Gretchen Menn's Immersive Artistry
It's probably too soon for COVID comedy, but let's pretend it's 2024, and all of this is way behind us. In that case, the joke would be that guitarist/composer Gretchen Menn is so insanely ambitious and productive that it would take a world-wide pandemic to slow her down.
Let me explain...
In the pre-lockdown era, Menn's deployment of creative energy as she built her career was almost terrifying. (Time to fasten your seat belts.) Menn got her degree in music from Smith College in three years. She became a commercial jet pilot. She joined the renowned and tremendously popular all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella, channeling the spirit of guitarist Jimmy Page at concerts around the world.
Now, a lot of musicians would have stopped there, because "there" is all kinds of awesome. Not Menn.
She started her own instrumental trio, formed the acoustic-duo Lapdance Armageddon with Jude Gold (current guitarist with Jefferson Starship), and toured extensively and constantly. She contributed to more than ten albums as either a band member or solo artist. She was chosen for two of Guitar Player magazine's big-list issues—"50 Sensational Female Guitarists" and "50 Years of Extraordinary Players"—and received an Artist of the Year nomination from the readers of Vintage Guitar. She did gear reviews for guitar publications and product demonstrations for equipment manufacturers. She created lesson content for numerous magazines and websites. She wrote articles and thought pieces for various media. She conceptualized her own music videos and launched the Zepparella Learning Channel, where she and her bandmates self-produce lessons on playing their respective parts of the Led Zeppelin repertoire. She became a counselor at Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, where, in preparation for a Deep Purple camp, she posted a YouTube video of herself practicing the solo from "Highway Star" that received 5.5 million views.
Astoundingly, all of that relentless output paled a tad when she began the process of creating her 2016 concept album, Abandon All Hope. Taking on a modern rethink of Dante Alighieri's epic poem, Inferno (from the Divine Comedy), Menn sought to challenge and advance her compositional skills. She retreated to deep study mode, pouring over books on classical counterpoint, harmony, and orchestration—all the while maintaining her tour schedule with Zepparella, her daily practice regimen, and her willingness to take on interesting new projects.
When Abandon All Hope was released, it was a "guitar" album like no other. Cinematic in scope, the compositions were far from the purely guitar-solo extravaganzas of many instrumental-guitar projects. Instead, Menn blended her classical string orchestrations with electric and acoustic guitars, drums, bass, ghostly vocals, and other instruments to present a work that exhibited impressive music chops for sure, but also upheld the integrity of the compositions beyond any one instrument, or any displays of virtuosity. With restraint and vision, Menn captures the poignancy, moods, and narrative ambiance of Inferno so perfectly that listeners should beware, lest they be transported to the horrors of Dante's Nine Circles of Hell.
Perhaps when you immerse yourself in the allegorical darkness of Dante's masterwork, a pandemic can do little to upend your artistic pursuits. (So much for that opening joke.) While far more than a few musicians retreated into despair and malaise as shutdowns wreaked havoc on the music and touring industries, Menn barely slowed her roll. She simply replaced the cancelled tours with other creative endeavors.
Along with her husband, guitarist Daniele Gottardo, she joined the international collective of guitarists contributing remotely to the Another Night on Earth project. She also became involved with former Michael Jackson and Jeff Beck guitarist Jennifer Batten's Guitar Cloud Symposium series of virtual guitar camps. And she has begun work on the second album in what will ultimately become her trilogy based on Dante's Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
FLL: How have you kept your morale and creativity afloat during lockdown?
GM: Early on, I made a commitment to myself to use this unexpected downtime wisely. I shaped my schedule to fit what I knew would meet the approval of my future self—practicing, composing, studying, reading, connecting with loved ones via phone or Zoom, doing yoga and exercise daily, and meditating. Some days are harder than others, and even those of us with generally happy brain chemistry have dark moments. But knowing I’m working consistently to learn and grow as a person and a musician is helpful during this uniquely challenging time.
FLL: As tours have been paused for almost a year, how can gigging musicians replace lost wages?
GM: That’s certainly the question of 2020. It’s not easy. In my case, I’m grateful I have done enough teaching and contributing articles and lessons for magazines that I could take on more of that work. Doing product demos for various companies and getting hired to play on recording sessions have helped out, as well. [Note: As many studios have shuttered during the pandemic, most musicians do sessions virtually by recording their performances at home and sharing digital-audio files online.]
By Michael Molenda
