As a content creator for guitarplayers.net, I’m thrilled to share more about Randy Avers, a remarkable musician deeply connected to the Austin Classical Guitar scene. Randy, one half of the innovative duo Les Frères Méduses, is crafting an original live film score for our summer series, a testament to his unique talent and collaborative spirit. His upcoming performance on June 22nd is highly anticipated within the Austin classical guitar community.
My history with Randy goes back to our college days. When Tim League of the Alamo Drafthouse sought an original film score for a silent film screening – Tod Browning’s “The Unknown” (1927) – Randy and his Les Frères Méduses partner, Benoît Albert, were the obvious choice. Their ability to create captivating and original music is unparalleled. Thinking back to our time together, I recall several instances that perfectly illustrate Randy’s dedication and creative approach to classical guitar, especially within the competitive environment we sometimes found ourselves in.
One year, back in 1996, both Randy and I were finalists at the American String Teachers Association national competition in Kansas City. These competitions often include “set pieces,” designed to provide a level playing field for judging. For this particular competition, the set piece was the Prelude from Bach’s E Major Violin Partita, a challenging and well-known work. Randy and I spent considerable time preparing this piece together, engaging in a form of peer coaching. In reality, Randy’s insights were invaluable, guiding my own interpretation and technique. We would visualize the music away from our instruments, and even play sections in unison, pushing each other to refine our performance.
Two practice exercises, both conceived by Randy, stand out vividly in my memory. The first involved alternating measures at tempo. Randy would begin, playing measure one, and I would follow with measure two, and so on. This exercise was surprisingly demanding, requiring intense concentration even during the measures we weren’t actively playing. Maintaining focus and seamlessly re-entering at precisely the right moment was a real test. We actually managed to navigate through the entire Prelude in this fragmented yet connected way!
The second exercise, equally unforgettable, was designed as a concentration challenge. While one of us played the Prelude at tempo, the other would randomly touch strings and frets on their guitar. This introduced a constant stream of unexpected wrong notes, demanding immense focus to maintain composure and continue playing accurately amidst the deliberate disruptions. Even now, I can picture Randy’s face, intently focused, his right index finger poised above my fretboard, deciding which string or fret to press next to create the most jarring and, admittedly, hilarious sound. It was a testament to his playful approach to even the most serious musical endeavors, a quality that makes his contributions to the Austin classical guitar world so unique and engaging.
