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Local Chapman Stick player scores documentary film Prairie Prophecy
March 7 listening party to feature all 19 tracks from the film, plus two bonus songs
Tom Griesgraber's new album The Split features the music he wrote and performed for the full-length documentary film Prairie Prophecy. The album features all 19 tracks from the film, as well as two bonus songs that were created as alternates. Tracks are presented in the order they appear in the film, with recurring motifs and themes that develop throughout. The music features Griesgraber on Chapman Stick, analog synths, and samples, with his California Guitar Trio bandmate Bert Lams making a guest appearance on one track.
The Prairie Prophecy film is scheduled for screenings around the U.S. and, beginning in April, PBS will be offering Prairie Prophecy on their website and app. It tells the story of Wes Jackson, a visionary scientist, farmer, and co-founder of The Land Institute who inspired a global sustainability movement with his work in perennial and natural systems agriculture. The film traces how perennial farming systems modeled after native ecosystems could help restore soil, conserve water, and build resilience in a changing climate, offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of food and land stewardship.
"Both the album and the documentary have local ties," Griesgraber tells the Reader, "as the director Michael Johnson and his company are based in San Marcos."
“I tried in writing it to have recurring themes for the subjects being discussed in the movie," says Griesgraber. "The album tracks are in the same order they appear in the movie, with themes and motifs that develop as the album progresses. I tried to also have something thematic with the instrumentation. Generally, when topics being discussed are more about the problems of industrialization the analog synths become more prominent, and when the discussion is more about natural things or the progress scientists are making, the Chapman Stick and orchestral strings are more prominent.”
Griesgraber says he started out on piano as a child and switched to guitar as a teen. He was good enough to be accepted into the program at Berklee College in Boston. After graduation he came home to San Diego with a case of what he describes as post-grad Berklee guitar burnout.
"I felt like I wanted to do something different." Then: "I saw Tony Levin playing a Stick at the 1997 NAMM trade show in Anaheim, and I bought one that year," says Griesgraber. The 12-stringed Stick (popularized by Levin during stints with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel) is played by tapping the strings like piano keys, with bass strings tuned in ascending fifths and melody strings in descending fourths, providing a wide tonal range of sounds.
"It sounds something like electric guitar, electric bass, piano, and synths -- all thrown into a blender," says Griesgraber. "When I started, there was nobody teaching it, really, so I bought the only two books in existence for it. The Stick itself gets amazing reactions. I used to draw small crowds in Guitar Center just by playing a few notes to test amps for it, and I've sold CDs just by pulling it out of the case and not playing a note."
He's highly influenced by King Crimson. Asked his favorite lineup of that band, he says "The double trio: Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto, and Trey Gunn. Just so many great musical personalities, and they're all such good players that they make the over-the-top instrumentation actually work. It was actually the first lineup I saw, on video, and it's the one that pulled me into the band in general. Plus, they have two Stick players."
Now considered one the best Stick players in the U.S. (behind Tony Levin), Griesgraber says, ironically, "I can't drive stick shift. Quite the issue while touring Europe."
Typically performing over 125 shows a year, Griesgraber has toured throughout the United States and Europe with artists like Bert Lams, Agent 22, the California Guitar Trio and Jerry Marotta. He has also performed several times for the Grammys and has opened shows for a who's who list of rock and jazz groups like Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Stanley Jordan, Paula Cole, Andy Summers (The Police), Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews' Band), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Tower of Power, Al Dimeola, Adrian Belew (King Crimson), and Tuck and Patti.
In July 2021, he became a regular member of The California Guitar Trio, just in time to appear on a new concert album with them. "The group as I think you may know has been around since 1991. I've been friends with them since 2001, toured as their opener, did projects with Bert, recorded an album, etc.. but they called me to fill in for Hideyo Moriya right before they were scheduled to tour as King Crimsons opener. I had two weeks notice, then was off and running playing amphitheaters, famous venues like the Greek, Ryman and Fox Atlanta, even a small sports arena. I'm now a full time member and we've been all over the US, Portugal, B.C. and Canada."
The Split soundtrack album will debut on Bandcamp where a listening party takes place on March 7 (the day after an in-person California Guitar Trio gig in Keene, NH). "Myself and Prairie Prophecy film director Michael Johnson will be online for it," says Griesgraber. "This is a free event officially scheduled at 6pm Pacific, though they open the chat room 30 minutes earlier. Feel free to pop in anytime to say hello, ask questions or just enjoy the music. Visit the page now to follow me there and RSVP if you like. This has been a major project for all of us involved, and I'm looking forward to sharing stories and listening to 'cues' about the music along the way."
Here's something you might be interested in.
