Don Ross (guitarist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Ross
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Don Ross in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Donald James Ross |
| Born | November 19, 1960 Montreal, Quebec |
| Origin | Windsor, Nova Scotia |
| Genres | New-age, pop rock, folk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Duke Street, Sony, Narada, CandyRat, Goby Fish |
| Associated acts | Men of Steel, Andy McKee, Julie Malia (AKA Jule Malischke). |
Donald James Ross (born November 19, 1960) is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist. A fingerstyle guitarist plays the guitar using their fingers or fingernails, not a pick. Don Ross was the first person to win the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship twice. He won this important competition in 1988 and again in 1996. His album Huron Street was very popular, reaching the top ten on the Billboard New-age music chart.
About Don Ross
Don Ross was born in Montreal, Quebec. His father was an immigrant from Scotland, and his mother was from the Mi'kmaq First Nation. Don is a member of the Millbrook First Nation. He studied music at York University in Toronto. After college, he explored other paths before deciding to become a full-time musician.
In 1986, Don released his first album, Kehewin, on cassette tape. He started performing full-time. He played music with his late wife, Kelly McGowan, and later in a trio called Harbord Trio. He was also part of a jazz group called Eye Music. Don has written music for several theatre shows about First Nations life in Canada. He also composed music for the CBC radio show Dead Dog Café. In 1987, some of his songs were played by major orchestras like the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Don won first place at the American Walnut Valley Festival in 1988. This win helped him get a contract with Duke Street Records. He released two albums with them: Bearing Straight (1989) and Don Ross (1990). The famous musician Michael Hedges wrote a tribute to Don in the notes for Bearing Straight. Since then, Don has released many instrumental CDs. He has also made instructional videos and a book to teach others how to play guitar. In 1996, he won the Walnut Valley Festival for the second time. He also leads guitar workshops to help other musicians learn.
In 2001, Don's first wife, Kelly McGowan, passed away. He was a single father for four years. In 2005, he married Brooke Miller, who is also a singer-songwriter.
Don Ross was the first artist to sign with CandyRat Records in 2005. This is an indie record label, which means it's an independent music company. Other famous guitarists like Andy McKee have also signed with CandyRat Records.
Don has toured three times with a guitar group called Men of Steel. This group includes talented musicians from different music styles, like bluegrass guitarist Dan Crary and Celtic folk guitarist Tony McManus.
Don usually performs his concerts alone. However, he also plays with other musicians like Andy McKee and Brooke Miller. He has a quartet called Don Ross Louder Than Usual. This group plays his jazz and funk songs.
From 2010 to 2011, Don was a professor at Dalhousie University. He taught about the history of guitar and different playing techniques. He stopped teaching because he was traveling a lot for concerts around the world.
Don has lived in several places in Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax. He currently lives in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Don studied online for a Master of Arts degree in Orchestration. He graduated in 2021. Since then, he has been writing music for video games, films, and television. Also in 2021, Don won the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. This is a big award from the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2023, Don released his first solo album in six years, called WATER. This album features collaborations with other artists, including Bruce Cockburn.
Don Ross's daughter is the writer Tara McGowan-Ross.
Don's Music Style
Don Ross's music mixes different styles like blues, jazz, folk, and classical music. He calls his unique style "heavy wood."
He gets his ideas from musicians like Bruce Cockburn, John Renbourn, and Pat Metheny. One of his songs, "Michael, Michael, Michael," is a tribute to Michael Hedges. Don's playing is very special and easy to recognize. He often uses percussive techniques, which means he taps or hits the guitar to make drum-like sounds. He also plays fast up and down strokes with his thumb. Many other fingerstyle guitarists have learned these techniques from him. Don uses acrylic nails to get a clear and consistent sound when he plays.
Don Ross started his career playing a Lowden S-10 guitar. Since 1997, he has played a Lowden O-10. Today, he mostly plays custom-made guitars by Marc Beneteau, a Canadian luthier. A luthier is someone who builds or repairs string instruments. These guitars have special microphones and pickups to capture his sound. Sometimes, he also plays a baritone guitar (which has a lower sound) or a harp guitar (which has extra strings). He also uses a custom 7-string guitar made by Oskar Graf.
Bruce Cockburn once wrote about Don Ross, "Nobody does what Don Ross does with an acoustic guitar. He takes the corners so fast you think he's going to roll, but he never loses control." This shows how amazing Don's guitar playing is.
Don Ross's Albums
Solo or duo
- 1989: Bearing Straight, (Duke Street)
- 1990: Don Ross, (Duke Street)
- 1992: Three Hands, (Duke Street)
- 1995: This Dragon Won't Sleep, (Sony Canada)
- 1996: Wintertide, (Sony Canada)
- 1997: Loaded, Leather, Moonroof, (Sony Canada)
- 1999: Passion Session, (Narada)
- 2001: Huron Street, (Narada)
- 2003: Robot Monster, (Narada)
- 2005: Music for Vacuuming, (CandyRat)
- 2006: Men of Steel - Four Way Mirror, (Goby Fish)
- 2006: Live in Your Head, (Goby Fish)
- 2007: Wave From Your Window, (Goby Fish)
- 2008: The Thing That Came from Somewhere, with Andy McKee (CandyRat)
- 2009: Any Colour, (Goby Fish)
- 2010: Breakfast for Dogs, (CandyRat)
- 2012: Upright and Locked Position, (CandyRat)
- 2013: 12:34, with Calum Graham (CandyRat)
- 2014: PS15, (CandyRat)
- 2014: Flake, (CandyRat)
- 2017: A Million Brazilian Civilians, (CandyRat)
- 2023: Water (GFM)
Groups
- 1990: Circle of Stone, by Harbord Trio (Don Ross/Kelly McGowan/Oliver Schroer) (Familiar Music)
- 2003: Live: The Art of the Steel-String Guitar, by Men of Steel (Don Ross/Beppe Gambetta/Dan Crary/Tony McManus), (Thunderation)
- 2006: Four Way Mirror, by Men of Steel (Don Ross/Beppe Gambetta/Dan Crary/Tony McManus), (Goby Fish)
- 2019: Don Ross Louder Than Usual, with Andrew Craig on keyboards, Jordan O’Connor on bass, Marito Marques on drums, and Don Ross on guitar and vocals (GFM)
DVDs
- 2004: Don Ross: Live, (CandyRat)
- 2006: Don Ross/Andy McKee/Michael Manring: Live in Toronto, (CandyRat)
See also
In Spanish: Don Ross para niños
- Jon Gomm
- Erik Mongrain
- Andy Mckee
- First Nations music
- Music of Canada
