Village Squire, 1980-05, Page 11rtichard Knechtel relaxes with the family
cat in the livingroom of the old stone
farmhouse between Walkerton and
tavourite time" in music. That's the time "when you're by
yourself, it's something no one else ever sees." In a good session
Richard starts with chords, then picks out a melody and
hopefully, phrases start to surface that fit the music. Like many
artists, Richard finds writing and composing is a matter of letting
his subconscious ideas float to the surface.
Although writer's block is a chronic fear among many authors
and songwriters, Richard isn't worried. He has over 100 songs
written or partly written and other ideas filed away for the
future.
In the meantime, Richard Knechtel knows he's playing in a
Hanover that he shares with his wife Janet,
a weaver.
risky game. As he says, in the record industry . one album in
50 makes money.
But, as Richard also knows, craftspeople and artists often have
to wait 20 years before they achieve any kind of recognition. For
musicians, recognition is a little more immediate - as long as
they're entertaining people, they get paid.
While other songwriters may be pursuing the dream of instant
fame in the city, Richard Knechtel believes he made the right
decision in returning to an area that's a "hotbed" for
musicians, particularly musicians with a country flavour to their
songs.
VILLAGE SOUIRE/MAY 1980 PG. 9