[playing classical music] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (woman) "Prairie Musicians" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.

[playing a fugue with repeated, interweaving repetitive elements] [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing a fugue with repeated, interweaving repetitive elements] [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing a fugue with repeated, interweaving repetitive elements] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hi, I'm Thomas Anderson, I live in rural Binford, North Dakota.

The music that I'm playing today is all what we call classical guitar which is sort of a loose term.

It's not limited to classical style of music.

Sometimes that word is used to refer to the guitar itself, so the instrument I'm using, the style and the strings used.

♪ ♪ There are no vocals.

Everything is done just with the fingers, and some very complex multiple voice things happening.

It's very different from other styles of guitar.

it's unique, and it's something that I've spent a great deal of time working on in my life, my musical life in addition to other styles of guitar.

♪ ♪ "Leyenda" is one of the biggest, most important pieces in the classical guitar repertoire.

It's a piece of music that was not written for or on a guitar.

♪ ♪ It's a piece written by Isaac Albéniz for piano.

So we guitarists have taken that and adapted it to the guitar.

Many people find that it probably suits the guitar much better than the piano for a variety of reasons.

It's got such a deep Spanish flavor that really is typified by the classical guitar.

[playing in bright rhythm in a minor key] ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [extremely rapid finger-picking] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing melodically in slow tempo ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So two pieces I'm playing on the program, "El Gato" and "Las Catitas" were written by my good friend and former teacher, Larry Hammett.

It changed the course of my life when I was exposed to classical guitar, and so I find it very special to be performing his music.

He's got such a sensitive touch and style.

It's one of the things that I really think that I learned from him, and it's a very big part of my playing style.

These pieces are very resonant, very beautiful, and to me they're very personal.

[playing in melodically in a major key] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So the "Vals" by Barrios is, I think, just a really fun, great piece.

He was such a prolific composer-- over 300 works for the guitar.

This one to me, it has such variety in it.

There are really 3 different sections to it.

And it's such a playful, fun piece, it's just a lot of fun to play.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [playing in waltz time] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [guitar only; no vocal] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (woman) "Prairie Musicians" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota and by the members of Prairie Public.