Roger Landes class @ St.Louis Tionól April 3,4,5 !!

[steve V. johnson]

I've just heard from the St. Louis Tionól that Roger Landes will teach a bouzouki/OM class !! Woohooo!

Thanks, Roger, this is exciting. Some of us have longed for more zouk'ness
at the Tionól, and here, 'tis! And Pauline Coneeley will teach a class in mandolin and tenor banjo, too!

The St. Louis Tionól is held the first weekend of April in St. Louis, Missouri, and folks come from all over the country.

It's a whole weekend of sessions, concert, dances, sessions on Friday, all-day classes on Saturday in all manner of Irish music skills by wonderful professionals, an instructors' concert Saturday night, sessions in the pub, and then all-day sessions Sunday in the lovely John D. McGurk's pub.
McGurk's has a very nice garden, so when the St. Louis spring is kind, the
sessions spread all over thru the garden and the pub.

It's one of the highlights of each year for us, and I hope a whole bunch of you will attend.

Details here:

http://www.tionol.org

Call your relatives to book their spare room or make your hotel reservations now! Woohoo!

See you there!

stv

[John Flynn]

This is great news! After last year's Tionol, I emailed the organizer, Mike Mullins, suggesting a 'zouk class for 2009. He replied:

"...There really aren't any bouzouki players that are active that I'm aware of. I realize the guitar classes don't always apply. Steve Johnson in IN, who comes every year, is a bouzouki player. I've never really had enough interest to where I thought there'd be enought to really make a go of paying a teacher. Let me make some inquiries."

I'm glad he did and has changed his mind. Steve, I hope you and I aren't the only ones there, or it may be the first and last time they do this! I was going to take the Pauline Conneely workshop, but now I will be in this one. I'm really looking forward to it! I have Landes' CD and I really like his stuff. I also know he has a lot of teaching experience.

BTW, has anyone here taken instruction from Landes? Does he teach mostly in GDAE or GDAD? Also, is there anything he does in particular that a participant might work on ahead of time?

[mikeyes]

Roger teaches GDAD zouk, but is also an accomplished mandolin player. He has a great teaching style and is as knowledgeable about the coursed instruments as anyone in the world. He will be a great asset to the StL Tionol.

If you can't make it to StL (and you should, it is a great bargain with non-stop sessions) then consider Zoukfest in June at the University of New Mexico. The theme this year is Irish music. I will be taking the Pauline Conneely workshop but have taken Roger's classes in the past. You can't go wrong with either one.

[John Flynn]

Mike:

Thanks for your reply. I will brush up on GDAD then. I will definitely "make it to St. Louis," since I live here! I wish I could go to Zoukfest, but my work schedule will not permit it. One of these years...

[steve V. johnson]

As Mike said to you, he and I have talked about bouzouki/OM workshops before. We've discussed some possible instructors and have kind of kept tabs on how many zouk/OM folks have spoken with him and/or attended the Tionól, so ... zouk'ness has been an open subject, an ongoing conversation between us for a while. I think this situation is more a function of Roger being properly available at the right time, than a big 180º turn on Mike's part. Mike thinks about tunes, whistles and pipes, and the big picture, and as he said, he isn't really in the zouk world. So it's up to us to vote, by our words and our Tionól registrations, for what he can do there.

If we find that only the two of us will sign up for Roger's class, the zouk notion will go back into the drawer for reconsideration. But if there are a half dozen or so that will make it plain to Mike
that we're willing to committ to the inclusion of zouk instruction in the Tionól.

There is a lot that can be done in two four-hour classes (morning and afternoon on Saturday), and
I've had the pleasure of attending Ged Foley's guitar classes. Ged teaches a lot of stuff that is important to general chordal playing in Irish traditional music (and it's celtic cousins), and that is
not instrument-specific, tho when folks want to learn specific guitar technique, it's there.

Roger's duet work with Randal Bays, as recorded on their CD "House To House" (et al) is just fantastic and will provide a whole other dimension of involvement for us zouk'ists and, I think, chordal players of all sorts, too.

Robin Bullock was at Tionól last year, and I think he taught mandolin in the classes, but he played a Sobell OM a lot in the sessions and that was just wonderful. Sitting in the sun on Sunday afternoon in the McGurk's pub garden listening to him with several other great players was a real
peak experience.

I've never had the chance to hear Roger playing in session, so I'm really excited to hear some tunes with him in sessions this year!

