Trace Bundy and Sungha Jung recently played to a large crowd at Garland’s Granville Arts Center. Audience members were astounded by the skill, talent and stage presence of the guitarists.
Both play acoustic guitars in “fingerstyle” fashion which includes intricate finger picking and playing with both hands on the fretboard. Bundy also uses multiple capos to achieve the desired sound. Jung, now 20, has been playing for 10 years. Bundy began playing guitar at age 11.
Bundy and his brother bought a guitar when they were children.
“I guess I owe a lot to my older brother for convincing me to chip in and buy a guitar with him all those years back,” he said.
Bundy likes indy rock and is also a fan of 60s and 70s music — Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and the Beatles for example.
“I was a pretty big fan of rock guitarists like Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and others,” he said. “Those guys inspired me with their creativity. But once I got into the acoustic guitar and fingerpicking, then people like Phil Keaggy and Micheal Hedges became big inspirations.”
The musician realized he could do more with his guitar when he put down his pick.
“Once I ditched my guitar pick and started playing guitar with all five of my fingers, I realized I could do a whole lot more,” Bundy said.
People began to ask him to play small concerts in high school and then videos began to show up on the Internet.
“Word spread around the U.S. and beyond,” Bundy said. “After I finished my master’s degree in civil engineering, I was getting so many requests to play concerts that I had to choose between my safe, steady job, or pursue musi
c full time. I chose music, and that is what I’ve been doing for 12 years now.”
Jung realized that he had a special gift soon after he began to play guitar.
He said that his parents began to notice early on that he had the ability to learn difficult songs faster than other musicians.
Jung’s mentor was Ulli Boegershausen, a fingerstyle guitarist from Germany who produced Jung’s first and second albums, “Perfect Blue” and “Irony.” He also helped Jung with tracks on earlier albums.
There were several guitarists that Jung watched and emulated when he first began to play.
“In addition to Boegershausen, there was Kotaro Oshio from Japan, many of whose compositions I learned when I began playing. Others are Tommy Emmanel, and of course, Trace Bundy, who has invited me to tour with him in the U.S. many times,” Jung said. “I learned a lot from various Japanese fingerstyle players while I was in my early teens. I am now good friends with all of them.”
He hopes to return to the U.S. in 2018 and said that he may travel to the west coast next time.
“I didn’t know what to expect at first when I was told about the arts center,” Jung said. “I’m very happy that we had a good turnout and I am grateful for all the effort that was put into my first show in Garland.”
Bundy said that he loves playing in Texas and hopes to return soon.
“The crowds are always so fun to interact with,” he said. “I always tour there at least once a year, often in the fall. I’m already looking forward to coming back!”