There was no music written for the instrument, few players and fewer aficionados. It wouldn't appear that Howard found that at all daunting, as he began his solo Stick career a week after graduation. His music can be heard on the airwaves in Malta, where there is a fan base. Considered uses tantalizing snippets of his original compositions to bridge its news spots. From his home in Charlottesville, Howard has created an online digest, StickNews , that has brought the small and isolated community of Stickists closer together.
Musicians exchange touring dates and discuss everything from tapping techniques to tuning.
Howard remains the only Stick player in town, but he doesn't find that so strange. A nimble genre crosser, Howard has difficulty describing his style of instrumental music to other people, but says it resembles jazz more than anything else. He cringes when it gets labeled New Age. The moniker is an unfortunate one, and all too common. The problem is that it's turned the whole idea of making instrumental music into the idea of making background music, and I think that's really a tragedy.