Vicki Genfan
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| Vicki Genfan | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 15, 1959 |
| Origin | United States |
| Genre(s) | Fingerstyle guitar |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, singer, songwriter, therapist |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, piano, hand percussion, trombone |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Label(s) | Acoustic, Vicki Genfan/NafnegV |
| Website | www.vickigenfan.com |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Muse 12 string by Luna Guitars, Vega 6 string Deering-Banjo | |
Vicki Genfan (born June 15, 1959) is a US-American fingerstyle-guitarist, composer and singer.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Vicki Genfan took up the guitar at the age of five. Her father played 12-string guitar, mandolin and fiddle and had a good voice, her older brother played guitar too.[1] She studied classical music and jazz at Ithaca College in New York.[2] Besides guitar Genfan plays piano, hand percussion and trombone.[3]
1994 she produced her first album Native on cassette, but didn't sell it in commercially significant numbers. 2001 her equally self - produced CD Outside the Box was published. She won the Just Plain Folks Award the same year for her title New Grass on that album. 2003 her second CD Vicki Genfan Live was published by the German label Acoustic Music Records, a live-recording at Open Strings Festival in Osnabrück, Germany. 2004 Vicki Genfan placed second at Mountain Stage New Song Festival in West Virginia with her song Eleanor.[2] In 2006 Genfan published the double CD Up Close & Personal. The first CD is titled Up Close and contains only instrumentals, the second CD Personal showcases her singing and songwriting abilities.
Vicki Genfan was on stage with several well-known fellow guitarists, for example Tommy Emmanuel, Laurence Juber, Kaki King and Jennifer Batten.[4] Because auf her extraordinary technique and lyrical way of playing and singing she was compared to Michael Hedges or Pat Metheny.[5] Vicki Genfan featured in several American and international magazines and was labeled »Queen of Open Tunings«.[6]
While not on tour abroad she gives concerts in the northeastern US. She is an experienced and good teacher, lectures at workshops and guitar clinics and teaches private lessons. Currently she works on a guitar video featuring her music and technique and plans to publish a book with her music.[7]
Vicki Genfan lives in Fairview, New Jersey.
[edit] Guitar technique and musical influences
Vicki Genfan labels her music »Folk meets Funk«.[1] It's a blend of jazz, funk, pop and world music in a contemporary folk-context. She uses various uncommon open tunings, complex harmonies and intricate rhythms, combining them with percussive grooves. Her playing is characterised by ‘two handed tappings’, explosive ‘tapped’ and ‘slapped harmonics’ with one or more fingers of the right hand and slapped bass lines. Genfan is not only a guitar player, she is a songwriter and singer too.
Her main musical inspiration was her father.[1] Other influences were James Taylor, Michael Jackson, Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, M'Shell Ndegocello, Marvin Gaye, Jonatha Brooke and Leo Kottke.[3]
[edit] Guitars and technical equipment
Genfan plays a Gibson L-140[8], a Gibson LG and a Alvarez Silver Anniversary. The Alvarez- Guitar uses a TrueTone-pickup-system, where two mikrophones and a L.R. Baggs LB6-pickup send their signal to two separate outlets.[9]
She owns a Guild 12 string Guitar, a Muse 12 string by Luna Guitars[1] and plays a Vega 6 string Deering-Banjo[10]. She uses medium-gauge D'Addario strings.
Her engineer Tay Hoyle is responsible for the full and tone clear of her guitar amplification, takes a main part in producing Genfan's CDs and accompagnies her on numerous tours.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Original work
- 1994 – Native (Vicki Genfan)
- 2000 – Outside The Box (Vicki Genfan)
- 2003 – Vicki Genfan Live (Acoustic Music Records)
- 2006 – Up Close & Personal (Harmonic Touch Records)
[edit] Collaborations, guest musician
- 1991 – Mistaken Identity (Donna Summer, Atlantic Records)
- 2000 – Home Away From Home (Dee Carstensen, Exit NineRecords)
- 2000 – Fourth Floor (Sonya Heller)
[edit] Compilations
- 2005 – La Guitara: Gender Bending Strings (Vanguard Records)
- 2006 – Indie Music For Life Compilation (Indie Music For Life)
- 2007 – Indie Music For Life Pop/Jazz Compilation (Indie Music For Life)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Vicki Genfan’s page at Luna Guitars. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Tap Tones - Bill Milkowski writes about Vicki Genfan in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, issue 109, January 2002. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Interview with Patty Larkin and Vicki Genfan by Ann Latner. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ Review of Genfan's CD Up Close & Personal at CD Baby. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ Vicki Genfan's website at MySpace. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ PRIVATE LESSON – Vicki Genfan, by Teja Gerken. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ Review of the CD Vicki Genfan Live at CD Baby. Accessed on November 18, 2007.
- ^ Gibson presents Vicki Genfan. By Bernd Strohm (german). Accessed on November 18, 2007
- ^ Bill Milkowski describes Vicki Genfan's Guitars in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, issue 109, January 2002. Accessed on November 18, 2007
- ^ List of artists using a Deering-Banjo. Accessed on November 18, 2007
