Finnders & Youngberg, Colorado’s premier Americana quintet, will add yet another honor to their impressive resume: they’ve been chosen as an official showcase act for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass conference in Nashville, Tenn., this fall. They are one of just 13 acts invited to perform during the bluegrass industry’s biggest and most important week.
Festival Mozaic has announced its 2012 summer season, which will take place July 12-22 in the most charismatic spaces across California's Central Coast including Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Chapel Hill in wine country, Hearst Castle overlooking the sparkling Pacific Ocean, and Mission San Miguel . The theme, "In The Footsteps of Giants," will showcase a lineage of masterworks which inspired – and were inspired by – phenomenal composers over the ages.
The San Francisco Mandolin Orchestra with singers Susan Gundunas and Twila Ehmcke will be performing one of the gems of the Baroque music era, Stabat Mater, written in 1736 by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi.
The Newport Festivals Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2012 Newport Folk Festival set to take place July 28-29 at Fort Adams State Park.
This album is sophisticated urban pop played with a combination of acoustic instruments usually found in bluegrass bands. Any further references to blugrass is hard to find on the album.
A neurological disorder called dystonia is estimated to have ended the careers of at least one member of every major American metropolitan orchestra. Dystonia has claimed the livelihoods of musicians across genres including the acclaimed pianist Leon Fleisher of the Peabody Conservatory of Music, former first oboist of the Chicago Symphony Alex Klein, acoustic guitarist Billy McLaughlin, classical guitarist Liona Boyd, keyboard player Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and others.
Radim Zenkl, the Czech-born, California-based magician of the mandolin has been on the road and onstage since he arrived in the USA more than twenty years ago. He recently swung through my hometown of Portland, Oregon and performed his eclectic solo show to a packed house of enthusiastic fans.
Rio Con Brio started out to make one CD. As they recorded tracks, they realized they had two albums on their hands. One is their third choro album, the other is the debut of fado singer Alexandra Coutinho.
Luckily, Alexandra Coutinho and Rio Con Brio decided to make this a stand alone album. The plan was to feature Alexandra Coutinho on some tracks of Rio Con Brio's Caprice.
Caprice is an album by a guitar and mandolin duo playing mostly choro standards. It could be a challenge to make this fly. Rio Con Brio have pulled it off.
Books and videos
Play Mandolin Today! - A Complete Guide to the Basics
A banner on the front page states, "The Ultimate Self-Teaching Method!" This is a strong statement.
Book
Softcover - 48 pages - CD included.
Video
DVD - 1 h 44 m.
Published by Hal Leonard 2010
By Reidar Falch
This mandolin method is written by Douglas Baldwin, an experienced American musician and writer. The book starts with the basics, introducing the anatomy of the mandolin, and ways to handle it.
Then it's straight into reading music, learning notes by name, using the old "Every Good Boy Does Fine" and "FACE" as memory aid. This approach has stopped many music reading learning attempts over the years. In fact, skipping this page could be a good idea.
Getting past the introduction to music reading, it's down to business. Each string (course) is introduced showing fingering on the fretboard, fret diagrams and notation. Each chapter builds on the previous and small portions of knowledge is introduced in a comfortable pace.
Chords and tablature (tab) are introduced later in the book. Alternate picking, strumming and scales even later.
The book comes with a CD loaded with tracks to play along and friendly advices. Tracks recorded with a band and gives pleasure from playing even the simplest lessons.
The method also comes separately as a video on DVD. The video has the same content and progression as the book.
Douglas Baldwin is a pleasent and friendly teacher. Following the video lessons may be more inspiring than following the book.
Introduction to notation in the video is more humane than in the book. You are told not to worry if feeling confused or overwhelmed.
Following the progression, either in the book or the DVD, should give the new mandolinist a reasonable toolbox to enjoy playing.
"The Ultimate Self-Teaching Method!" and "A Complete Guide to the Basics", using exclamation marks, are strong statements, probably composed by marketing people.
The introduction is more sober, "-the series designed to prepare you for any style of mandolin playing, from country to bluegrass to old time - even rock and blues!" This is more to the point. New mandolinists aiming at playing classic, jazz, orchestral music and non americana may find other sources better suited.
This is a book of thoughts going deep into the luthier's work and light reflecting from the same depth. Luthier Nigel Forster shares some of his thoughts. Dave Best has captured an essence of the luthiers work and environment.
Caterina Lichtenberg and Mike Marshall have opened a treasure chest to the English reading world of mandolin. No doubt, this can influence new generations of mandolinists.
A banner on the front page states, "The Ultimate Self-Teaching Method!" This is a strong statement.