We first met Thatcher Harrison at the 2016 Art’s and Cultural Alliance of Newport County Annual Meeting earlier this year. The 14-year-old was among the entertainment for the evening at the Newport Art Museum, his performance left us a bit speechless.

Thatcher is returning to Newport very soon to participate in Newport BridgeFest, we caught up with him before his performance on Bowen’s Wharf…

RB: What performance/concert has most inspired you in your life?

TH: “I have had the opportunity to see performances by so many excellent musicians and bands, so this is not an easy decision for me. However, I would say that the most inspirational concert that I have ever seen was a Tommy Emmanuel concert in September 2015 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Because I am a guitarist who specializes in many different musical genres, seeing Tommy Emmanuel perform many different styles of music was truly inspirational.”
RB: How long have you been performing?
TH: “Considering that I am only 14 years old, I have been performing for a significant amount of time! I started performing in public when I was 5 years old in May 2007, so I have been performing for just over 9 years now.”
RB: What musician or band (yes, you can pick any) would you love to see perform in Newport?
TH: “Without a doubt, Antoine Dufour. Antoine Dufour is a renowned fingerstyle guitarist from Quebec who records on the independent record label Candyrat Records. While there are many musicians or bands that I would love to see perform in Newport (or anywhere), Dufour’s technical virtuosity and stunning compositional skills make him the obvious choice for me.”
RB: Tell me about the one performance in Newport that you’ll never forget. Why was it so special?
TH: “Not including any of my own performances in Newport, the one concert in Newport that stands out to me was an Indigo Girls concert in 2011 at the Newport Yachting Center. While I had seen the Indigo Girls perform on many occasions, this concert stood out to me because I got to meet Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. Being an Indigo Girls fan, meeting Amy Ray and Emily Saliers made this concert impossible to forget.”

RB: Who is the greatest musical influence in your life?

TH: “Because I perform many different genres of music (classical, jazz, fingerstyle, two-handed tapping, two-guitar tapping, etc), I have many musical influences. However, the three guitarists who have influenced me the most are Al Di Meola, Tommy Emmanuel, and Antoine Dufour. The guitar pyrotechnics of Di Meola, the versatility of Emmanuel, and the precision of Dufour influence my own guitar playing more than any other musicians.”

Catch Thatcher down on Bowen’s Wharf during Newport BridgeFest;

Wednesday, July 27 – BUSKING AT BOWENS

6:00 – 9:00 pm | FREE
at Bowen’s Wharf
Outdoor live music on the waterfront – featuring Thatcher Harrison
(401) 849-3478
bowenswharf.com

About Newport BridgeFest

Newport Festivals Foundation will continue the tradition of Newport Bridgefest in 2016, over the four days the festival will aim to celebrate folk, jazz, and the musical heritage of Newport.

Newport BridgeFest was founded in 2009 by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County to “bridge” the days between the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals. Earlier this year, the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County transferred the rights to the event to the Newport Festival Foundation.

Bridgefest 2016 will take place in and around Newport from July 25th to July 28th, and will include free and paid concerts, music related films, educational programs and other music related activities.  In addition, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc, will produce a free family concert at Fort Adams on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. For more information, visit www.newportbridgefest.com.

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Ryan Belmore has been the Owner & Publisher of What's Up Newp since 2012. He also currently works for Mountain News, where he serves as Senior Editor - North America for OnTheSnow. He previously worked for the New England Patriots and American Cancer Society. He currently serves as Vice President of Fort Adams Trust and is a member of Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers and North American Snowsports Journalists Association (NASJA).