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Photo by Leena LaVerne

Embark on a journey into the heart of musical ingenuity as we step into the intimate setting of 3 Hand Stephen's apartment. Nestled amidst the bustling cityscape, his abode exudes an aura of creativity and warmth, adorned with eclectic instruments in every corner. As we settle into the cozy confines of his living room, the anticipation mounts, knowing that we are about to witness a rare and intimate performance by the maestro himself. With a flicker of excitement in his eyes, Stephen takes center stage, each instrument a testament to his boundless talent and unwavering passion for music. From the soulful strumming of his acoustic guitar to the mesmerizing twang of his homemade 1 String Thing, he effortlessly commands the room, transporting us to a realm where music knows no limits. With each melody, a new story unfolds, weaving a tapestry of emotions that resonate deep within our souls. In this magical moment, surrounded by the harmonious symphony of sound, we are reminded of the transformative power of music and the remarkable journey of the man behind the music—3 Hand Stephen.

By Taleena LaVerne · 05/27/2024

The interview began before I had expected, with Lee swiftly discerning something that sparked her curiosity.

Stephen's home and walls are adorned with small and large instruments and statement art pieces. He has tens of instruments lined up against the wall and on his counters. A large gong-like instrument intrigues Lee. We ask if it is an instrument, and Stephen tells us "yes" before lightly crashing the cymbal, and as it swings, it continues to emanate a beautiful chime, resonating in the air.

There is so much to see; Lee and I ask a multitude of questions about small knick-knacks in his home like a photo painted of the cutest cat.

He informs us the painting is of his cat, Ally, who is in the other room, hiding. Stephen says Ally is probably not going to come out because she's shy around new people. (Spoiler alert, I did see her before we left. She peeked her head out.) He also tells us that he has a song called "Ally the Cat," and it describes how he met his cat. "I will perform it for you today."

"I'm going to give you a few things for driving all the way over here," he says.

What a nice surprise! Welcome and thoughtful. He gives us a red book, 'Baggy Red Pants.' He tells us it has his artwork, stories, photography, and poetry.

Lee says with a serious face — "You know what you need to do. You need to sign this!" We all laugh.

Along with the book are two of his albums by him and his band, The Tree People. As we settle down and prepare for the small concert we are about to witness, Stephen picks up his first instrument of the performance. It is a strange instrument, something I've never seen. It's long, and there's a box attached to it. The box reminds me of a small Kalimba instrument my mom always had in the house growing up.

The box is wooden, it is made out of a cigar box, he tells us. It was made special for him, like many of the instruments he plays.

Ally the Cat is an emotionally resonant composition characterized by its swift tempo and heartfelt melody.

"It almost made me cry." Lee tells us.

After "Ally the Cat" is over, Stephen moves on to the next song. The instrument he uses for this song is a small guitar. I think it is a ukulele at first, but it has five strings.

"This is a miniature guitar. I had it made by a guitar maker in Portland. I wanted a small guitar, but kids' guitars didn't sound very good, so I went to this guitar maker and told him what I wanted. He came up with this beautiful guitar."

Next, a song called "Hearing Test." We see a harmonica. He begins to play, followed by the wine box bass and pipes. The harmonies of the two blend very well together and the song is, of course, unique.

For this song, he uses a small handheld instrument he says he made himself. He calls it a "Play Me" instrument. It has a cylindrical metal piece that he tells us was once a junk metal piece on the top, and three strings, all on a cigar box.

The song is called "I Give You The Universe" — A beautiful instrumental.

Next, he pulls out printed lyrics for us to sing along with. The next song is "Bridges of This Town."

This was by far my favorite song of the performance. It felt so heartfelt and really captured the essence of Portland—the lakes, bridges, marathons, and bicycles. It made me feel like I was walking down a bridge in the morning mist on a cloudy day. He uses an acoustic guitar for this song, which is perfect, and it was a privilege to experience it up close and personal.

Lee and I applaud in awe.

Lee: He named all the bridges! Do you sit here and write, or do you go to all the bridges?

Well, it depends. A little of both. It depends on the song. Sometimes I'll have a guitar part, then the words will come to me. Sometimes, I have the words first, and then the guitar part comes. So it all depends…with this song it took me a while, yeah, different places, times.

Lee: You've traveled all over haven't you?

Yes, I have, and that includes a trip to Spain. Antoni Gorgues, who runs Guerssen Records, a Spanish record company that signed my band The Tree People, flew us to Spain to play at a festival he produced there.

How did you come up with the name 'The Tree People'? When I lived in New Mexico a long time ago, I made a children's book called 'The Tree People.' It told the story about people who live in the trees. I lost the book but still had some of the drawings. Later in Eugene when I showed my 1st Tree People bandmate Jeff a Tree People drawing, he said 'we gotta use that.'

My first instrument was a trombone. My trombone instructor wanted me to be in the All-State Jazz Band, but at the same time, I was listening to The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. The Top 40 songs all had guitars in them, so I realized if I wanted to write songs, guitar was the way to go. I dropped the trombone and taught myself guitar at 14, and I've been playing ever since.

You can find where to catch 3handstephen and his band The Tree People's upcoming shows at www.3handstephen.com/future-performances. 3handstephen's music is streaming on all platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.

Stephen's website: www.3handstephen.com | Instagram: @3handstephen | Facebook: www.facebook.com/3handstephen