The Guitar Player's Resource
For a powerful journey into the world of acoustic solo guitar, look no further than South Carolina based Tom Yoder's CD entitled Eat This It's Safe. Featuring eleven instrumental compositions, the music on the recording is unpredictable, vibrant and dynamically colorful, while delivered within a lush melodic framework. No words are necessary; the emotional and lyrical content can be found emanating from one of the two Taylor acoustics that Yoder used on the project. Highlights include "Mashu Mashu" (which was recently selected as a finalist in the New Age catagory by the Independent Music Awards), "94 Letters" and "Jennah", the last piece closing the CD on a winsome and soul-stirring note. Serious guitar music that can touch a broad audience -- many players strive for it, but few attain such a lofty goal. We believe Yoder may have done it with Eat This It's Safe.
Tom was inspired to play guitar after hearing Mick Ralphs on "All The Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople. He attended and graduated from GIT in Hollywood in 1983, and later settled in Myrtle Beach, where he has become the premier guitar instructor in South Carolina. Tom is an instructor at Coastal Carolina University. For years, electric guitar was Tom's main focus, as he learned the licks of Eddie Van Halen and Greg Howe. Then he discovered acoustic legends Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges ("6 and 12 String Guitar" and "Aerial Boundaries" being especially influential), and gradually began to write acoustically based solo guitar pieces.
Yoder's goal is to get a recording contract, perform live and do playing/education seminars. Whether he gets heard or not, Yoder will continue to write, and leave behind many pieces after he is gone.
Tom Yoder
United States
Web site: www.tomyoder.net