A Man and His Music Come to Washington University

If it looks like a guitar and sounds like a guitar, it's Soli

By Lin Smithwick
Staff Writer Detroit Lakes Tribune

He's a walking, talking one–man music machine.

Soli Hughes, a musician with the COMPAS Writers and Artists School programs, visited Detroit Lakes last week. During the week he spent at Washington Elementary, Soli introduced students and staff to computers.

What? There is nothing very new about that. Students have been using computers in education for several years. That may be true. But they have never made music with computers like Soli Hughes can.

With his faithful companions, two guitars and a multi-level computer system, Soli's guitar can become a flute, trombone, organ, drum, piano or trumpet. All at the push of a button. Students in Karen Bimberg's music class at Washington sat spellbound as Soli sang and played for them.

Despite the variety of sounds he can produce from his guitars, Soli stresses that it still takes people to make music. "No matter how sophisticated we are and no matter how much equipment we have, music has to come from the people," Soli told the students. He added, "You still have to be a musician to be able to use the equipment." The theory behind Soli's teaching and his music, has roots in his own childhood.

"Every day in the life of a child, he or she discovers sights and sounds, new and old, in the home, on television, in a car, at school, in solitude, on the playground and among themselves. The tick–tock of a clock, the pitch of a scream or yell, the ring of a bell, the sound of a siren, music in commercials, music in stores, the sound of rain, the boom of thunder, the call of a bird, the sound of a cello in cartoons or the roar of an airplane."

Soli recalls, "As a child I often wondered why a variety of sounds gave me a similar feeling and one sound in different settings gave me a variety of feelings. Children are often very curious and inner intelligent. They are very aware of things and their differences, but sometimes not knowing how they connect or how to connect the differences. My experiences in and with different musical idioms has given me an extremely broad view of how sounds interact to form a type of everyday music to our eyes and ears."

Embedded deeply in his natural musical ability is a fine-tuned education that spans the globe.

He studied piano, voice and classical guitar at Roosevelt University in Chicago, advanced composition and theory at Moorhead State University, interpretive Spanish and classical guitar at the Music Conservatory in Madrid, Spain where he received a performance diploma in guitar.

In addition to the concerts he performed in 12 major castles in Spain, Soli has performed throughout the world, including Germany, Italy, and Finland. He has also performed throughout the United States and Canada.

Soli has also performed with several prime time television programs, been a featured soloist for 'Guitar and Orchestra' at the Minnesota Music Teacher's Association convention and has performed with Dr. Henry Gwiazda for the Minnesota Composers Forum.

Soli's impressive list of credentials also includes the development of two fully accredited courses for Northwestern University.

Soli is also one of the many musicians sponsored by COMPAS to tour Minnesota schools.

Soli believes in the program and what he has to teach and share.

"The most notable benefit from these activities is an increased awareness of the sounds and music in our environment and their relationship to all aspects of life on a global basis. These activities also teach children in a non-threatening way how to work together, interact their own ideas and interpretations of sound with other children whose everyday music and sound perspectives are different by the very geographical, cultural, musical and life experiences and exposures from which they come."

During his classroom work with Washington students, Soli stressed the music around everyone every day.

The sound of the wind, water, doors opening and closing, a kettle steaming, sirens, bells, whistles, footsteps and all the music in the world, he explained. David Pansche, principal of Normandale Hills Elementary, commented about Soli’s work with his students. "I was very excited about how creatively he used his magnificent musical talent and environmental sounds in helping our students develop a love for the arts."

There were many lessons learned last week at Washington Elementary in Detroit Lakes.

Just because it looks like a guitar and sounds like a guitar doesn't meant it is a guitar.

It could be Soli Hughes.