LanCinator Bio for Lance C Mitchell
LanCinator
Insight • Philosophy
The hollow resonance of the guitar, the sympathetic and dissonant vibrations of the strings as they ring together is the tapestry of my intentions. Words and images come from this and the creative process draws upon these forces. The strumming beats divide time into cohesive fragments where stories and ideas define the meter and prose of my inspirations.
I get the melody (usually) from the chords, I am a guitar player who sings, not necessarily a singer who plays guitar. I start with acoustic because the rhythm is more easily conveyed, especially when playing with other musicians. Electric guitar and/or distortion/electronics I would add later or play live with a band, but only after establishing the acoustic element so that the rhythm is right.
Minor keys have always been my favorite, even as a child, dark and moody or heavy and full of action. But major keys have the ability, when properly applied, to sound tremendous and triumphantly grand. Being able to use both major and minor keys in the same piece is a sign of mastery for me that I am always trying to attain. I usually follow the rules of music theory, but when a thing works, I allow the rules to be bent or broken.
I am a visual artist also, and have from time to time been known to draw flyers for shows. I was first inspired by black and white line drawings from underground comic books and rock concert flyers. Color came later as I got into computer art. Video is where music and visual art come together along with movement and the transition of images. Video can convey the in-depth meaning behind a song or visa versa. But playing a song on my guitar, if only for a few minutes, has everything in it, the story, the images, the intentions, and I find it to be a complete experience. Everything else comes after that, the art, the video and all the rest of the work that follows. These things are satisfying in their own right and when finalized, but not in the moment, like playing the guitar. Playing my guitar can be spiritual and healing as well as a creative device; in fact, meditating and soul searching, exploring the highs and lows of life, over my guitar is where I get my best stuff.
