The solar eclipse was quite illuminating for harp guitarist/composer Muriel Anderson. In its wake, a beautiful new album, “Eclipse,” was born, as well as a live show that will debut in the Bay Area. Her previous project, “Nightlight Daylight,” blossomed into a multi-award-winning CD and a romantic relationship.
During the solar eclipse, Anderson was sitting on the lawn of the capitol building in Nashville, playing her harp guitar. People from all over the world had gathered and they were entranced by both the sights and sounds. “It was a wonderful experience to share,” Anderson said.
That experience evolved into a full CD, “Eclipse,” which also includes such tunes as Cat Stevens’ “Moonshadow” and George Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun,” as well as lush, lovely Anderson originals, such as “Totality” and “View From Space,” which captures a sparkling sense of wonder.
“Eclipse” is not only a CD, but also an innovative, accompanying greeting card. You can purchase a pre-release copy at her Bay Area concerts, which include Soquel on Jan. 10 (with Santa Cruz favorite Steve Palazzo), Redwood City’s Club Fox on Jan. 11, and Pacifica on Jan. 20. Or go to her website for a discount on the CD plus a bonus track (www.murielanderson.com/eclipse).
The CD features striking photography of Bryan Allen. Anderson had seen his artful imagery and hired him to work on her “Nightlight Daylight” CD.
“In the process of doing this album, we fell in love and decided we wanted to be together,” Anderson said. “So we put together an audio-visual show to take on tour. He captured my music in visuals, which are shown on a giant screen behind me.”
They collaborated again on “Eclipse.” That new concert experience begins with gorgeous images of the eclipse, then moves into shots from the couple’s world travels, as well as personal stories. It’s a rich musical evening. “People come out feeling inspired,” Anderson said.
Over the course of the concert, she plays both guitar and harp guitar. She displays her pleasing singing voice, as well. But her exquisite, eclectic instrumentals are abundantly evocative.
“My guitar sings for me. Sometimes it doesn’t need the words. It says everything it needs to say in the music.”
The first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship, Anderson began playing the instrument at age 8. During her junior high school years, she had a dream that crystallized the importance guitar would have.
“I dreamed that I was walking to school and my guitar got heavier and heavier,” said Anderson, reached by phone at her Nashville residence. “Finally I put it down, sat on top of it and it lifted off the ground and I rode it to school. I remember waking up from that dream thinking, ‘Wow! That was fun. I think the guitar is going to carry me in my life.'”
Anderson had begun writing songs while at preschool. “I heard the doorbell ring. I went to the piano and found those notes. And I found that they made a chord. So I wrote a song and called it ‘Ding Dong.’ I was quite proud of myself.”
A few years later, a friend of the family was throwing a guitar away. “I tuned up the three remaining strings on it and started figuring out melodies. It just came naturally,” Anderson said.
She comes from a musical family. Her maternal grandfather was a saxophonist who played in John Philip Sousa’s band. Anderson’s mother encouraged her children to play music for fun.
Anderson performed in school jazz bands and played in a bluegrass band. She loved international folk dancing and learned to play that music.
The only way to take guitar in college was to study classical music. She went into it reluctantly, but upon hearing the music of classical virtuoso Christopher Parkening, was awakened.
“I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard and wanted to be able to shape the tone the way he does. Even coming to classical late in life, it helped me to hone in all different styles,” Anderson said.
She also studied with country great Chet Atkins. “I picked up on his approach to music and his openness to learning new things and keeping the joy of the music alive.”
While still in college, Anderson began writing tunes that called for low, resonating strings an octave lower than those her guitar provided. She had heard about the harp guitar and found out that Michael Hedges played one. So she attended his concert. She sat next to Bob Hartman, who was writing a book about harp guitars. He asked if she would record a track for the CD that would accompany his book.
Anderson fell in love with the harp guitar. “It expands the range and the type of expression you can get out of an instrument. It gives me a lot of different kinds of sounds you wouldn’t have on an acoustic guitar. It’s fun for me having an instrument with so many musical possibilities.”
The instrument has unique challenges. “When you first look at the harp guitar, it just seems like this wide sea of strings. So it’s a matter of not feeling daunted by all those possibilities, but only using strings when they really add to the music.”
Anderson uses her instrument to help good causes, including the charity she established, Music For Life Alliance. “We’re trying to do more to support music education across the country.”
Through the Alliance, she’ll be working with guitar students at San Jose’s Independence High School while she’s in the area.
“More than ever, kids, in this digital age, need to have something they can put their hands on and their hearts into. And it develops not only cognitive skills, by integrating the right and the left hemispheres, but also healthy social interactions, self-esteem and patience. We can go on and on about all the benefits of physically playing an instrument.”
Email Paul Freeman at paul@popcultureclassics.com
Music
Who: Muriel Anderson
Where: Michael’s on Main Street, 2591 Main St., Soquel
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10
Tickets: $17-$20; www.michaelsonmainmusic.com
Where: Club Fox, 2209 Broadway St., Redwood City
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018
Tickets: $17-$20;
Where: Mildred Owen Concert Hall, Pacifica
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20
Tickets: $15-$23; www.pacificaperformances.org
Artist website: www.murielanderson.com
