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Thread: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

  1. #1
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    Default New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Hey friends. My instructor and I are very interested in resurrecting the University of Michigan’s Mandolin club as the new Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra (much like our friends in the already well established, Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra). My instructor is a music faculty at the UofM school of music for Applied Classical Guitar AND Mandolin. Would there be people of the Ann Arbor area and surrounding communities interested in jointing us in this endeavor? This of course is going to be completely FREE to join. Open to beginners to advanced players alike. We’ll likely plan on having our first rehearsal this Spring at a location in Ann Arbor, most likely at the UofM school of Music. Join our new Facebook group or like our new Facebook page.

  2. #2
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    That makes me almost wish I was living in your part of the country.

    I certainly hope you get support for your Mandolin orchestra.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    I wish I lived just a bit closer - just a bit too much outside of my "willing to drive that far" range.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    I'd be very interested - I'm a student at the University for another year-ish.

    That being said...there's no School of Applied Guitar in the SMTD here. Unsure what you're talking about.

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    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Count me in, hombre.

    I'm a little bit FB phobic or inept at least. Post us a link here or someway to get in touch with y'all.

    Mick
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    sounds like fun! I`ll try to join you. I live/work about 1 hour away --so timing is everything.

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    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Yes, I'm interested. Searching Ann Arbor mandolin orchestra on Facebook without much luck.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Spoke too soon, found it!

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    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Hart View Post
    Spoke too soon, found it!
    Can you post a link, Tom?

    Thanks,

    Mick
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Can you post a link, Tom?

    Thanks,

    Mick
    Nice to hear from all of you. The group can be found on Facebook under “Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra”. Here is the link to the group as well: https://m.facebook.com/groups/189064908213526

    Mick, I completely understand your anti-FB stance. Once we get the ball rolling I’m sure we will turn over to using an email group /google group instead.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Jared Heddinger View Post
    I'd be very interested - I'm a student at the University for another year-ish.

    That being said...there's no School of Applied Guitar in the SMTD here. Unsure what you're talking about.

    Hey Jared,
    I think I’ve seen you around the Moore building before but never had the chance to say hi. I’m an Ethnomusicology student under SMTD and the UM Center for Southeast Asian Studies. Sorry for the confusion bud, I discovered that the UofM School of Music on Flint’s campus does have a program in Applied Classical Guitar AND Applied Mandolin. The instructor that teaches both instruments is a true Italian man (by that I mean he is from Italy and has studied performance there) and lives in Ann Arbor. I’ve been taking lessons with him for about 3 years now to have Mandolin as my principal towards my major. It astounds me that the SMTD in Ann Arbor has yet to pick him up as a regular instructor.

    Hope to meet you in person soon

  13. #12
    Full Grown and Cussin' brunello97's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Gean Vincent Almendras View Post
    Nice to hear from all of you. The group can be found on Facebook under “Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra”. Here is the link to the group as well: https://m.facebook.com/groups/189064908213526

    Mick, I completely understand your anti-FB stance. Once we get the ball rolling I’m sure we will turn over to using an email group /google group instead.
    Thanks, G-V I'm less anti-FB than kind of a bumbler with it.

    I followed the link and "joined" though I would hope for a more flexible communication method if indeed la pelota comienza a rodar.

    As you can see, there is some interest brewing. What are your thoughts about the endeavor?

    How many folks would you like to gather before beginning? Any thoughts of when you might like to begin?

    I teach on UM North Campus and live close by.

    mas por venir

    Mick
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Thanks, G-V I'm less anti-FB than kind of a bumbler with it.

    I followed the link and "joined" though I would hope for a more flexible communication method if indeed la pelota comienza a rodar.

    As you can see, there is some interest brewing. What are your thoughts about the endeavor?

    How many folks would you like to gather before beginning? Any thoughts of when you might like to begin?

    I teach on UM North Campus and live close by.

    mas por venir

    Mick
    I’m very excited for the amount of interest we have now. I’d like to have our first rehearsal some time at the end of the month or maybe the beginning of April once it gets a little warmer and safer for Instrument transportation, temperature and humidity wise.

    There’s also the matter of finding a space to rehearse, preferably somewhere on campus. I'm thinking maybe a conference room in Weiser Hall. I’ll be getting in touch with my instructor to see his thoughts on when he’d like to meet and where. And his availability as well as everyone else’s.

    If anyone has any ideas or input on these matters please feel free to chime in.
    Last edited by Gean Vincent Almendras; Mar-14-2018 at 11:06am.

