IT’S THE 12TH ISSUE
so I’ve been writing this for 2 years. Wow. Read on stalwart mando-fans!
CAPE COD FESTIVAL OF MANDOLINS
It’s happening this week-end, and it’s supposed to be beautiful weather. We’re staying in ocean-side cottages in Sandwich MA, and we get to play mandolin all week-end. What could be better? If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time to change your plans and do so. Sign up online – I’ll be directing an all-mandolin Brazilian/classical ensemble and have arranged quartets by Corelli and Purcell, and a very cool choro by Chiquinha Gonzaga. There’s ensembles for jazz, folk, and bluegrass too. Radim Zenkl is coming out from California to play and teach. I’m playing in the Friday concert with Jim Dalton, & Saturday with Enigmatica, and also sitting in with the New England Mandolin Ensemble, who let me play John Coltrane! – How cool is that? I’ll also give classes on Bach, tremolo, and choro. A good time will definitely be had by all!
GREAT NEWS
I recently heard from Max Williams, this year’s AMGuSS scholarship student who was full of exciting news. He successfully auditioned for the University of Florida Brazilian music ensemble, led by the head of their ethnomusicology department. “I know that without my time at AMGuSS, I couldn’t have pulled this off… It has given me the confidence to pursue musical opportunities that I never would have explored.” And that’s really AMGuSS in a nutshell.
PROJECTS
The mandolin method progresses, but has hit the stonewall of back-to-university, so is unfortunately on the back burner for a bit. But the photos are taken, the CD is recorded and the editing is about to begin. Hopefully it will be off to Mel Bay before autumn turns chilly.
UPCOMING
I get to play David Hahn with Bob Sullivan in his New England Conservatory faculty recital at Jordan Hall on November 6th. Bob is such an interesting musician and always has a great eclectic program. This is not to be missed. I’m also playing a benefit for “Reach Out & Read” at the Providence Athenaeumon Nov. 4th. They’re a really worthwhile organization who organize a fun event with music, books, and food. I’ve got Andromeda, a very cool Boston quartet with accordion, violin, bass, and the guitar/mandolin/banjo of Adam Larrabee coming to RWU on October 23rd, Sunday, at 2:00. Great music and free admission. Gigs at home and in Ohio are in the works for the winter, so check the calendar soon for morelistings.
ARTICLES
I sent my new Mandolin Magazine column in, and the survey of music history moves on to the Classical Era. The musical example is a lead-sheet version of Beethoven’s “Sonatina in C Major” for mandolin. I’m starting a new column for CMSA’s “Mandolin Journal’in the next issue, a “Teachers’ Spotlight” to give information on CMSA mandolin teachers around the country – what they teach, what they play, and what they think about the mandolin. The first issue features Toni Nigrelli, Nicola Swinburne, Charlie Rappaport, and Rich DelGrosso, who together have been teaching for well over a century!
FEEDBACK?
I’d love to hear from you. If you know anyone who would like to get this update, have them send me their email. And thanks for reading!
The next issue of “MARILYNN ON MANDOLIN” will be out in November 2005. So enjoy the last daysof baseball (Go Sox!) as you fall back into the school year. And keep your mandolin handy – great ideas just seem to drop from the sky as the weather cools down.
-mm
