Tag: Basketball

Instrumental Storyteller — David Barrett Captures Defining Moments and Memories on “Guitar Stories From the Midwest” Album

David Barrett. Courtesy photo.

David Barrett prefers to tell stories instrumentally.

The composer-guitarist captures defining moments and memories on his latest instrumental folk album, Guitar Stories From the Midwest.

“It’s not a coincidence I call it Guitar Stories because most of them for me have a plot to the story,” said Barrett, who’s based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “Most of them grew out of a baby being born, a forlorn moment, or a whimsical time. They start from a place and go somewhere.”

The album’s 14 songs celebrate going to the circus, attending a family wedding, traveling on a train to Chicago, enjoying a sunrise, playing soccer in a park, and relishing notable places in Michigan.

“For me, whether it be a song or a composition, I always say, ‘A good song is one you want to hear again,’” said Barrett, who also composes on the piano. “If you’re not taken somewhere, then you’re playing a typewriter.”

Barrett’s cinematic and inspirational guitarwork invites listeners to embark on past and present adventures in their mind’s eye.

“It starts with a heartbeat, and hopefully, you carry that heartbeat and take people somewhere,” he said. “If I do that, it’s a good day in the neighborhood.”

To learn more, I spoke with Barrett about his background and latest album.

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On the Move — DASHpf Finds Hope and Connection in New Places on “Things We Used to Make” EP

DASHpf’s Peter Felsman gets nostalgic on “Things We Used to Make” EP. Courtesy photo.

In August 2021, Peter Felsman traded Brooklyn for Marquette.

The indie-folk singer-songwriter had relocated from New York City to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for an assistant professor of social work position at Northern Michigan University.

While adjusting to that change, Felsman had started writing songs for what would become Things We Used to Make.

“It is beautiful in Marquette, but the pace of life was a huge contrast to Brooklyn, where I had moved from, and I had more space to reflect on the last few years,” said Felsman, who records and performs as DASHpf, about his latest EP.

“A lot of the songs focus on making meaning of the past to help move forward, and they did. I was able to make a lot of amazing memories in the U.P. and [find] fodder for new albums.”

Felsman explores the EP’s overall theme through five concise tracks, which feature honest lyrics, soulful vocals, and earnest instrumentation.

“Thematically, this EP feels very nostalgic,” he said. “It is past-focused in a way, but it is fundamentally a hopeful album.

“[The track], ‘Witch in California,’ is a song about attending an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Bootcamp and committing to be a better person! ‘Nicole’ is a song about missing my friends, but ultimately motivated the creation of the [EP] with my friends.”

A year ago, Felsman made another professional move from Northern Michigan University to Oakland University.

I recently spoke with Felsman about the inspiration behind Things We Used to Make and his new role in academia.

Continue reading “On the Move — DASHpf Finds Hope and Connection in New Places on “Things We Used to Make” EP” →