And, finally, Roger's latest note mentioned that the ZoukFest this year will be on June 12-14th on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

This is a good thing (from my perspective), as it's easier to travel into Albuquerque from afar (like... Indiana) than it has been to the other locations. I'm puttig the wrench on my life now to see if I can rearrange its structure so that I can attend. Also, good and bad news, I guess, the whole-week-long Zoukfest is now a mere weekend... good news for those of us who have time and travel restrictions but less good for those who could go down and be zouk-immersed for the whole week. (Of whom I have been terribly jealous.)

stv

[zoukboy]

I was just logging in to post a notice about being at the St. Louis Tionól and looky here - y'all're WAY ahead of me! ;-)

Thanks Steve and Mike. I am really looking forward to it. My being in MO to visit family the week leading up to the Tionól is a factor in my being able to be there. It sure would be good to see a nice contingent of zoukers, OMoids, and citternistas there!

Re: ZoukFest - our contraction this year is just temporary - due to the unavailability of the College of Santa Fe for this year, and with the economy the way it is we thought it wise to cut back a ways and see how it goes. That said I think it will be a smashing time at the U of NM, and Two Fools Tavern - one of the best Irish pubs in the country - is a mere 5-6 blocks down Central Ave from the U.

[Danny Packer]

I can tell you that Roger is a great teacher, incredibly knowledgeable and great company. If you can get to a workshop with him, you'll be in for a treat.

Danny

[rclepper]

After wrestling with some schedule uncertainty, it now looks like I can make it. I too was originally planning to take Pauline Conneely's workshop, but I will lend my support to the zouk presence and sign on for Roger's class.

Roger -- I'm looking forward to it!!

Randy

[aries753]

This sounds very COOL! and not that expensive either.
So my question is do I leave my OM in regular GDAE or go to GDAD? Should I change the E string? if so to what? I have .013" on E right now.
As a novice to this style of music what should I be looking for? I have John McGann's octave and 'zook book.

[zoukboy]

I'll be conducting my workshops at the St. Louis Tionól in GDAD.

Hope to see you all there!

[aries753]

Well count me in! I signed up today and can hardly wait.

[zoukboy]

Originally Posted by aries753

Well count me in! I signed up today and can hardly wait.

See you there!

[steve V. johnson]

Today was the Day. Wow... a fine day.

Nine people in Roger's class including my Culchies fiddle pal T.J.Hull with a Fylde Touchstone OM, Joe Mendel with *3* beautiful OMs that he's built and another one in the hands of our Cafe pal John Flynn, and -surprise!!!!- .... Bill Bussman! With a beautiful std OM style in the morning (I think he posted pix and description of it here... it's the one with the shamrocks popping out of the flowerpot on the headstock), and then an equally kazowie GOM in the afternoon.

Roger had an absolutely astounding Herb Taylor zouk, cedar over walnut with 3-pc deeply arched back, a soundport on the upper rib, a slotted headstock, strung in unison -except- for the G course which had a big string over an octave (the high string inboard of the low) and even more custom features. Besides being really powerful and responsive (I don't want -just- to say "loud", but darlin', "loud" is certainly in there!), but it has a percussive, 'kick drum' bass thump all the way up to the 16th fret. Astounding. And that's just the hardware!!!

Roger is a wonderful teacher, clear and well organized. Of the nine in the class some had very little experience, and some of us lots more, a good balance.

We spent much of the morning learning things that can be done without the G course, in just the DAD section of the instruments and at afternoon section went further into how to use the whole thing and work with capos. Roger taught a good amount of (don't be afraid, it made sense under our hands) music theory and how chords and shapes move about on the neck. I think it opened us all up to new stuff.

For some of the exercises, TJ brought out his fiddle, and on some others Roger played tenor banjo while we worked on accompaniment exercises. It would have been nice to have a melodist, fiddler or such, there so that Roger could have illustraded some stuff against the melody without
having to switch roles from teacher to melodist to work us thru the material...

After the evening concert a whole lot of the folks involved in this rolling music feast went to the Schlafly brew pub for more sessions and at the end of the evening I found my wonderful wife, the funky bodhrániste, outside in the little alley by the kitchen playing Balkan, Greek and Turkish tunes with Roger!!! The whole building, three floors, was filled with Irish sessions and this is what these guys did for fun. Fantastic! I love it.

Roger will be in transit tomorrow, back to New Improved Mexico, so that was the end of this chapter with him, but there's still a day of sessions in John D. McGurk's pub tomorrow before
this (12th!) Tionól is all done. It's supposed to rain but McGurk's has lots of room inside (and a rich brunch and killer bloody marys!) and a nice, heated tent around the garden bar out back, so we should have some great tunes tomorrow.

