FGH 0022: Interview with Billy McLaughlin - His Historic Comeback

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Summary, Episode 22:

For twenty years, Billy McLaughlin astounded audiences around the world with his complex and rhythmic music. At the height of his international recording and touring career, Billy was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia, a mysterious and yet-to-be-cured neuromuscular disorder that rendered him unable to play his own music.

Despite every effort to combat his condition, soon Billy’s career was over.But the long deafening silence was broken when Billy began a historic comeback.

He was doing the unthinkable – relearning his songs one note at a time with his opposite hand…

(Timestamps are for audio version of the podcast.)

01:30 Welcome Billy!
02:37 Billy tells how he became a guitarplayer
06:32 The First Guitar and the drummer is your best friend
13:18 “Invisible Skills” – the beauty of the unflashy side of guitarplaying
15:35 Billy’s time in college and finding a good fitting teacher
22:22 Focal dystonia – How it started to compromise Billys playing
28:40 Starting to relearn the instrument with the other hand
30:20 Music – Bill plays his composition “Back from the Brink”
33:05 Billy talks about right and lefthand playing – and not praciticing too much
39:01 Livesetup, Action, Effects and Equipment
46:36 How amplifiers for acoustic guitar can rescue your expirience on stage
54:37 Billy talks about his new project “The Church of the Lost Souls”
57:00 Billy’s advice for every guitarplayer!
1:01:04 Ending credits & podcast contact info
1:04:05 Bill plays his composition “Helms Place”