By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
American guitarist and YouTube sensation Trace Bundy will be performing at Urban, Itaewon, Wednesday.
Referred to by fans as the ``acoustic ninja,'' Bundy has captivated audiences around the world with his amazing guitar playing skills.
Go on YouTube or his Web site www.tracebundy.com, and you'll find videos of Bundy playing tunes like Pachelbel's Canon to Guns N Roses' ``Sweet Child O Mine'' or Eminem's ``Lose Yourself.'' It's no wonder that Acoustic Guitar Magazine named him the Most Promising Guitarist of the year and 3rd Best Fingerstyle Guitarist of the Year for 2008.
In an e-mail interview with The Korea Times, Bundy said he started playing the guitar when he was 11 or 12 because of his older brother Greg. ``My older brother wanted to learn guitar, so he and I bought a $10 guitar from a guy named Herbie. We started buying guitar magazines at the local store and learning my brother's favorite heavy metal songs,'' he said.
Bundy fell in love with the guitar, taking it everywhere, and playing all the time. Music has always been his passion, but after college, Bundy taught engineering courses at the University of Colorado. At weekends, he would still play concerts, but in the spring of 2005, he decided to concentrate on music.
`` My fanbase slowly grew to the point where I could no longer teach and play all of the concerts that I was invited to play. So I made a big decision to do music full time. It has been a great adventure ever since,'' he said.
Bundy uses the two-handed finger tapping style, something that he discovered by accident.
``I was experimenting with a new guitar riff one day and I started using just my left hand. In that moment I realized that my right hand wasn't doing anything and I thought perhaps I could use this hand to play another part. That's when I started using the finger tapping style, as well as experimenting with all kinds of new techniques, partial capos, percussion, looping. Playing guitar is so much fun _ there are endless ways to play and after over 20 years of playing, I am still learning new things,'' he said.
With the help of YouTube and the Internet, Bundy's talent for music became known around the world. ``It has been amazing to connect with fans all over the world. YouTube is a great venue for videos, and because my playing style is so visual, people appreciate seeing it. I currently have over 4 million views (on YouTube). I'm not sure my music career would have been possible before the Internet,'' he admitted.
Asked if he has any advice for aspiring guitarists, Bundy says, ``have fun, practice hard, learn music theory and break the rules of music.''
Fans at his show in Seoul can expect not just music, but a lot of stories. ``I'll be telling a lot of stories between my songs. … I hope everyone leaves with a smile on their face. After the concert I like to meet the audience, so be sure to stick around and say hello,'' he said.
Young guitar prodigy and also a YouTube star Jung Sung-ha will also be performing at the show. Tickets are 15,000 won. Urban is located behind Hamilton Hotel, Itaewon. Call (02) 797-0918.