What great fun and a wonderful class... Thanks, Roger! Thanks to Mike Mullins and the Tionól
staff and to the folks at the Schlafly and JDMcGurk's. There should be more adventures to report tomorrow... After the drive back to Indiana, most likely in the rain...

'Til then...!

stv

[improziv]

What a great report, Steve - I wish I could be there but you made it quite vivid

Thanks!

[Eddie Sheehy]

It's ASLMOST as good as being there.....sigh!

[steve V. johnson]

Ah, friends, thanks for the kind words but Roger's teaching is far richer that I can portray.

A number of folks have said of these 'festival' workshops that often the instructors will teach a tune or tunes, and for those who can ingest it, their take on the tunes, the ornaments, phrasing and all that, and that that's a difficult course, either to learn the tune or to take away just what comes in the process of learning a tune/tunes.

Roger, guitarist/fiddler Ged Foley (in my experience) and some others, teach the fundamentals
of the musical form and of the particular instrument, and this is, in my view, tremendously more valuable.

Today the all-day sessions in McGurks were mightly like superhero comics! The mid-day weather was a bit chill and rainy so the folks got packed into the various pub rooms indoors and the sessions were larger for it. In some ways this is a bad thing, as there were fewer chances for smaller sessions that could explore more rare tunes, but it also gave a lot of folks access to the playing of the "Big Kids" like Michael Cooney, Patrick Ourceau, Gay McKeon, et al, but the tunes tended toward the more inclusive, more familiar so that everyone could play.

I could list folks and folks from the east to Texas to the north country and our fertile midwest, but suffice it to say that the crowd was diverse and collegial, with a wonderfully warm and welcoming vibe. Cafe folks included the remarkable Mr. Bussman, and of course Roger Landes, Keith Dubinsky, and Tim Piazza... I'm probably leaving some out, maybe they'll speak up. Keith is staying in St. L for some days before returning to the SF Bay Area, and Mike Keyes and Randy Clepper were prevented from coming by other circumstances. You were missed, fellas!

It was tough to drive home because we were so tired. We made several stops just to stand in the chill winds and revivify a bit, but the trip was otherwise smooth. I hope more anecdotes come to mind, and feel free to ask questions.

I'm kicked back with the nectar of the Martell family and I can still hear the ring of the pipes and see the smile and the bobbing heads as the tunes rolled on... But ... ahhhhh to be home...

stv

[improziv]

After reading all of this, my only consolation is that the Catskills Irish Arts Week is coming in July

Btw Steve - I totally agree with you about taking lessons about the music and the application of instruments rather than learn a couple of tunes. Those I pick up anyway everywhere.

[IndianaTim]

Ah, Monday morning and though my body's home and getting ready for the work day, my head is still in St. Louis. Those were some great sessions and concerts. Steve, it was great to hear you and TJ on some of those blazing fast Bloomington session tunes. I think everybody was cranked up after the concert, but gawd, TJ was absolutely on fire! Sunday was much mellower. I suppose that closing down the house at 3AM the previous night might have had something to do with that.

'Twas also great to see so many familiar faces, to meet Roger Landes, and to hang a little bit with Bill Bussman. It's the opportunities like music festivals and workshops, and various smaller gatherings that prove the strength of virtual communities like the 'cafe.

There were surprisingly few mandolins at the sessions, just a '21 Ajr that I noticed. Had I known Bill Bussman was going to be there, I might have brought my two Old Wave mandolins so that he could visit with his kids. There didn't seem to be a swarm of pipes at the Sunday sessions this year. I'd love to see Tionol run a few days longer, but then I don't know if I could survive on that little sleep!

I was surprised by how much volume TJ's Fylde OM has! It's a very different character from my old Fylde Octavius. Bill's L5 styled OM was a wonderful sounding and playing instrument. He mentioned that he has 3 in production right now. I certainly wouldn't mind owning one.

Tim

[steve V. johnson]

Oh maaaaaaaannnnn, Avi!

I've never been to the Catskills hoolie! Wow... the stories, the tunes... Maybe this year...? 8^P

stv

[improziv]

Originally Posted by sliabhstv

Oh maaaaaaaannnnn, Avi!

I've never been to the Catskills hoolie! Wow... the stories, the tunes... Maybe this year...? 8^P

stv

I may not be able to attend the full week but plan to be there for the long final weekend, including the Andy McGann festival.

[steve V. johnson]

Hey Tim!