Local Chapman Stick player scores documentary film Prairie Prophecy
March 7 listening party to feature all 19 tracks from the film, plus two bonus songs
Local Chapman Stick player scores documentary film Prairie Prophecy
March 7 listening party to feature all 19 tracks from the film, plus two bonus songs
Tom Griesgraber's new album The Split features the music he wrote and performed for the full-length documentary film Prairie Prophecy. The album features all 19 tracks from the film, as well as two bonus songs that were created as alternates. Tracks are presented in the order they appear in the film, with recurring motifs and themes that develop throughout. The music features Griesgraber on Chapman Stick, analog synths, and samples, with his California Guitar Trio bandmate Bert Lams making a guest appearance on one track.
The Prairie Prophecy film is scheduled for screenings around the U.S. and, beginning in April, PBS will be offering Prairie Prophecy on their website and app. It tells the story of Wes Jackson, a visionary scientist, farmer, and co-founder of The Land Institute who inspired a global sustainability movement with his work in perennial and natural systems agriculture. The film traces how perennial farming systems modeled after native ecosystems could help restore soil, conserve water, and build resilience in a changing climate, offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of food and land stewardship.
"Both the album and the documentary have local ties," Griesgraber tells the Reader, "as the director Michael Johnson and his company are based in San Marcos."
“I tried in writing it to have recurring themes for the subjects being discussed in the movie," says Griesgraber. "The album tracks are in the same order they appear in the movie, with themes and motifs that develop as the album progresses. I tried to also have something thematic with the instrumentation. Generally, when topics being discussed are more about the problems of industrialization the analog synths become more prominent, and when the discussion is more about natural things or the progress scientists are making, the Chapman Stick and orchestral strings are more prominent.”
Griesgraber says he started out on piano as a child and switched to guitar as a teen. He was good enough to be accepted into the program at Berklee College in Boston. After graduation he came home to San Diego with a case of what he describes as post-grad Berklee guitar burnout.
"I felt like I wanted to do something different." Then: "I saw Tony Levin playing a Stick at the 1997 NAMM trade show in Anaheim, and I bought one that year," says Griesgraber. The 12-stringed Stick (popularized by Levin during stints with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel) is played by tapping the strings like piano keys, with bass strings tuned in ascending fifths and melody strings in descending fourths, providing a wide tonal range of sounds.
"It sounds something like electric guitar, electric bass, piano, and synths -- all thrown into a blender," says Griesgraber. "When I started, there was nobody teaching it, really, so I bought the only two books in existence for it. The Stick itself gets amazing reactions. I used to draw small crowds in Guitar Center just by playing a few notes to test amps for it, and I've sold CDs just by pulling it out of the case and not playing a note."
He's highly influenced by King Crimson. Asked his favorite lineup of that band, he says "The double trio: Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Pat Mastelotto, and Trey Gunn. Just so many great musical personalities, and they're all such good players that they make the over-the-top instrumentation actually work. It was actually the first lineup I saw, on video, and it's the one that pulled me into the band in general. Plus, they have two Stick players."
Now considered one the best Stick players in the U.S. (behind Tony Levin), Griesgraber says, ironically, "I can't drive stick shift. Quite the issue while touring Europe."
Typically performing over 125 shows a year, Griesgraber has toured throughout the United States and Europe with artists like Bert Lams, Agent 22, the California Guitar Trio and Jerry Marotta. He has also performed several times for the Grammys and has opened shows for a who's who list of rock and jazz groups like Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Stanley Jordan, Paula Cole, Andy Summers (The Police), Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews' Band), Steve Hackett (Genesis), Tower of Power, Al Dimeola, Adrian Belew (King Crimson), and Tuck and Patti.
In July 2021, he became a regular member of The California Guitar Trio, just in time to appear on a new concert album with them. "The group as I think you may know has been around since 1991. I've been friends with them since 2001, toured as their opener, did projects with Bert, recorded an album, etc.. but they called me to fill in for Hideyo Moriya right before they were scheduled to tour as King Crimsons opener. I had two weeks notice, then was off and running playing amphitheaters, famous venues like the Greek, Ryman and Fox Atlanta, even a small sports arena. I'm now a full time member and we've been all over the US, Portugal, B.C. and Canada."
The Split soundtrack album will debut on Bandcamp where a listening party takes place on March 7 (the day after an in-person California Guitar Trio gig in Keene, NH). "Myself and Prairie Prophecy film director Michael Johnson will be online for it," says Griesgraber. "This is a free event officially scheduled at 6pm Pacific, though they open the chat room 30 minutes earlier. Feel free to pop in anytime to say hello, ask questions or just enjoy the music. Visit the page now to follow me there and RSVP if you like. This has been a major project for all of us involved, and I'm looking forward to sharing stories and listening to 'cues' about the music along the way."