Artists, be it musicians, painters, athletes, etc., make a living through devotion, dedication, and determination. One local versatile artist has as much a passion for cross-country skiing as he does open melodies and harmonies. Ian Ethan Case is quickly gaining recognition for playing his unique double-neck, 18-string guitar (six on the upper-neck, 12 on the lower), as his skiing prowess.
‘The Olympics in 2010 is something I’ve had my eye on for a while, as well as the 2011 World Championships in Oslo, Norway. I need to make some progress this year and next, but it’s not out of the question,’ Ian said.
Also not out of the question is a lucrative future in music, something he’s always gravitated toward.
Ian stated, ‘I remember deciding I was going to be a conductor when I was 4 or 5 years old, then I discovered the drums, which in my case consisted of a big metal peanut butter can, some saw blades and lampshades as cymbals, and a big plastic Gatorade bottle.’
Although music was his first passion, the outdoors has always been a constant. Growing up in rural New Hampshire, and residing in Truckee since 8th grade, Ian has been on skis for as long as he can remember. Involved in race programs since 7, it was always his father’s drive that pushed Ian most.
‘I had my dad who was pretty hard-core, usually without realizing it. Just trying to keep up with him when I was little is some of the hardest training I’ve ever done,’ Ian said.
Throughout summers in his early teens Ian and his father would roller-ski daily, his father offering constructive criticism. The pressure became somewhat overbearing at the time and Ian took a two-month hiatus from skiing. However, when he moved to Truckee, due to a job transfer for his father, he became involved in a school ski team. He quickly gained an appreciation for the sport and came to a conclusion following his freshman year.
‘I decided I wanted to train as hard as possible and do the absolute best I could with skiing. Since then, it’s been an incredibly valuable journey in terms of learning how to work consistently towards a goal, of discovering what’s possible, and breaking limitations,’ Ian said.
This understanding and knowledge has aided Ian’s budding musical career as well. He approaches music much the same way he approaches skiing.
‘To me, the root of what these things are, is working to understand what’s there and what you can do. You’re on this epic journey of discovery and there’s no end to it, just a continual, evolving progression of understanding and realization,’ he said. A mature statement for a 27-year-old. Ian maintains this down-to-earth easiness constantly, remaining wise beyond his years.
In doing so Ian makes a true connection with his art, beyond the average listener.
‘So many people think of music as a passive massage, or personal entertainment. I think of it as something more than that – communication, truth, and reality,’ he said. He hopes someday his music will move others similarly.
‘I hope to bring to as many people as possible, the realization that there is this universe that is really tangible and real, right here with us, it’s not made of atoms, it’s not made of personal worries that consume people’s attention,’ he said.
‘There’s something infinitely bigger and more important than that.’
Ian’s musical talents come from a history of scattered training. Starting piano lessons at 5, he received his first drum set at 10, and began guitar and bass at 13. Self-taught on guitar until 20, when he began a year and a half in lessons, then three semesters at Berklee College of Music, in Boston, Massachusetts.
‘I started to have this mentality that to make it as a musician, you have to do what the next guy does, just better. That mentality is prevalent in the way a lot of musicians measure their value,’ Ian said. ‘After I’d had time away from that environment, I realized that most musicians and composers that I resonated with, were extremely unique and original.’
When he applied this realization directly to his guitar, original sounds, and techniques were born. ‘It’s 95 percent stuff I’ve come up with on my own to get the notes to happen that I hear in my head.’
Although often compared to Leo Kottke, or Michael Hedges, Ian is unfamiliar with their music. He sites musicians Pat Metheny, Squarepusher, Chick Corea, Vivaldi, Rage Against the Machine, etc, as inspiration.
‘Most of my favorite musicians or directors don’t have a lot to do with the double-neck, or the sort of alternate-tuned percussive techniques on acoustic guitar thing. I’m more inspired by the underlying substance of a piece of music, than what the musician(s) did to produce the notes,’ he said.
The New Year brings new beginnings for Ian. After competing in nationals for skiing, he will begin a cross-country tour with Manu Delago’s ‘Handmade’ Trio.
‘I got in touch with Manu after a friend sent me a link to an incredible YouTube video of him playing a new Swiss instrument called the Hang Drum, a really percussive instrument that is melodic and harmonic; the same is true of the double-neck,’ he said. After viewing Manu’s biography Ian contacted him. The two collaborated on a duet, recorded over the Internet for Manu’s Christmas CD, ‘Adventions.’
‘I’m looking forward to playing with him in person and this tour across the country. He’s someone I hope to play with for years,’ Ian said.
If you have an opportunity to see Ian and Manu on this tour be sure to take it, give your ears a gift of music and be blown away by these two young talents.
Catch a live performance from Ian this winter:
• Jan. 16 at the Fat Cat Café in Tahoe City from 8 to 11 p.m.,
• Jan. 18 with Renee Defields Band at Northstar from 1 to 4 p.m.,
• March 1 with Renee DeFields Band, The Great Ski Race
• March 13 at the Fat Cat Café from 8 to 11 p.m.,
• March 14 with the Renee DeFields Band at The Squaw Village from 3 to 5 p.m.,
In late March find Ian with Manu Delago’s Handmade Trio locally and coast-to-coast.
Also look for him on youtube.com, or find his album, ‘Ascendant,’ at cdbaby.com/ianethancase. For more on Manu Delago, visit manudelago.com.
