Central Ohio Mandolin Orchestra Startup

  1. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    Mike Lagana, a central Ohio musician, is gathereing together several mandolin players to hopefully start the formation of a mandolin orchestra. I just received this message from him:

    Hello Mandolin players of Ohio! We are trying to form a Mandolin Orchestra for players in the Columbus and Central Ohio areas. The first meeting of this group will be in Powell at the Expresso Yourself Cafe, Wednesday 6/9/10 7:00 PM. My goal is to have a great time and try to replicate the sound and music of the Mandolin Orchestra of the early 1900's. Hope to see ya there!

    The coffee shop is located in old downtown Powell:

    http://www.espressoyourselfmusiccafe.com/home08.asp

    Roger
  2. ShadyDale
    ShadyDale
    How is this going? Do you still need pickers? I live in the area and would be interested in at least listening to the orchestra, not sure how good of a picker I need to be. I'm intermediate, I suppose.
  3. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    Just like the previous attempt - couple meetings and it fizzled. Too many mandolin players can't read music or follow simple instructions I guess.

    Bottom line, there does not seem to be any real interest in a manolin orchestra/group around here. For that matter there is very little serious interest in the manolin in Ohio or the mid-west, as far as I can tell. Much like the hammered dulcimer - its a specialized sound people like to hear on special occasions, but not a preferred lead instrument. Just good for Hill Billy breaks I guess.
  4. violmando
    violmando
    HI all

    Roger knows me, but I don't know the other Central Ohio folks. My husband and I will be moving to Columbus in a few months. I'd LOVE to do something as an ensemble; I currently play in the Dayton Mandolin Orchestra and in Selo Croatian group in Columbus.
    My husband and I both have music degrees; he would be willing to direct a group if we could get something going. I have a fair amount of music; most would need to be typeset, but if done, we could also have it available for TAB readers.
    Please contact me here at the Cafe OR by email ydwingard@juno.com if you have any ideas....
    Yvonne
  5. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    To add to what Yvonne mentioned, I have most of the scores from the music used by the DMO during the several years I played with them: I got much of the music from other Mandolin Orchestras and scored several pieces with Finale myself. So we really have a broad range of full mandolin orchestra music, plus a 1st (or any part) mandolinist, a mandocelloist (and mandola able of course), and a bass player for starters. The scores all have guitar parts so acoustical guitarists are welcome and needed. Of course the hardest part - we need is a central-to-Columbus location, time and rehearsal place that would work for those interested in participation.
  6. violmando
    violmando
    If anyone knows of a church that is willing to let us use space, we could play a concert for them as payment...Or if there is a place that would rent space cheap enough that we could each chip in a few dollars each week. ???
  7. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    It doesn't take a lot of mando players to make beautiful music - just 4 plus a guitarist here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TPo...em-subs_digest

    Ravel was a great composer for mandolin groups as were many others in the past (and there are a few very good modern mandolin orchestra music composers also), but of course it takes more patience to listen to the entire composition for the full effect, especially the ending of this Ravel piece.
  8. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    Of course this style seems more appropriate for this area - especially this Irish tune (and although I do like the sound of the bowl back German/European mandolins, but even in classical music I prefer the richer sound of the American arch top/bottom Gibson design, oval or f-hole):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enUWo5WmdFY

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xakgjRFIEUQ
  9. violmando
    violmando
    Will be living in Columbus by April 1st. Anyone who wants to get even a quartet/quintet going, let me know. I can play either mandocello (preferred) or mandola.
    I'll still be in the Dayton Mandolin Orchestra and I have a fair amount of music, plus Finale software.
  10. Eugene
    Eugene
    Are you here in Cow-town now, Yvonne? You should swing by our Columbus Guitar Society meetings some time. I pack some incarnation of mandolin to almost every one.
  11. Juney
    Juney
    Hi all, I recently moved to Columbus and would be interested in getting involved in this if it is still happening. I have a degree in music and am a fluent reader for Guitar and working on it for Mandolin. I would even be interested in working out some duets if even just one person wanted to play together. Thanks
  12. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    The Dayton Mandolin Orchestra has started their 2013 - 2014 season and now rehearse in Yellow Springs, OH - just south of Springfield - on most Monday evenings. There are three of us attending right now and I'm hoping to get us together near central Columbus, perhaps weekly to rehearse the DMO tunes and perhaps do some mandolin ensemble fun stuff. Right now we three represent mandolin, mandola and mandocello capabilities as well as guitar and octave mandolin if we can get others to participate. If any interest pleas contact me at 614-329-1136 or ramace@gmail.com
  13. Roger Mace
    Roger Mace
    I should have said more clearly that there are 3 of us who live in Columbus, Ohio are attending the DMO rehearsals.
  14. jfonner
    jfonner
    Hi all, I'm in Columbus and am a tenor guitar & ukulele strummer, still a rank amateur compared to the experience and qualifications many of you have described. I'm occasionally in the same room with Roger.

    If Violmando's question from February is still open, the answer is, "Yes, I know a church ..." I'm on the vestry of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church at the corner of High & Woodruff adjacent to the OSU campus. We already host a monthly ukulele meetup and would welcome more music in the hallways. Call 513-403-3351 or email j.fonner@yahoo.com.
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