Brent "B. G." McPike, guitarist/composer/instructor
"Music is our path of sonic inspiration"
-BGM
Brent Gordon McPike got his first full-time performing experience in 1987 as a guitarist at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia. He had been selected (one of about 6 guitarists from across the Eastern half of the U.S.) by Busch Entertainment Corporation's travelling audition tour the previous autumn in Indianapolis. The following summer, while working at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, he got the opportunity to perform live on public radio, WBLV (Michigan), with jazz clarinet legend Buddy DeFranco. Since the 1980's he has been widely in demand as a classical guitarist, jazz guitarist, chamber musician, pit orchestra member, and instructor. McPike spent most of the 1990's at Indiana University in Bloomington where he studied with Ernesto Bitetti, David Baker, Luis Zea, and was coached in chamber music by such notable musicians as Helga Winold, Franco Gulli, Eugene Rousseau, and Rastislav Dubinski.
While in Bloomington, Indiana Brent McPike became close friends with Brazilian guitar virtuoso/composer/arranger, Marcos Cavalcante. He played guitar in Cavalcante's Choro Band from 1993-1995, and in 1994 they gave a very successful performance at the first-ever Lotus World Music Festival - helping to establish that event as one of America's most important world music festivals. He has performed at numerous museums, colleges, and festivals since. He also directed Indiana University's Young Guitarists Program from 1995-2001.
In 2001 McPike began his association with award-winning violinist, Carolyn Dutton, a former regular on the NYC scene, and they continue to perform and record occasionally. That same year he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where he serves as guitar instructor and guitar ensemble director at Indiana State University. Since living in Terre Haute he has performed for the Summerstage theater (now the Crossroads Repertory Theater), engaged in numerous performances for Arts Illiana, played numerous events with steel drum virtuoso Jimmy Finnie, and was the guest soloist for the Terre Haute Symphony's 80th Anniversary Gala Celebration Concert in the Fall of 2006.
McPike's interest in writing music was aided by studies in compostion, counterpoint, and orchestration with Pulitzer prize runner-up Michael Schelle, and by performing in a composition recital for a student of 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner Wayne Peterson. Twelve of B.G. McPike's original works are on the newly released CD: B.G. McPike and The Haute Club, "Smooth Landing", and McPike performed several of those with guitarist Dan Sumner at The Eitleljorg Museum in Downtown Indianapolis for the Indiana Society of the Classical Guitar in November, 2007.
While B.G. McPike's music draws from many sources, readily apparent are styles of the blues, North and Latin American Jazz, and classical influences. Some artists who have left an indelible imprint on many of his works are: Charlie Byrd; Django Rinehart; Marcos Cavalcante; Joao Gilberto; B.B. King; Robert Cray ; Wes Montgomery; Kenny Burrell; Brent Mason; Carlos Santana; Pat Martino; Rogers & Hart; Duke Ellington;Steely Dan; George Benson, Crosby, Stills, and Nash; and even Frank Sinatra.
In his current efforts he desires to contribute on the artistic front to the 'Downtown Renaissance' of Terre Haute, Indiana - his home town of the last several years.
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