In the finale of the 2023 Monadnock Summer Lyceum Sunday, Hernan Romero strayed from the podium and performed a personalized set of original flamenco music in his talk “Gets Personal: The Importance of Music in People’s Lives.”
Originally from Argentina, Romero was steeped in music from birth, with both of his parents being renowned performers. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 6 and said “it just made perfect sense” to him. He has since had a career that has stretched over three decades and has produced and collaborated on studio albums both solo and with musicians such as Alicia Keys.
Using loop pedals, Romero played his set without any accompaniment. He used several playing techniques from his musical background, from rock ’n’ roll tapping to interpolations of classical suites by Johann Sebastian Bach. Romero played originals with classical samples for his first two choices, speaking very little in between. The third song of the set was a traditional flamenco rhythm called “Bulería.”
Romero’s fourth and penultimate song of the set was a classical medley by Joaquín Rodrigo titled “Concerto de Aranjuez.” Romero took this space between songs to address the importance of the guitar in his life.
“The thing about the guitar is it resonates inside, so close to your gut, that it is actually a healing feeling,” said Romero. “It really is amazing, it is remarkable, especially with an acoustic guitar. Of course I play electric, but the acoustic guitar is something really special.”
Romero employed audience interaction during the piece, having the crowd clap faster and faster as the medley crescendoed.
“We just made music together,” said Romero after the conclusion of the piece. “That’s good on a Sunday morning.”
Romero ended his set with a love song he wrote during the initial lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, called “Entre Nos,” or “Between Us” in English.
“I wrote a lot of music [during the pandemic] and this piece I wrote thinking about how lucky we are and how blessed we are to be alive, to be healthy, to be together,” said Romero. “And that’s a big thing for us.”
At the close of his set, Romero received a standing ovation lasting over 30 seconds. Romero then took questions from moderator and longtime friend Eric Blackmer of Peterborough, as well as the audience. In this time, he addressed his musical childhood, as well as the influence of classical music on children and adults. He also spoke about conversations he has had on tour in Europe about the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“We need to unite through something that doesn’t have a flag, that doesn’t have a religion, just something that is beyond all of us,” said Romero. “And I think music is that. Music is a language that doesn’t need to be spoken, it needs to be felt.”