“The mightiest works have been accomplished by men and women who kept their ability to dream great dreams”. (Walter Bowie)
If your a music lover, you are probably familiar with the sounds of classical guitar
What you might not know is that early in the twentieth century that style of music was largely developed by one individual.
His name was Andres Segovia. Born in southern Spain, Segovia began playing guitar as a small child. In those days the guitar
was seen as little more than a folk instrument. It was not respected by serious composers and musicians the way orchestral
instruments were. But Segovia saw great potential in the guitar for classical music.
Segovia began studying the techniques of classical musicians who played stringed instruments such as the violin and cello.
He applied those techniques to his playing and developed other methods on his own.
He adapted classical compositions of masters such as Bach and learned to play them on his instrument.
In 1909, Segovia made his classical debut at the age of sixteen. In 1919, he toured the world and won
over the classical establishment. Soon, for the first time, composers were writing classical music for the guitar, and a
whole new kind of music was born for the concert hall.
Over the course of nearly eight decades, Segovia completely changed people’s perceptions of his instrument.
But like many big dreams that become realized, Segovia’s dream made an impact far beyond what he imagined.
It could be argued that his efforts opened the door for the guitar, not only to the concert hall, but also to the jazz band.
That in turn led to the electrically amplified guitar and rock music. If you’ve enjoyed the music of Les Paul or Chuck berry or the Beatles
or any other of today’s modern groups, then thank Andres Segovia. If it was not for him and his dream, the music of the twentieth century
would have gone in an entirely different direction.
When people discover their dreams and commit to them, there is no telling what kind of impact they will make.
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