GT: What is it about guitar instrumentals appeals to you?
DG: They celebrate the instrument and allow it to be the primary force in the piece. Many of my first guitar heroes -Steve Vai, Greg Howe, Jason Becker - were all focusing on guitar instrumentals, so it was natural to explore that as my first creative direction. As I have matured as a composer, I’ve become more interested not just in venerating the guitar, but in integrating it, and contrasting it with other instruments. What I’m working on now is expanding and redefining the role of the guitar in my own composition.
GT: What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can’t?
The lyrics can provide a clear guide through the structure of a piece, making it comprehensible. What I like about instrumental music is the purity of it -
