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Blackearth frequently shared bills with NEXUS, which formed in Toronto
in 1971 and also shared members with Reich’s ensemble. Blackearth
eventually split, however, and when NEXUS co-founder John
Wyre chose to leave his group in 2002, Kvistad was an obvious choice
to take up his mallets. “We had played with Garry for years with Reich,
so it was a natural progression,” says NEXUS’s Russell Hartenberger.
“He has a similar background to the rest of us; we all know the same
repertoire.” Like the rest of the fivesome—which has toured the world,
worked with noted composer Toru Takemitsu, and recently focused on
early 20th-century novelty and ragtime music—Kvistad flits easily
among bells, marimba, glockenspiel, cymbals, drums, vibraphone,
and other instruments.
Then there’s Kvistad’s other hugely successful role with
Woodstock Percussion, which he started when he moved to the area in
1979 and has since grown to an award-winning, multi-national concern.
The business, which grew out of Kvistad’s construction of a metallophone
from cast-off aluminum lawn-chair tubing, boasts two subsidiaries:
Woodstock Chimes, whose unique, handmade offerings include the
firm’s debut item, the Chimes of Olympus (tuned to an ancient Greek
pentatonic scale), and the meditative Awakening Bell (co-designed with
legendary local drummer Jack DeJohnette); and the Woodstock Music
Collection, a line of children’s instruments.
In 1986, Kvistad and his wife, Diane, established the Woodstock
Chimes Fund, which supports various local arts, food, and shelter
efforts. “So far, we’ve given away over $2 million to the community,”
says Kvistad, who also organized 2009’s Drum Boogie Festival
in Kingston. “But it’s easy just to give money when you have it.
We also give our time and experience; I was the chairman of [arts
organization] the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild for a few years and
17 | rollmagazine.com
Diane is on the board of [social aid group] Family of Woodstock.”
This semester, Kvistad is the Larry Berk Artist in Residence
at Ulster County Community College, where he has given free seminars
and a concert with NEXUS.
“Besides being a fantastic player Garry is a man of ideals,” says Reich.
“He’s definitely someone with many talents.”
Talents that assure, like the sounds of his beloved instruments, Kvistad’s
legacy will resonate for quite some time.
www.nexuspercussion.com; www.chimes.com
Watch a video of Garry Kvistad demonstrating his amazing collection of
instruments at www.rollmagazine.com
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