William Stafford, Tuned in Late One Night, from A Glass Face in the Rain, 1982

I was very fortunate to attend the August 1980 Christopher Parkening master class at Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana. At the time I was studying classical with Bob Backes, who had studied with Mr. Parkening, Mr. Backes encouraged me to audition for the master class. He arranged a recording session for me, we made a tape, sent to Mr. Parkening and I accepted. I had just graduated high school. My parents drove me out for the class in their 1963 Plymouth Station Wagon, what a hoot that was! My mother took the photo, at least she didn't cut off any heads in this photo. 

This photo is from the start of the second day of class. Chris Parkening is seated left of center in the photo, Ed Weir is in the center and I am at the far right. One month after this photo was taken, I started my freshman year at University of Montana at Missoula, where I started out as a music major, I switched to a theater major the start of  my sophomore year.

And now I make world class classical guitars.