Brad Prevedoros

Summer 2011 – AQUA – Page 41
Brad Prevedoros started playing guitar the way a lot of teenagers do. It was the ‘60s and he
wanted to be a rock star, so he taught himself to play along with records.
Unlike a lot of teen players, however, the early inspiration would lead to his life’s work.
A rare case of an artist who fully supports himself with his passion, Prevedoros has gained
broad recognition as a master player of the classical guitar and has demonstrated that skill
in a variety of platforms. He’s composed scores for ? lm and video documentaries, written an instruc-
tional book on Celtic tunes and been the artistic anchor of a new age music business. He performs
almost constantly, playing everywhere from corporate events and high-end restaurant gigs like the
Empress Hotel and Sooke Harbour House to intimate island pubs.
Having now lived on Galiano Island for the past 30 years, Prevedoros grew up in Coquitlam, B.C.,
Music
Galiano’s Guitar Man
BRAD PREVEDOROS REFLECTS ON LIFE
AS A FULL-TIME MUSICIAN
BY ELIZABETH NOLAN
Photos by Derrick Lundy
B
Page 42 – AQUA – Summer 2011
a place he says used to be quite similar
to the Gulf Islands community. It was so
remote back then that he actually had to
hitchhike to get to New Westminster.
At 19, Prevedoros moved to Victoria. He
was enamoured with the British bands of the
time, particularly The Beatles. Then he heard
the song Classical Gas by Mason Williams.
“I was quite amazed,” Prevedoros recalls
while on Salt Spring for a gig at the Harbour
House Hotel this spring.
“The sound of the guitar was quite unique.
I went out and sold my electric guitar and
bought a classical one.”
Making a commitment to his self-educa-
tion by enrolling at Victoria’s Conservatory
of Music, Prevedoros exchanged his steel
strings for the classical guitar’s softer nylon.
He learned to read music and the kind of
songs in which you play the notes instead of
chords, using the same type of instrument
favoured by artists such as Liona Boyd, Ju-
lian Bream, Jesse Cook and the Gypsy Kings.
“People often comment that it sounds like
a harp,” he says of the classical guitar. “The
fret board is wider with more room between
the strings, as it is designed for the player to
play the melody and harmony together as
opposed to strumming chords to accompany
vocals or other instruments. Of course it can
be used for accompanying but is ideal for
performing solo arrangements of tunes.”
The ? ngerstyle method involves playing
the strings without using a pick. Prevedoros
keeps his ? ngernails smooth and a little
longer than the ? ngertip, creating soft tones
by plucking the string with the ? esh of the
? nger and the nail. Harder tones are cre-
ated by using just the nail. There are varying
combinations of nail and ? ngertip used to
create various tones.
When performing in a concert setting,
Prevedoros prefers to stay solo. His multi-
genre selections include classic, Latin and
pop songs, though always strictly the instru-
mental versions.
“Stylistically speaking I might go from
Brahms to Celtic to Elton John — then you
can touch different people with different
songs,” he explains.
For his own compositions, however, his big-
gest in? uences are jazz and improvisation.
One of his early career breaks came more
than 20 years ago, after meeting the owner
of Midsummer Music, who was living on
Salt Spring at the time. Prevedoros was con-
tracted to record an instrumental album
(which he describes as “mainly classical
guitar with some ocean sounds in the back-
ground”) for the alternate market — CDs
sold in gift shops, book stores and on BC
Ferries.
“Most musicians play for years before they
get a recording,” he says, but in his case he
was a bestseller before most people knew
his name. His ? rst album with Midsummer
ended up selling more than a million copies
and paved the way for several more record-
ings for that company.
“For a while I wasn’t even gigging, I was
just recording CDs,” he recalls with some
bemusement.
Buying a property on Galiano produced
the necessary balance, a refuge from which
to work out his compositions and to return
to after performances.
“My wife Janice and I loved the Gulf Is-
lands and saw some land on Galiano. We
looked at all the outer islands and liked the
fact that it was a little more treed,” Preve-
doros says.
“It was very sparsely populated — you
couldn’t even buy alcohol.”
Victoria’s vibrant music community has
been a constant source of inspiration and
remains a point of return in Prevedoros’
career. He still maintains a residence there
and all of his musical collaborators have also
been based in that city.
That includes a current trio project that
brings together his appreciation of diverse
genres with the help of musicians Niel
Golden and Greg Joy. Golden is an e - Aqua Magagzine

With ten albums behind him, including his latest "After Hours" Brad Prevedoros sure can't be described as a new comer to the music scene. In fact, this Victoria Conservatory trained and internationally recoqnized guitarist has collaborated with such diverse talents as Karel Roessingh and Susan Musgrave, been nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award and earned much deserved kudos for both his classical work and jazzy folk stylings. (Tough to beat a guy whoses repertoire includes Bach's Minuet in G and the Theme from Titanic) - Monday Magazine

With ten albums behind him, including his latest "After Hours" Brad Prevedoros sure can't be described as a new comer to the music scene. In fact, this Victoria Conservatory trained and internationally recoqnized guitarist has collaborated with such diverse talents as Karel Roessingh and Susan Musgrave, been nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award and earned much deserved kudos for both his classical work and jazzy folk stylings. (Tough to beat a guy whoses repertoire includes Bach's Minuet in G and the Theme from Titanic) - Monday Magazine

