For most people, the first time they witness Michael Kollwitz tap out classic rock and old standards on his instrument, the odd-looking Chapman Stick, they have one response: What is that instrument and are you really playing all of those notes? Don’t worry if that’s also your reaction – you’re in good company. Carlos Santana and Mick Fleetwood asked those same questions when each of the legendary musicians came across Michael performing in Hawaii. Fleetwood actually suggested that Michael play traditional Hawaiian music on the instrument, so Michael went on to record six albums while living on Maui (thus far, he’s racked up 22 releases). But back to the original question: What is that instrument?
Michael had played the trumpet for 10 years while growing up in Southern California. Fresh out of high school and working at a music store, he showed up at a coffeehouse to hear musician Emmett Chapman, a jazz guitarist who made a name for himself in the ’60s. In 1974, Emmett had invented an instrument he dubbed the Chapman Stick in order to play music that sounded simultaneously like complex jazz and Jimi Hendrix. Emmett, who turns 82 in September, still makes the instruments, which resemble the neck and head of a 10- or 12-string guitar (Michael plays the 12- string version), at his home in Los Angeles. Michael was transfixed by “the stick,” as he calls it, and, with help from his parents, purchased one of Emmett’s first instruments. “There are 8,000 sticks in existence today, and they are all made by Emmett and his family,” says Michael. “It’s the most versatile, expressive instrument ever devised.”
Michael, who calls himself a “stickman,” has been playing the Chapman Stick for 40 years – he doesn’t play any other instruments anymore. Though the stick resembles a guitar, it’s played more like a piano with a two-handed tapping technique that has to be seen to be believed. Michael spent 25 years in the two-way radio business, performing with the stick at night and on the weekends, but since moving to Sedona in 2015, he’s been a full-time musician. “I’m so fortunate to have been accepted in such a small community,” he says.
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