John Ferrara, known best for his approach to two handed tapping and as the bassist of
the world fusion band “Consider the Source,” is putting out his latest single “Fragments of
Silence,” an 8-minute piece spanning classical, grunge rock, and jazz. Between the multitude of
different percussive, and melodic tapping techniques used and his use of plucked harmonic
slides, and finger picked open string drones, this piece features the wide array of technical
terrain and dramatic mood shifts that Ferrara is known for with new unheard elements.

A quote from John: “Fragments of Silence” is a confessional, honest and intensely
emotional song. Writing it felt very natural. Executing it perfectly however… a different story! I
slaved over the parts for months, sculpting and shaping. Eventually I posted a clip of a section
of it, a percussive tapping riff entitled “I am a repressed drummer.” It ended up getting over half
a million views on Instagram and an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. If you know
me, you know I have a hard time catering (for better or worse for my career), but the amount
and quality of the positive responses inspired me to release it as a single.” 

Ferrara’s unique approach to two handed tapping alters the instrument’s role into
something more akin to a piano or classical guitar. Where Ferrara’s take on the bass guitar
showcases his technical proficiency, his ethos as an artist is strictly to serve an emotional end,
making his compositions both comprehensible, relatable, and palatable. Ferrara’s music is a
mixture of classical, jazz, rock, folk, and minimalism and falls somewhere between the brooding
moodiness of Phillip Glass, the improvisational exploration of Chick Corea, and the melancholic
spirit of Radiohead.

Stream the song: HERE