 Artist of the Month, June 1996
Criag Chaquico
A long time Bay Area favorite, guitarist Craig Chaquico's commitment
to his music and his involvement with social issues make him a natural
choice for the H.E.A.R. Artist of the Month for May and we are proud
to honor him.
A child of the sixties, Craig was in his early teenage years playing
with his Sacramento band Steel Wind and opening for the newly formed
Jefferson Starship. It wasn't long before Craig became the permanent
guitarist for the Starship, one of the Seventies and Eighties most
popular bands. After 16 years with the Starship, Craig left the
band and set out on a new journey. Craig began his exploration in
a return to acoustic music while playing songs at home for his wife
and child.
Acoustic Highway, Craig's first instrumental album release, on
Higher Octave Music, was a runaway success. He followed that album
with Acoustic Planet, a Grammy nominated release. Both albums reached
#1 status on Billboard's New Age releases.
Craig's newest release is A Thousand Pictures. The title comes
from Craig's feeling that, "if a picture is worth a thousand
words, then a melody is worth a thousand pictures." Craig is
intrigued by the concept of the listener's imagination becoming
an active participant in the musical experience. "People use
their imaginations to create their own story (when listening to
the music). There are elements of adventure, romance, the environment
and endangered animals in all my albums. I can give them a vision,
but then they draw upon their own experience."
Craig's commitment to responsible social issues compliments his
musical talents in a wonderful fashion. Craig's involved with NAMT
(The National Association for Music Therapy), and one of his greatest
pleasures comes from performing free at hospitals around the country.
By sharing his music with those less fortunate, Craig brings joy
into lives often filled with serious medical difficulty. "What
I strive for in my music," says Craig, "is to improve
the quality of life, to go to a higher level."
H.E.A.R. is very proud to honor Craig Chaquico as our Artist of
the Month, and proud to call him a friend. Listen to Craig's music,
use your imagination, and become involved in issues that matter
to you and your community. Craig is a wonderful example of how music,
musicians, and music fans can play a major role in helping us all
"get to a higher level."
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