ABOUT
So, who am I?
I'm Joseph Terrana. I compose, I travel, I attempt to play any type of instrument, and I'm ready for more. I've performed on cruise ships as the cheesy sax player backing up the musicians, magicians, jugglers, and clowns. I played in Havana, Cuba and promptly got schooled by the local badass musicians, performed in Berlin, Brussels, London, and Amsterdam, traveled to China and bought beautiful hand made instruments and of course ate incredibly tasty meals and my wanderlust has only increased. The pithy and overused adage "the more I learn the less I know" applies heavily in my case. With each instrument I get my hands I learn something about the music and culture of the place it originates from and how can you not? And soon, very soon, we'll get to see those instruments in their native lands; being made by the artists who create them and play them. And of course I'll have to try them out.
Beijing, China
Every weekend scattered around the Summer Palace you can see large groups of people playing all sorts of traditional instruments; from the Hulusi and Dizi to the Erhu. This picture features a bunch of gentlemen playing the Erhu and I can't tell you how beautiful it sounded. Picture silk in your head and the rolling stairs of the Great Wall and you are getting close. It wasn't long after that I started learning the Erhu. I'm not good.
Havana, Cuba
A skinny wanna-be getting schooled by an astounding local group whose name I believe was Moncada. I spoke no Spanish and they spoke no English but we all spoke music and it was incredible. Why didn't I wear a shirt? Oh right, I had just jumped into the Marina Hemingway basin off a trawler.