Sunday Concert at Weston Library Treats Crowd to Rare Performance (VIDEO)

As it turns out, not everyone was watching television at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

To be sure, a good portion of New England watched with bated breath as the Patriots secured a berth in the Super Bowl. But for some 67 people gathered in the reading room at the the afternoon wasn’t about football.

The crowd gathered to watch Ian Ethan, a Framingham-based musician who plays a unique style of music on a double-neck guitar. Sponsored by the Music Committee of the Friends of the Weston Library, the hour-long performance was the first of its kind for many in attendance, who had not seen Ethan’s array of unusual instruments, which also included a fretless guitar and a kalimba, a small thumb piano.

Ethan described his path to becoming one of only a few performers in the world to "really fully address the instrument on its own terms, playing both necks at once, really delving into (its) possiblities" as somewhat destined, if roundabout. He began playing instruments at age five and spent many years as a ski racer on the national circuit before picking up the double-neck seven years ago—and it changed his life forever.

“Since I first touched it, I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said.

And with a limited body of work available from which to draw for learning the instrument, his journey has largely been a self-sustaining one, he said.

“It’s really been up to me to see what it can do and where it will take me,” he said. “Playing music that’s less familiar has its challenges, but I enjoy the chance to make my own path.”

"For me, it's all driven by where a song seems like it wants to go," he continued. "When I hear that a particular idea is wanting to lead to another particular idea, I have to figure out how to get those notes to happen somehow on the instrument, even when it seems pretty impossible at first."

In between songs, Ethan shared stories about his life and explained the origin of each song. He also told the audience repeatedly that he was grateful for their support, given the popularity of that day's Patriots game.

“I know what I would choose between the game and a library concert, and I’m glad you made that choice too,” he said.

Audience members responded to both the instrument’s soothing tones and Ethan’s humble manner.

“I’ve never heard anything like it before in my life,” said Weston resident Dave Hutcheson. “I find it very brave of him to try to put forth something new like that that has not really been tried before.”

Another Weston resident, the Rev. Paul Kenney, described Ethan’s music as “restful, unique and refreshing,” and said Ethan’s rapport with the audience added to the music’s appeal and creative originality.

“It’s almost like he made you a part of the process,” said Kenney. “It’s like he’s on the edge of a vast discovery.”

Additional information about Ian Ethan, including upcoming performances in the area, is available at his website. For a list of other Sunday afternoon performances at the Weston Public Library, check the library website.

Download the movie