GUITAR
Ayla Tesler-Mabe has established herself as a guitarist , vocalist , multi-instrumentalist , and composer , garnering millions of views on her YouTube and Instagram videos from people all over the world . Ayla is a member of Vancouver-based trio Ludic . Ludic describe themselves as “ soulfunkjazzpop ” and have cemented themselves as one of Canada ’ s most exciting and fastest-growing acts . Find out more about Ayla and
Ludic at : www . ludicofficial . com .
By Ayla Tesler-Mabe
Paying Homage & Pushing Forward
While I was born and raised in Canada , I am fortunate
to come from a family that has roots in cultures ( and music !) from all over the world . My father was born in Chicago and spent most of his childhood in Argentina before moving to Canada . My mother was born in Chile , moved to Spain with her family at the age of five , and then eventually to Canada .
I grew up surrounded by music from so many different places yet have somehow always been drawn back to the guitar . While I love exploring any instrument I can get my hands on , the guitar has always been the instrument with which I ’ ve felt the most profound connection . Naturally it is a bridge that , for me , has created an almost intrinsic bond with the music of the past .
Now , the use of the word “ almost ” in that sentence was intentional and I ’ d love to expand on why .
In 2016 , a video I posted to YouTube went viral . It was a guitar cover of Led Zeppelin ’ s “ Since I ’ ve Been Loving You ,” and since that day I ’ ve been the focus of hundreds of strangers ’ unsolicited advice on how I should spend my time making music . I was suddenly and fatefully tasked with the heavy burden of bringing back rock at the very tender age of 15 . Don ’ t get me wrong . I am beyond honoured to have this responsibility bestowed upon me and it is certainly a dream I would love to incorporate into my career ; however , I don ’ t think that faithfully recreating the rock and roll of the past will be what moves music forward , or honestly reflects the world we live in today .
Paying Homage Soul . I sit here writing while listening to Alice Coltrane ’ s early ‘ 70s masterpiece Journey in Satchidananda . The hypnotic drone of the tanpura , the almost ruthlessly suave character of the upright bass , and Coltrane ’ s adventurous yet simultaneously ethereal harp provide the perfect backdrop to write about my feelings towards music on the most spiritual level . This music makes me feel all that I love about being alive .
Stevie Wonder , Jimi Hendrix , Joni Mitchell , Duke Ellington , Miles Davis , Santana , B . B . King , Marvin Gaye , Aretha Franklin , James Brown , The Beatles ... This list leaves room only for those who are the best of the best , yet I could keep listing qualified names and it would stretch on for several pages . Please also notice that they are not all guitarists . The art that this incredible group of master creators brought into the world decades ago has left behind such a legacy that it still inspires and reaches the depths of a young soul in 2020 .
For years , I misconstrued what this truly meant . In the tradition of your average self-professed , close-minded music aficionado , I was probably guilty of also perpetuating the obstinate narrative that all good music was dead , and that art would never progress unless we went back to the ways of the past . What good was a song if there wasn ’ t a six-minute Jimmy Page-esque freak-out solo thrown into the middle ?
Like a lot of new songwriters , I have spent the last few years trying to write the most authentic ‘ 60s garage rock or ‘ 70s soul track I could , and lately , I ’ ve started to realize that there is no way to move music forward by recreating the warm glow of nostalgia . What is being accomplished if the song itself is quite literally built from the ashes of a song we ’ ve all heard before ? So , I ’ ve now arrived at the part of my journey where I know it ’ s my responsibility to not simply imitate what these great artists did , but to take all that I ’ ve learned from my musical heroes and try to innovate new ideas that reflect the fact we are actually alive in the year 2020 . And while I ’ ve certainly put in many thousands of hours , this has only illuminated for me firsthand just how much I don ’ t know . The journey has only just begun !
Pushing Forward My current philosophy lies in the notion that we shouldn ’ t forget all that past masterpieces teach us about art and human nature . One of the most beautiful aspects of music as an art form is its transparency – even the most selfish masters share everything they know about their craft as a musician through their playing and performances . You could very easily spend a lifetime trying to accumulate the tremendous amount of knowledge of what has already been done , but it should invariably be done with the intention of using such a skillset to create music for other people to listen to . Music and all art are inescapably created by an artist for an audience .
I am beyond thrilled when people pick up on the fact that I have utilized a Stevie Wonder-inspired dominant 9 ( Sus 4 ) V chord , or can hear the clear Eddie Hazel influence in a guitar solo I ’ ve laid down on a track , or appreciate the nod to Pet Sounds in a vibraphone part I played .
Nevertheless , I ’ ve realized that I want more than anything to write music that I know no one has ever heard before . It would be an honour to be in some way part of a new generation of minds making that happen , and I can ’ t believe how lucky I am to have found accomplices in this task : my fantastically talented and forward-thinking Ludic bandmates .
Instead of dragging the music of 2020 back to the guitar-driven glory days of 1970s classic rock , why don ’ t we bring the soul , groove , and spirituality of the past to our present and future – and with it , the electric guitar !
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 25