All Star Guitar Night founder tells us about her 21-string harp guitar, the audio/video collaboration Wonderlust and more
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
By David Sands
August 11, 2017
Muriel Anderson certainly has the touch. Equally at home playing classical, folk, jazz, bluegrass and international music, her skills as both a fingerstyle and harp guitarist have earned her the respect of fans and fellow artists from around the world. The Illinois native has been making waves ever since 1989, when she became the first woman to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship, held each year in Winfield, Kansas. Anderson is also well known as the founder of Nashville’s All Star Guitar Night, which coincides with the city’s annual Summer NAMM show. The event raises funds for her Music For Life Alliance, a charity dedicated to making music education accessible to disadvantaged youth.
Reflecting her diverse range, Anderson has performed or recorded over the years with an eclectic list of artists that includes Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Victor Wooten and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. As for her own work, she’s released well over a dozen recordings over the course of her career, including the 2014 double album Nightlight Daylight, which won high honors in 11 national awards. Her video “Why Worry,” which features her playing acoustic music on the harp guitar, has gathered over eight million views.
FGPO’s Jon Liebman spoke with Anderson at her Nashville home during this year’s summer NAMM show. Over the course of their conversation, he had an opportunity to listen to her play one of her amazing harp guitars and learned about her Wonderlust DVD, an upcoming project that combines music and cooking and more.
Watch our interview with Muriel:
