Guitarist Will Wow You at Utah State University

In his role as head of the guitar program at Utah State University, Mike Christiansen has traveled extensively and he has heard countless musicians. As a guitarist, he has performed in Utah and from coast to coast. He’s always on the lookout for talent and he’s heard a lot of amazing musicians, he said, but he is rarely stopped in his tracks. But that’s what happened when Christiansen was in Nashville this past year.

"I was in Nashville and I walked into a club on Broadway [a popular entertainment street in the city]," Christiansen said. "I heard this guy and I couldn’t believe how good he was. People stood around with their mouths open — I had to grab some friends so they could hear this guy — he was amazing."

That guy turned out to be Johnny Hiland, a musician who has taken Nashville by storm, winning over fans and critics there and beyond. Through that chance meeting in the club, Christiansen struck up a conversation, and Hiland will now travel to Logan for one concert only. He will also work with guitar students in Christiansen’s program.

Hiland performs at Utah State Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Eccles Conference Center’s Harrison Auditorium. Admission is $5 and tickets will be available at the door. Advance reservations may be made by calling Christiansen’s office at (435) 797-3011, and leaving a reservation request.

"This is the first time I’ve brought a country picker to Logan, but when everyone hears Johnny, they’ll know why I did," Christiansen said. "He is so entertaining that even dyed-in-the-wool classical fans will be wowed. Johnny’s instrumental virtuosity is amazing."

Hiland has received the attention of the press in Nashville and beyond, and his story is the stuff of movies. He grew up in Maine, and first strummed along to television commercials with a plastic Mickey Mouse guitar before moving up to his mother’s acoustic guitar. Legally blind, he had difficulty in school but was an outstanding student, serving as an officer in his high school honor society. He enrolled in college and faced challenges there — recorded textbooks would arrive at the end of the semester rather than the beginning. But through it all, music was a constant. Finally, in the midst of a term paper, Hiland closed his books and decided to pursue his dream — Nashville.

He had a job by the first afternoon he arrived, and it’s been a steady climb ever since.

In a story in the March 2001 issue of "Guitar Player" magazine, writer Rusty Russell wrote, "The buzz began more than a year ago. Down on Lower Broadway — the hotbed of Nashville’s honky-tonk revival — some kid from Maine was tearing it up with a Telecaster. Sneaking into Robert’s Western World to check him out, local hotshots sat slack-jawed as Johnny Hiland discharged barrages of rapid-fire double-stop licks, multi-string bends and country-bop lines. Hiland could even go beyond standard hot-country fare, wrenching emotive blues from his Tele like a Beale Street homeboy or peppering a solo with blurs of two-handed tapping."

In the same article, musician Steve Vai said, "I have never heard anyone in his genre play with such precision and virtuosity ... Johnny Hiland stands on the brink of international recognition for his talents."

It’s no wonder that Hiland’s resume says he is one of Nashville’s most critically acclaimed artists, Christiansen said. By age 27, he has established an industry buzz as a stellar guitarist, session player, recording artist and master class instructor.

And yes, Hiland’s dream has been reached. He has appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry — twice.

Christiansen is obviously pleased to bring Johnny Hiland to Utah State for this appearance that is part of a guitar program series supported by a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation. Playing off the classic tune “Johnny Be Good,” Christiansen tells potential audience members they are in for a night of real entertainment. "Johnny will be real good," Christiansen concluded.

Contact: Mike Christiansen (435) 797-3011
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354