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Main Stage :: Dickenson Resigns from 1 East GQ

Dickenson Resigns from 1 East GQ

July 31, 2007

After eight years and hundreds of concerts, J. Andrew Dickenson has announced that he will be resigning from the 1 East Guitar Quartet. The news came as a surprise to many people, although the group says that they have been discussing the possibility for several months.

“It has been an amazing eight years,” Andrew said in an email to friends and fans of 1 East. “A large part of my entire professional career as been with this group, and we have been not only colleagues but friends and family, too. We have performed many concerts, played great music, made creative arrangements, and done many more rewarding things. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. However, I feel that I am being pulled in a new artistic direction, and I need to spread my wings and let a new side of my artistry develop. I will no doubt miss the quartet, but I feel that this is the right thing for me to do at this stage of my life.”

Andrew began playing with Scott Matejicka and Paul Wu when the three musicians founded the New York Guitar Quartet with another guitarist from Peabody. As NYGQ, they established themselves as extraordinary performers and a leading force in the contemporary guitar scene. After a personnel change, they recruited Zoe Johnstone and reincarnated as 1 East. They christened themselves after the address of the Peabody Institute, 1 East Mt. Vernon Place, where they studied with Julian Gray and Ray Chester and took masterclasses with Manuel Barrueco. 1 East is now proud to welcome Kevin Shannon as the newest member of the quartet.

Andrew’s last concert with the quartet was June 30, 2007 at the New York Guitar Seminar held at Mannes College of Music, where Andrew received his Master’s Degree. When asked about his plans for the future, he mentions his passion for multi-media. “I’ll be working on more projects that interweave music, visuals, theatre, and dance,” such as A Distant Wind, a piece for music and video that Andrew concieved and created with 1 East and Boom Design Group. “The possibilities are endless. I love working with other people and seeing what new ideas they bring to the table. I will also continue to teach, write for UrbanGuitar.com, and I have several other business ideas that I plan to pursue.”

“As far as the quartet,” Andrew continues, “Although we won’t see each other on a weekly basis anymore, I’m confident we will continue to be friends and keep in touch. They have been an important part of my life for a long time, and they always will be. I wish them the best with their new member, and I hope they have much success.”