Before his current career as a visionary business strategy consultant or his previous tenure as an energetic promoter and administrator in the visual and performing arts, Neill Archer Roan spent over fifteen successful years as a noted classical guitarist, performing venues all over the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York City. Although he rarely if ever plays any more, he has during his last two visits worked with and encouraged my son Gabe, coaching him on technique, demonstrating and explaining things like posture, thumb position, and leading the left hand with the elbow. Last night before we went off to have dinner at the home of friends here in town, he played some obscure and some familiar pieces, and we all broke into song with "Bobby McGee". A couple of middle aged guys and a teenaged boy bonding over a popular song from when I was Gabe's age. It was great fun, and Neill still has the touch. But he's an extremely unco-operative subject to try to capture in even a quick portrait. He wouldn't even sit a little bit still. Which, I suppose, for a relative novice like me, makes it a good if very challenging exercise.
Neill Archer Roan playing Gabe's new flamenco and smoking a Pohlmann