Music
Press
In the magazine’s August 1993 issue, the inquiring minds at Guitar Player wanted to know if “shred was dead?” The cover story ignited a furious debate in a guitar community that was quite sensitive during the ’90s transition period of grunge and anti-technique. Fourteen years later, New York native Nori Bucci is one of a growing number of young musicians proving that shred is alive and thriving. Seamlessly navigating both insanely fast cascades and emotive single-note melodies, Bucci won second place at the 2002 North American Rock Guitar Competition, and then took Best Rock Guitarist honors at the Buffalo Music Awards in 2003. She currently plays in the band Gamalon, and has released two independent solo albums—Speak My Soul and Tales of a Dream—that were recorded in her home studio.
What’s your current electric setup?
My main electric is a ’96 Fender Strat-ocaster loaded with Fender Noiseless pickups. It’s really comfortable, and it has a thin, fast neck. I love the sound of single-coils. They’re so clean and punchy. My amp rig is a solid-state Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight head and 1x12 cabinet. I was strictly a tube-amp lover until I tried this little amp. It has a beautiful clean sound, a tight distortion tone, it’s loud, and it weighs less than 17 lbs—which is great for musicians like me who carry their own gear. For effects, I have a Boss GT-6 and a DigiTech JamMan. My strings are D’Addario, and I use Fender 358 Jazz picks. For acoustic work, I mainly play a Martin 00C-MAE strung with Ernie Ball Bronze Silk & Steel strings. I also have a Yamaha Magicstomp, and a Fender Acoustasonic Junior amp. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different tunings on my Line 6 Variax Acoustic 700. That’s great fun. Also, Shubb capos are great for changing your sound.
What tools do you employ for songwriting?
I have a Korg Triton LE workstation that I use for composing drum and keyboard parts. To record, I use Steinberg Cubase SX3. When I record at home, I find that I get a lot more accomplished, because there’s less pressure and I’m free to experiment. I like to use sequencers in the initial songwriting stages, so I can experiment with various sounds on different parts. I’ll also record a part on both electric and acoustic to see which sounds the best, and that can set me in a certain direction, as well. Sometimes, just by noodling on the guitar, I’ll come up with a great idea.
What do you think made you an award-winning player?
I just believe you should feel every note you play—whether it’s a fast run, a melody, or a rhythmic groove. On the technical side, I practice chords and scales every day, and I’m still learning things from very basic exercises. There’s always more to learn.
- By Deirdre H. Jones April 2007
Music is a magical thing that can transcend time and take you back to different geographic and temporal locations. The lyrics of a song can make you think of someone in particular. The instrumentals can transport you to a favorite vacation city or the location of a particularly memorable event. Nori Bucci provides such nostalgic transition consistently throughout her music, perhaps because the passion of both her voice and her instrumentals is so strong that it grabs you by the heart and demands that you pay attention in that same way that is experienced during particularly notable moments in life.
Nori Bucci’s voice is beautiful, embodying the strength of femininity and sharing itself with you as you allow her sound to seep in to your soul while you listen to songs such as “Mask of Kindness” which evocatively describes how “a heart can be a lonely place, where emotions are kept in place” leaving “a butterfly cocooned inside that cannot spread her wings to fly”. Nori’s voice takes you directly to the center of her heart where her feelings can be felt as though they are your own.
However, it is the strength of Nori’s instrumental ability that makes her music truly timeless. With classical influences and an emphasis on acoustics, the songs which Nori presents to the world are songs which ask you to stop for a moment, to slow down and to let her music take you to someplace other than the place where you are physically resting. - Kathryn Vercillo
Discography
"Speak My Soul"
"Tales of a Dream"
Photos
Bio
As a child, Nori had a precocious interest in music. At the age of about 10, she developed an interest in playing the guitar. She taught herself to play by listening to her favorite records and picking out the songs by ear. At 16, she began to teach herself classical guitar, mastering many advanced techniques before ever taking a single lesson.
Nori also began trying her hand at composition in her teen years writing guitar based instrumental music, and short pieces for fingerstyle
guitar. Over time, Nori's writing skills have become impressive through consistent self-study and determination, and has tackled a diverse range of musical styles such as folk, fusion, classical, rock and jazz with refreshing creativity. Noris latest CD "Tales of a Dream" takes the listener on a musical journey through dreams. Her debute, "Speak My Soul", offers a very heartfelt variety of original songs and instrumentals with memorable hooks and a beautiful melodic quality. Nori composes, performs and records all of her own music.
In 1994, Nori studied music theory with
renowned Buffalo guitarist Tony Scozzaro. She attended Villa Maria College for music in 1996, studying with masters like James Kertzdorfer and Jeremy Sparks. She excelled in her work. In June of 2002, Nori was selected as one of five finalists in the "North American Rock Guitar Competition" and was awarded second place. Buffalo music critic Jeff Meyers wrote "Nori Bucci showed that she had the talent to take it all!". Other credits include best rock guitarist at the Buffalo music awards, and a full-page article in the April issue of GUITAR PLAYER magazine.
Nori has performed with bands such as Gamalon and Tribal Reign, and is part of the unique acoustic guitar duo, Guitar Pirates. She also performs solo, and is currently working on her third cd.
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