Art & Music

Terra Guitarra is the voice of the landscape, vibrating its unique melodies from the mountains, prairies, lakes, rivers, cities forests and woods of the world. Ages old the earth reveals it's messages in it's songs.

Terra Guitarra® is the original painting style of Bruce Hecksel. These paintings are created using the guitar shape as a symbol to imagine the whole world is singing. Visit the Gallery here

TERRA GUITARRA IS...

TERRA GUITARRA IS...  the voice of the landscape, vibrating its unique melodies from the mountains, prairies, lakes, rivers, cities forests and woods of the world. Ages old the earth reveals it's messages in it's songs.

The world music-nuevo flamenco-new age project Terra Guitarra, the landscape of guitar, began in 2008.  The duo's debut CD Terra Guitarra burst onto the world music scene with it's inspired original guitar compositions singing of the sweeping natural settings of the planet, dancing in moonlit alleyways, and floating on great rivers' epic journeys. Terra Guitarra is the duo of master guitarist Bruce Hecksel and vocalist and rhythm guitarist Julie Patchouli. Their soulful fusion of blazing Spanish and world guitar rhythms, sparkling melodies and spine tingling harmonies are infused with a visible onstage chemistry. An extraordinary bond is immediately apparent as two guitars merge into one acoustic wall of sound and their innovative, percussive flat-picking and hybrid fingerstyle techniques leave even astute listeners wondering where the drummer is.

“How you get two guitars to sound like a 10 piece band is amazing!”- reviewer RJ Lannen.

There is no denying the popularity of Terra Guitarra’s music, not only from the worldwide sales of their nine albums, but also because they perform 200 shows each year. Touring gives the duo the opportunity to try their new music out on an audience. These performances also allow the duo to change, expand or improvise new sections of their older repertoire to keep it fresh for the public.

“Performing is a major part of our music which takes on characteristics of where we are and the flavor of the audience,” explains Julie. Terra Guitarra is the voice of the lands they’ve traveled, the voice of the countryside in spring, the city in summer, the moonlit alleyways. “Usually the melodies first come to me when I am outside experiencing nature,” says Hecksel. “We travel constantly and we find each place has its own musical feeling. Our music celebrates the landscape and the people there. The melodies are reflective of the earth’s energy and vibrations.”

Travel the worlds landscapes of guitar with Terra Guitarra’s intricate classical Spanish and jazz guitar with pan European and Latin rhythms creating a passionate and energetic global music experience. The debut Terra Guitarra ('08) album was followed by "Winter Solstice" offering instrumental guitar interpretations of traditional holiday music. The third album "The Mother Night" was released in 2010. Terra Guitarra's fourth album Dragonfly, charted at  #4 on the monthly international Zone Music Reporter Top 100 airplay chart, was nominated ZMR “Best Acoustic Instrumental Album” for the 2013, as ZMR’s #27 album for the entire year. Their second Holiday album, "Auld Lang Syne" followed in 2013. In 2015 Terra Guitarra released their 6th album Firelight a sparkling instrumental journey of Spanish guitar and world music textures. Firelight is nominated ZMR "Best Instrumental Album - Acoustic 2015" was # 1 on OneWorldMusic UK radio Charts, #14 album overall on the ZMR World/Ambient/NewAge Charts (out of 2100 charted albums in 2015.

Terra Guitarra "Live at the Big River Theatre" was released from a historic theatre performance on September 26th 2015. In January 2017 Terra Guitarra released their 8th album "Of Sea & Stars".   In 2018  Terra Guitarra releases a brand new album “Spirit Wheel”. It is a chill-out instrumental record showcasing Terra Guitarra’s signature guitar sounds with mellow grooves, airy electronic beats and wind born native flutes.