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Old 01-16-2012, 09:26 AM
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Default A visit with Lindsey Buckingham

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@riot_ross I'm the official blogger for USC's Pop Music Program. Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac visited!

January 15, 2012

A visit with Lindsey Buckingham

Photo Credit: Seeds We Sow Press Photos

As they waited outside of USC’s Carson Soundstage, students anxiously asked when they would be allowed to enter the first Pop Music Forum of the spring semester.

To kick start the speaker series, Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac stopped by for an hour-long visit.

From playing in the big leagues of major labels with Fleetwood Mac to releasing solo efforts, Buckingham has seen both spheres of the performance music world.

The forum began with speaking about working with record companies. He talked about how labels sometimes push bands to create what has already successfully worked for them in the past.

To describe what he meant, he said labels have a business model that mirrors the idea, “If it works, run it in the ground.”

The creation of “Tusk,” an anthem performed by USC’s Marching Band at every football game, was a time where Buckingham was finding a differentiating balance between being commercial and verging away from typical mainstream music.

“A lot of people don’t ever call upon that part of themselves to differentiate,” said Buckingham.

Fleetwood Mac existed for almost 10 years before Buckingham joined them, along with Stevie Nicks. The band started off playing 12-bar blues and became more experimental, eventually including more styles.

Fleetwood has had several songwriters, but Buckingham thinks of himself to be more of a stylist. He never took formal lessons and doesn’t read music. Because of that, he said he is more like a painter who slops paint on a canvas.

“You have to find your own manner of making it work,” he said.

Most guitarists use a pick when they strum along, but Buckingham chooses to let his fingers individually do all the work. To demonstrate, he performed Fleetwood Mac’s “Big Love,” having some students rise from their seats to get a better look.

His finger picking technique evolved from learning how to play‘50s rock and roll and folk music.

When Elvis came around, “it was a life changing event,” he said.

Towards the end of the discussion, students were given the chance to directly ask him questions. Some questions called attention to what it was like to work with Stevie Nicks, how to deal with issues while touring and how to achieve the perfect “Fleetwood Mac harmony.”

One great aspect of the Pop Music Forum is that artists like Buckingham can provide valuable tips.

“Remember who you are and why you’re doing what you’re doing,” was one he offered to everyone in the room.

To bring the forum to an end, Buckingham performed “Never Going Back Again,” filling the room with his distinctive voice and ending with a loud applause from the students.

(Source: uscpopmusicprogram)
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