Master guitarist Brad Prevedoros has released a new solo acoustic guitar CD called "After Hours" This one displays the full range of his imagination, in phrasing, chording, improvisation, counterpoint and jazz rhythms. Often it seems Brad is working with more than the normal complement of fingures. Most of the music is by Brad, and it swings. And it's interesting music. Latin rhythms tend to sneak in frequently. Sometimes, it's a progressive series of delicately shaded chords; sometimes the music bubbles and fizzes like champagne, occasionally, a suspicion of boogie woogie. Lovely stuff, and very listenable. - Island Times

Master guitarist Brad Prevedoros has released a new solo acoustic guitar CD called "After Hours" This one displays the full range of his imagination, in phrasing, chording, improvisation, counterpoint and jazz rhythms. Often it seems Brad is working with more than the normal complement of fingures. Most of the music is by Brad, and it swings. And it's interesting music. Latin rhythms tend to sneak in frequently. Sometimes, it's a progressive series of delicately shaded chords; sometimes the music bubbles and fizzes like champagne, occasionally, a suspicion of boogie woogie. Lovely stuff, and very listenable. - Island Times

...blending technical virtuosity and emotional expression Prevedoros played his heart out, bringing tears to my eyes. - Pender Post

Prevedoros earned riotous applause for an outstanding performance. - Gulf Islands Driftwood

...an esteemed musical mind. - Victoria Times Colonist

...Prevedoros is a very fine guitarist. - Max Ferguson, C.B.C. F.M.

...one of Victoria's most accomplished instrumentalists
- Victoria News Weekend Edition - Various

...blending technical virtuosity and emotional expression Prevedoros played his heart out, bringing tears to my eyes. - Pender Post

Prevedoros earned riotous applause for an outstanding performance. - Gulf Islands Driftwood

...an esteemed musical mind. - Victoria Times Colonist

...Prevedoros is a very fine guitarist. - Max Ferguson, C.B.C. F.M.

...one of Victoria's most accomplished instrumentalists
- Victoria News Weekend Edition - Various

I confess to not knowing Brad Prevedoros prior to his appearance at? Queenswood for our Dinner and Artist Series on February 2nd, but I do now. I also confess to not having listened to a guitar player of his caliber live before, but I have now - and I will be forever changed by the experience. Brad took me on a journey through his music. He played from different genres and from different time periods. He played music other people have written and he played music he himself wrote. In that way he took us, his audience, from the more global recognition of music into the personal stories of his life with pieces he has written for his child and for his wife. In between the different pieces, Brad told stories - the stories of how and why the music came to be. Another aspect of his performance that was so interesting is that he shared how he played his guitar. It isn't as though he has found a way and wants to keep it secret. Rather, he wants to share what he knows so others can know too. He showed different ways his fingers could evoke different sounds. Several times he said, "For those who play guitar..." and proceeded to give lessons.
The man and the music are inspirational in both practical and profound ways. There were times when I felt the music stir something deep inside me - chords that before that night haven't been touched. In the weeks since, I have listened to music on the CBC differently - more intently - especially when I hear the guitar. So, even though I am not one who plays the quitar, I too have learned from him.
Brad played in the Queenswood chapel. The chapel is the most amazing place to listen to music. I wonder how John Discastri knew to make such a room that music would resonate so beautifully in. To know how to is part of the genius of DiCastri - he left as part of his legacy this chapel where the sound of music continues to move and inspire.
Since that evening I have said to friends that I went to see Brad Prevedoros play and they are impressed. They know who is. Now, I do too. And I won't forget hearing him. If you come upon an opportunity - I recommend you do too.

- Barb Northwood

I confess to not knowing Brad Prevedoros prior to his appearance at? Queenswood for our Dinner and Artist Series on February 2nd, but I do now. I also confess to not having listened to a guitar player of his caliber live before, but I have now - and I will be forever changed by the experience. Brad took me on a journey through his music. He played from different genres and from different time periods. He played music other people have written and he played music he himself wrote. In that way he took us, his audience, from the more global recognition of music into the personal stories of his life with pieces he has written for his child and for his wife. In between the different pieces, Brad told stories - the stories of how and why the music came to be. Another aspect of his performance that was so interesting is that he shared how he played his guitar. It isn't as though he has found a way and wants to keep it secret. Rather, he wants to share what he knows so others can know too. He showed different ways his fingers could evoke different sounds. Several times he said, "For those who play guitar..." and proceeded to give lessons.
The man and the music are inspirational in both practical and profound ways. There were times when I felt the music stir something deep inside me - chords that before that night haven't been touched. In the weeks since, I have listened to music on the CBC differently - more intently - especially when I hear the guitar. So, even though I am not one who plays the quitar, I too have learned from him.
Brad played in the Queenswood chapel. The chapel is the most amazing place to listen to music. I wonder how John Discastri knew to make such a room that music would resonate so beautifully in. To know how to is part of the genius of DiCastri - he left as part of his legacy this chapel where the sound of music continues to move and inspire.
Since that evening I have said to friends that I went to see Brad Prevedoros play and they are impressed. They know who is. Now, I do too. And I won't forget hearing him. If you come upon an opportunity - I recommend you do too.

- Barb Northwood