Dominic Frasca | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1967-04-05)5 April 1967 (age 58) Akron, Ohio |
| Origin | Italian-Hungarian-American |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Labels | Cantaloupe |
Dominic Frasca (born 5 April 1967) is aguitarist, originally fromAkron, Ohio, USA, but living inNew 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 theUniversity of Arizona with the intent of studying classical guitar, but realized after a year that it was not his style. Leaving the university after his scholarship for classical guitar was canceled,[2] he enrolled in colleges in Ohio, also tryingYale University, where he first met the composerMarc Mellits.[1][4][5] The friendship and collaboration did not begin until Mellits and Frasca met once more, through a mutual friend atCornell University.[1][6]
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 rigor took its toll; he developedfocal dystonia — the loss ofmotor control in his fingers. He spent two years seeking treatment for the condition, unable to play at all. He turned toweight 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 asoverdubbing.[4][7]
Frasca's technique incorporatesclassical guitar technique in the right hand as well as rock techniques such astapping,hammer-ons andpull-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][8] "All my inspiration comes from ensembles," Frasca says. "Most notably ThePhilip Glass Ensemble,Steve Reich and Musicians,Anthony Davis and Episteme,The Who, TheÁstor Piazzolla Quintet, andLed 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."[citation needed]
Frasca has been called "Eddie Van Halen for eggheads" byEntertainment Weekly.[9] He is currently[when?] signed with Cantaloupe Music and has released two albums, entitledDeviations,[10][11] andForced Entry.
In 2005, Frasca opened a small, high-tech, surround-soundnightclub in New York City namedThe Monkey, which he has described as "a space that is all about the music, the sound and the visuals, not about selling drinks".[3][12] The performance space is on the 12th floor of a building.[13]
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