Expert: Andy Bouwman - 8/2/2006

Question
Hello. Do you know exactly when Dave picked up a guitar and started playing? Did he take any particular type lessons? How would you describe Dave's playing style. What is it about his technique that makes his playing so unique but difficult to emulate.

Answer
Hi Corey,
Dave has been playing guitar I think since he was young.  When he was 9 or 10 (this was in the late 70s), his family moved to England and he discovered The Beatles.  He started writing songs in his early twenties, and when he moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, he started playing there.  He met local musicians Tim Reynolds, Greg Howard, and Peter Griesar, all of whom helped him shape and discover his own sound.

Dave's style is very unique, and though he technically is only a rhythm guitarist, his style incorporates uniquely constructed melodies and "riffs."  I think Dave's having been influenced by musicians all over the world (in Africa, England, the US, and even the far east) has helped to make his guitar style unlike many other American acoustic guitar players.

Hope this helps,
Andy