“We were at the BarAcuda in Hanalei and this young waitress was telling us that she had tickets to see an amazing guitar show and there are really not that many young fans but that seems to be changing,” said
“We were at the BarAcuda in Hanalei and this young waitress was telling us that she had tickets to see an amazing guitar show and there are really not that many young fans but that seems to be changing,” said Will Ackerman, Grammy-award winning guitarist and Windham Hill Records founder.
Ackerman, who experienced success in the mid-1980s, recently spoke with The Garden Island about his upcoming concert in Princeville, when he explained how he is seeing an average of 20 percent of his fan emails coming from people under age 25.
After having earned more than 20 gold and platinum records, Ackerman has been heard live around the world at The Imperial Palace in Tokyo, The Kremlin in Russia, Carnegie Hall in New York and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
On Feb. 21, he’ll take to the stage at the Church of the Pacific in Princeville with guitarist Todd Boston.
“I used to camp out on some land I had on the Waipa Stream in Hanalei, depending on the weather,” Ackerman recalled. “I’d go surfing and kayaking, and surfing continues to be a huge part of my life.”
While Ackerman has taken on the brilliant waves in Mexico and Costa Rica, he considers Kauai to be a magical place.
“I’ve traveled a lot and I don’t think there is any place more beautiful than Kauai,” said Ackerman.
His early life set the tone for his musical career. His babysitter used to take him to a coffee house in Palo Alto when he was a child. That’s where he first heard the sounds of Joan Baez and The Kingston Trio.
When asked where his music comes from, Ackerman said, “What I do is utterly non-intellectual. It is enforced subconscious. There is nothing remotely cerebral. What I do is to get myself out of the way.
“Writing music is a remarkable gift. Wherever the music comes from, it is sincere. This is what my heart has to say and I hope you like it.”
In 2013, Ackerman was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award by Zone Music Reporter (ZMR) and his compilation album titled “The Gathering” was named ZMR 2012 Album of the Year.
For Boston, a San Francisco-based musician, it’s all about the positive effects of music, sound and vibration. His album titled “Touched by the Sun” earned the ZMR 2012 Best Instrumental Acoustic Album title.
The album was recorded in Vermont with a group of world-class musicians, including Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter), Jeff Haynes (Pat Methany Group) and devotional musician Snatam Kaur.
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Church of the Pacific Advance.
Tickets are $20 cash and can be purchased at Healthy Hut Market and Café in Kilauea, Kauai Music and Sound in Kapaa and Mac Made Easy in Lihue.