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    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    I will be available after 3/26.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

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  17. #16
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    I spoke with my instructor and based on everyone else's responses, I think a date in early-mid April would be the best time to have our first rehearsal / meet & greet. Until then I'll work to organize a better method of communication between each other; email probably working best. Also, we will be looking for a rehearsal venue somewhere in the School of Music's Moore building on North Campus.

    In the meantime, I also play the Bandurria and Spanish Laud in a "Mandolin-orchestra" like ensemble called a Rondalla. If anyone would be interested, feel free to drop by one or all of our rehearsals and you'd be more than welcome to come and play some music with us. The repertoire played is a lot of Filipino-Spanish influenced classical/folk ensemble music with sheet music available. If anyone plays or knows anyone in the area who plays mandocello, octave mandolin, or mandola, we are in desperate need of someone to cover some lower harmonies and countermelodic figures in our pieces. We have a concert at the end of June and payment may even be a possibility to musicians playing these missing instrumental parts.

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Missed seeing this by one day. So glad that this may be happening here in Ann Arbor. I joined the FB page and hope that the group gets going. I will try to be at the next session..... let us know the result of the first gathering, please.

  20. #18
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    I wish you much success (not the least of which because I am a Michigan alum). Speaking as a board member of the Classical Mandolin Society of America, keep in mind that CMSA has a grants program, which can be (and has been) used to provide seed money/start up funds for newly forming mandolin orchestras. You can PM me or go to classicalmandolinsociety.org for more information.
    Robert A. Margo

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  22. #19
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by margora View Post
    I wish you much success (not the least of which because I am a Michigan alum). Speaking as a board member of the Classical Mandolin Society of America, keep in mind that CMSA has a grants program, which can be (and has been) used to provide seed money/start up funds for newly forming mandolin orchestras. You can PM me or go to classicalmandolinsociety.org for more information.
    Hi Bob,

    Thanks for your well wishes and advice on grant funding. It would be a big help in possibly giving a honorarium to our director/instructor, Francesco, as a token of thanks for sharing his time, knowledge, and talents with us. I recall meeting you briefly at the Trekel table of the CMSA Milwaukee Convention, recalling being a UofM Alum. Hope we speak again soon!

    Thanks and Go Blue!

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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Wait... what... Just spotted this post now.
    Any room for a mandola?

  24. #21

    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Viola View Post
    Wait... what... Just spotted this post now.
    Any room for a mandola?
    Sure! It would be great to have you. We meet every other tuesday at 7 p.m.
    next practice is tuesday eve may 29.

    I`ll ask the organizers contact you re: the address and the scores we are working on.

    looking forward to meeting you.
    Mark

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  26. #22
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    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Viola View Post
    Wait... what... Just spotted this post now.
    Any room for a mandola?
    Hi there,

    Thanks for your interest and sorry I haven't had the chance to reply sooner.
    We would love to have you! We currently have a Facebook group going as well as a page:

    Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra

    Likewise, we have an email group for members to receive announcements and receive access to our online music folder. Please take a quick moment to fill out this short form in order to subscribe to the announcement emails:

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Zm4...edit#responses

    Hope to meet you soon,
    Gean

    P.S. Just out of curiosity, do you play Alto Mandola (CGDA) or Octave Mandola (GDAE)? Most of the pieces we're currently working on is in treble clef but I don't imagine it would be too difficult for me to transpose it to Treble Clef in Software.

  27. #23

    Default Re: New Ann Arbor (area) Mandolin Orchestra

    Quote Originally Posted by Gean Vincent Almendras View Post
    Hi there,

    Thanks for your interest and sorry I haven't had the chance to reply sooner.
    We would love to have you! We currently have a Facebook group going as well as a page:

    Ann Arbor Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra

    Likewise, we have an email group for members to receive announcements and receive access to our online music folder. Please take a quick moment to fill out this short form in order to subscribe to the announcement emails:

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Zm4...edit#responses

    Hope to meet you soon,
    Gean

    P.S. Just out of curiosity, do you play Alto Mandola (CGDA) or Octave Mandola (GDAE)? Most of the pieces we're currently working on is in treble clef but I don't imagine it would be too difficult for me to transpose it to Treble Clef in Software.
    Great; thanks.

    I play CGDA and have 30-some years of reading sheet music where middle-c is right there in the middle. If you have software to transpose treble to alto, that would be brilliant.

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