"Steve, it was great to hear you and TJ on some of those blazing fast Bloomington session tunes. I think everybody was cranked up after the concert, but gawd, TJ was absolutely on fire!"

I dunno just how that got so intense ... I didn't really expect what happened next... I asked him if he had that set that Tom Sparks (professor of violin making here at Indiana Univ and an All-Ireland-winning fiddler) played... um... Larry Redican's Bow, something in the middle, and the Oak Tree, and we just ... went off... It was great fun, but ... whew!!!! Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!!
(I'll have to ask him what that middle one was...)

"There were surprisingly few mandolins at the sessions, just a '21 Ajr that I noticed."

I was surprised, too. The A Jr was Keith Dubinsky's. Keith is a St. Lou native who now lives in
the SF Bay area, and he'll probably check in here before too long, he's a Cafe regular, too. Danny Cummins of Lexington, KY, had his mandolin (an F, tho I didn't see what it was), too.

Keith's A Jr. sounds great and was wonderfully audible in our sessions, at least until a couple of pipers (who hadn't yet mastered their dynamics fully) joined in. In a room with two fiddles, two
bodhráns, gtr, tenor banjo, keyboard piano and me on zouk, Keith could be heard well and it looked like he wasn't working hard at all. I guess those sessions in Oakland have worked that
A Jr. up to some good fitness, eh? :-)

"I was surprised by how much volume TJ's Fylde OM has!"

It's a very new one, just under two years out of the Fylde woodshops. It's a boomer, and it's tough for me to play because it's so very dynamic, and it has a rompin' bass response.

Meeting Bill Bussman (we were able to have lunch together and to spend a good amount of time in conversation) was the greatest treat of the weekend for me. His two instruments really challenged and changed my notions of how OMs/zouks work and sound.

Joe Mendel's instruments were splendid, too, and, conversely to sampling Bill's instruments, which were very different from one another, Joe brought three which were very, very similar in appearance and design, but with tasty differences in the tonewoods and setup details. So the comparos of Joe's OMs, in the hands of several different players (including Roger Landes!) was
really a treat! What fascinating differences in tone and feel come from very small differences
in execution! That Joe Mendel is a luthier to watch, these are some goooood instruments!!
And he's a wonderful guy, too, with just the sort of twisted senses of humor that y'all pickers will
recognize! LOL!!

Ah, dunno, Tim, there were sure enough pipers to go round... a couple in each session.... We checked when we got home... Luckily none of 'em followed us...

stv

[John Flynn]

I concur. It was a great workshop. I have a whole different idea about Irish accompaniment now and I also have a workable plan to improve my playing and implement that idea. When you can get that from a workshop, that is time well spent. Not to mention the great collection of jokes told! There were some keepers there.

The Saturday night concert was great also, although it did not equal the one last year, just because last year's was so spectacular it would be hard to top. I had side conversations with Roger and with Mike Mullins at intermission. Roger said he would like to do another workshop at the Tionol next year if Mike asked him. Mike said he was surprised and gratified at the turnout for the bouzouki workshop. I counted 10 signed up, one no-show, but then there was one walk-in. The guitar workshop I took last year only had four and they still held the workshop and did it again this year. So my hope is that the bouzouki workshop with Roger becomes a regular fixture at the Tionol.

Also, as was mentioned, the workshop became a real "zouk tasting." There was the Herb Taylor, a Crump, two Old Waves, a Fylde, a Kennaquhair, four Mendels and assorted others. I doubt I will ever play such a collection of great zouks and OMs in one spot again!

[zoukboy]

Well, I had a blast! Thanks to all of you who were in the classes. It really was an enjoyable day for me and it was great to be back in my home state for a bit (all though I am from the "west coast" of Missouri, not the "east coast").

Looks like I will be back again next year. Mike said wants to make the classes a regular thing. So thanks again to all of you for coming out and supporting this effort.

Steve and John: thanks for your reports. Glad to hear that my approach worked for you.

Cheers,

[steve V. johnson]

Woohoo!

My bouzouki reality has been exploded. LOL!!

So... next year we need to get you into some sessions, strap you up with some o' the -pipers-, bro!

Enough of this easy life, playing Turkish tunes with the bodhrán lady... into the Irish hoolie wit cha!

Thanks, Roger, I'm really glad you're going to come back. It'll be another grand springtime.

stv

[Joe Mendel]

Glad to hear you'll be back, Roger. I learned a lot of useful stuff, much better than having someone sit there and teach tunes. You made the theory stuff very easy to comprehend, and immediately applicable. It was one of the best workshops I've attended.