Interview with Catherine Thompson

In January 2017, I set off for an amazing trip to Thailand! It was not only my first trip to Thailand, but also the first time I traveled without a shamisen or work-related reasons in a long time. It’s what many would call… a vacation! Yes, it’s about time I indulged in one as well.

Led by my trusty sidekick Gift, we explored so many incredible areas of Thailand, as well as sampled the delicious cuisines from the locales.

The mountains!

The islands!

The cities!

And of course, street foods!

One of the best parts of the trip was meeting a long-time member of Bachido, Catherine Thompson! Catherine and I have been in contact for several years, communicating about shamisen-building (as she has built many shamisen, as well as Kora and other instruments) and other fascinating subjects.

Previously living in Banff, she moved out to Thailand a few years ago. As life would have it, I had a much better chance of meeting her there rather than closer to home!

Catherine graciously hosted us during our stay in Mae Kampong. It was a real treat to be able to spend so much time with her. In our short stay there, Catherine led us through the nearby ridge, which was a fantastic hike!

Near the end of our stay, we made time to have a Bachido interview! Unfortunately, I didn’t have microphones or tripods - our only device was a GoPro (without a viewscreen). Though our conversation can be hard to hear at times, I’m glad we have the chance to take a small glimpse in Catherine’s creative life connected with nature!

Jam time

With a room full of instruments, a few jams were bound to happen!

Salt Creek - Mandolin & Coffee Grinder

Jam with Kora and Shamisen

For those interested, I highly encourage checking out her website and blog here! http://dondtreebpa.blogspot.com/p/contact.html