Hi, I am Brett Vachon. I'm a guitarist, composer, and music arranger.
I started learning Classical Guitar and composing music when I was eight years old.
I didn't find my true voice until much later, however. When I was 14 I wrote what I consider my first 'real' composition. It was much more contemporary and this style would influence my later compositions.
I started playing classical guitar and my first compositions were for this instrument. Soon after I played the viola in a youth orchestra of my town, and French horn in my local concert band.
My artistic mission is to bring together the world of fingerstyle guitar and classical guitar. My music blends contemporary melodies with exotic harmonies and a mastery of guitar technique.
My Approach To Composition
My music is infused with flavours taken from both the Grand Masters of Classical Music as well as contemporary virtuosos of the fingerstyle genre.
This influence is felt in Tarot Cards, a work for classical guitar that incorporates many techniques found in fingerstyle. Tarot Cards is a truly original work—an exploration of the drawings on each of the 22 Major Arcana cards from the Tarot deck. In this suite, each card is represented by a piece of music that reflects the atmosphere created by the scene. I place importance on the melody first and foremost, whilst blending this with more contemporary harmonies with some dissonance.
In the fall of 2017 the Quinte Symphony led by maestro Dan Tremblay performed a World Premiere of my Symphony in C Minor. This composition is a work which harks back to the age of the Romantic Grand Masters. I composed this evocative work in the 19th century style, with particular influences by Dvorak, Brahms and Bruckner. I think this work is especially noteworthy for its emotional appeal and beautiful singing melodies.
My Philosophy Regarding Sheet Music
I have always been interested in creating interesting arrangements, sometimes for less common instrumental combinations. This stems from my frustration with the lack of availability of quality sheet music available to musicians.
My three pillars of sheet music are as follows:
- Accuracy. I strive to be as clear as possible in my sheet music notation. This is especially important for guitar music, as one note can be played in several locations across the guitar neck. Bad or inconsistent tablature abounds, even in paid instructional manuals.
- Completeness. I confess that I was guilty of providing sheet music that would be missing harmonies or entire sections of a given song. I'm committed to not releasing any sheet music that only gets you 80 or 90 percent there.
- Interest. As a viola player, I noticed that the most interesting parts always seemed to be given to the same instruments, and I sought to change that with my arrangements.
My Approach To Teaching Guitar
Along with composing and performing music, I have been teaching other students how to play guitar. I strive to help self-taught and beginner guitarists overcome the many hurdles that they may find with guitar. I strive on being clear and concise in the way I teach, using an approach that I've developed over years of helping students of all age and skill levels.