Dominic Frasca

Dominic Frasca (born April 5, 1967) is a guitarist, originally from Akron, Ohio, but living in New York City since the early 1990s.[1][2] He began playing hard rock guitar at age 13, but gravitated into classical after finding an ad for classical guitar lessons in a school trash can.[2][3] Frasca originally entered the University of Arizona with the intent of studying classical guitar, but realized after a year that it wasn't his style. Leaving the University of Arizona after his scholarship for classical guitar was canceled,[2] he enrolled in colleges in Ohio, also trying Yale University, where he first met composer Marc Mellits.[1][4][5] The friendship and collaboration did not begin until Mellits and Frasca met once more, through a mutual friend at Cornell University.[1][6]

Dominic Frasca
Born (1967-04-05) April 5, 1967
Akron, Ohio
OriginItalian-Hungarian-American
InstrumentsGuitar
LabelsCanteloupe

Seeking to perfect his art, Frasca had an extensive practice routine, often spending up to 14 hours a day playing. While it initially added to his abilities, the rigorousness took its toll; Frasca developed focal dystonia—the loss of motor control in his fingers. He spent two years seeking treatment for the condition, unable to play at all. Frasca turned to weight training as a source of help. By keeping a balance between his practice and working out, he regained full use of his hands in 2003.[3]

He is probably best known for his customized ten-string guitar, which allows him to create a unique, layered sound normally only accomplishable using multiple instruments or post-recording techniques such as overdubbing.[4][7][8]

Frasca's technique incorporates classical guitar technique in the right hand as well as rock techniques such as tapping, hammer-ons, and pull-offs in the left hand. But Frasca has also expanded beyond these traditional techniques by inventing and creating other techniques to meet specific needs or problems presented by a specific composition. These include the use of a prepared guitar, with single string "mini-capos", the addition of pads on the body of the guitar (which Frasca uses for a myriad of percussion sounds and timbres), and attached sticks and levers on the body of the guitar, used to create percussive sounds.[2][9] "All my inspiration comes from ensembles," Frasca says. "Most notably The Philip Glass Ensemble, Steve Reich and Musicians, Anthony Davis and Episteme, The Who, The Ástor Piazzolla Quintet, and Led Zeppelin to name a few." "It always bothered me that when I would go to a classical guitar concert I would often leave knowing nothing about the person I just spent two hours listening to. I want people to know who I am and I want to know who my audience is- the most fundamental way that people communicate is by discovery."

Frasca has been called "Eddie Van Halen for eggheads" by Entertainment Weekly.[10] He is currently signed with Canataloupe Music and has released two albums, entitled Deviations,[11][12] and Forced Entry.

In 2005, Frasca opened a small, high-tech, surround-sound nightclub in New York City named The Monkey, which he has described as "a space that is all about the music, the sound and the visuals, not about selling drinks."[3][13] The performance space is on the 12th floor of a building.[14]

References
  1. "Dominic Frasca Biography". Dominic Frasca.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  2. Smith, Steve. "deviant behavior". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  3. "Dominic Frasca". Guitar Player Magazine. October 2006. Archived from the original on 23 September 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  4. Myers, Hannah (1 February 2006). "Flaming Flamenco". New York Press. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  5. Sherman, Robert (1 May 1994). "A Symphony's Century Celebrated". New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  6. "Marc Mellits Interview". Cheswatyr New Music Initiative. 2006. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  7. "Deviations-Dominic Frasca". All About Jazz. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  8. Kozinn, Allan (8 December 2006). "Classical Standouts in a Mozartean Year (Some Even by Mozart)". New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  9. Pareles, Jon (30 January 2004). "Exploring Ways to Make Guitar Strings Sing". New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  10. Gold, Jude (Winter 2006). "Dominic Frasca On The Apple G4 Powerbook". Frets Magazine.
  11. Kozinn, Allan (26 March 2006). "A Conversation Between Composers, in Polish and Hungarian". New York Times. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  12. Crowe, Julia (April 2006). "Dominic Frasca, Deviations". Acoustic Guitar. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  13. "The Monkey - New York City". Archived from the original on 2007-03-16.
  14. "About the Space". TheMonkey NYC. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
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