Aonzo workshop in ny

[Linda Binder]

I just want to say I had a GREAT time this past weekend at the Carlo Aonzo workshop seeing old friends again, meeting several people for the first time and playing in such a wonderful mandolin orchestra...and seeing Carlo! #I got to meet the new CMSA Pres. Lou Chouinard who is a man with energy who is going to do a great job leading CMSA, Mark and Beverly Davis, who visited the workshop on Saturday and gave me a look at some scores of fantastic new works for mandolin orchestra, and mandolinist Annika Lückebergfeld who attended the final concert along with Joe Brent who has very exciting upcoming projects with a new trio, premieres (including a piece by Victor!), performances with ICE...lots of great stuff. #

There were three conductors of mandolin orchestras attending this year...Jo Pellegrini of the Aurora MO in SF, Johanna Hebing of the Montreal MO and me, of the Milwakee MO - all women!

There is never enough time to spend with people I want to see at the CAMW and this year was more like that than ever, but we certainly got a lot of playing in! #The music was great. #Victor's wonderful piece Bells was a great way to open the final concert. # Carlo was fantastic, as always, both as a performer at the Wednesday Barge music concert with Rene Izquierdo, and in the way he shaped the orchestra with his infallibile musicianship. Chaim Caron did his usual fantastic job of organizing and attending to details.

I thought some of you might enjoy this photo of Carlo and Andy Statman. I took it after Carlo and several of us CAMW participants attended Andy's Thursday night trio performance at the Charles St. Synagogue. #That was a very cool experience for me--a free jazz/bluegrass/Chassidic aural meld. # They're currently on a five concert midwest tour. #Go see them if you're close or even if you're not. #

I'm already looking forward to next year's workshop. Next year will be my 5th or 6th year attending? #The only disturbing thing is that I think I've brought a different mandolin every year I've attended....not sure what that means...but its fun.

[Jim Garber]

Let's see... what else can I possibly add to Linda's posting...

Well, Linda did a fine job as the newly appointed assistant conductor. This new development of the workshop made me quite aware how hard everyone who is involved in it works. Prior years that was mainly Carlo conducting solo. This year we had a record attendance of (I think) 36 players and Linda's expertise as a conductor truly added to the experience and gave Carlo a little rest as well. Chaim Caron has also been organizing these workshops since their beginning eight(I think) years ago and that is a great work of love as well. As for me, I have been attending these since the beginning as well and the workshop format has changed somewhat but it is always an exhilirating and inspiring experience.

Oh, one other thing... we did, for the first time, have a high school student (name escapes me for the moment -- please forgive) which is a very nice thing. I am convinced that if this instrument and music is to go on we need young people to be equally inspired to take it up. We did have a brief conversation at dinner Friday with President Lou of the CMSA and that is one of his goals as well.

Once again, it was so nice seeing and playing with old friends, meeting some of the folks I had only been in contact with online and meeting a few folks I had never met before.

[joebrent]

Everybody sounded wonderful, and very happy to see the workshop growing so quickly!

[Jim Garber]

Wow, Joe ... a mandolin power trio. It was great seeing you and meeting and talking with Annika. And I was glad that she had a few copies of her CDs with her ... saved me a mail order to Germany.

[Ira Chavis]

Linda, Jim...it was greating seeing you both
and playing together. As you have already
stated it was quite an experience. Cant wait till
next year. I need to correct a fact, 3 years ago
Steve Bernstein's student Jonathan who was in high school at the time attended the 1 day workshop special (techniques class and afternoon mandolin orchestra) so perhaps this was the 2nd high school student to attend

I'm sorry i missed the concert wiht Andy but was happy to hear Carlo and Rene play on the barge in brooklyn (Barge music was about 1 mile from where i was born at Long Island College Hospital).

I got a note from Carlo this morning and he said it would be okay to post/all of the recording to the public so i will do that at some point.

Ciao for now,
Ira

[vkioulaphides]

"There were three conductors of mandolin orchestras attending this year...Jo Pellegrini of the Aurora MO in SF, Johanna Hebing of the Montreal MO and me, of the Milwakee MO - all women!"

What can I say, Linda? Girls Rule! Grown-up women, of course, lend their skills and talents to nurturing the mandolin, no? I think I've got that right...

I second all the above, and especially Linda's own contribution to the success of the workshop. I, for one, would gladly see Linda give a "designated" session, something akin to those classes we all took while in conservatory, perhaps something titled Ensemble Skills, where the kind and gentle Maestra drills/grills us all # #on such niceties as clean entrances and cut-offs, tempo-control, dynamic control, rhythmic patterns, pick-strokes, and the like. The "syllabus", as borrowed from symphonic training, is readily available; what we need is an experienced musician of Linda's caliber to "transpose" it to the specific needs of a plucked orchestra. Worth the price of admission, all by itself!

Cheers,

Victor

[Linda Binder]

Thanks for the complimentary remarks about my contribution! It was really a treat for me. I was so excited to hear the playing level the first time we got together on Friday and even more excited to hear how improved the ensemble playing was by Sunday night. I've already been asked to contribute next year...and I couldn't be happier about that.

[pickingirl]

Our high-school mando man is Sam Brown from I believe, Bedford, MA.
I met Sam last year at the Cape Cod Mandolin Festival., This Sept. when Carlo was a guest instructor there I think I had some doing in Sam taking one of Carlo's workshops as I raved and raved. And then what a thrill to walk in Friday and there was Sam. Also his brother Meyer joined us on Double Bass.
What a true little community we had this weekend. This was my second year and in my opinion we sounded huge this year. I've been listening to the sound files to and from work and staying in that zone. Now that its over what the heck am I going to play?
Hermina A.
Neoclassical

[Mandolin Fan]

What a great weekend. Carlo is such a great inspiration...as player and conductor. He knows what he wants when he conducts...and picks up his mandolin to demonstrate during rehearsal if necessary. As with a number of us there that have attended many of Carlo's NYC workshops over the last 8 years, our playing has improved...along with other dedicated fine musicians that also attended... it felt great to hear the playing level this year.

Another unique thrill is to perform compositions by Victor Vkioulaphides and have him present in the group. His Canzona was recently published by the venerable Joachim Trekel House...Which Carlo perform all over the world.
Linda..Jim...We've had years when we played our Pandinni's together...I think we all played mandola together in at least one piece this year...we grow together.
It was a pleasure to have Sam Brown there...a fine musician and a nice kid.
Thanks Ira for doing the recording!
Dave

[Eugene]

Ah, I miss it and you all. My very best.

[Jim Garber]

Linda..Jim...We've had years when we played our Pandinni's together...I think we all played mandola together in at least one piece this year...we grow together.

Dave:
Soprry we barely got any time to talk... ah well... Yes from last year when we had at least 4 Pandinis + Carlo's to this year when i was the lone Pandinist... hmmmm..

Eugene: what will it take to get you to come to New York? ... we all miss you.

[Doug Hoople]

I'm already looking forward to next year's workshop. Next year will be my 5th or 6th year attending? The only disturbing thing is that I think I've brought a different mandolin every year I've attended....not sure what that means...but its fun.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry to have missed what appears to have been a stellar iteration of this great workshop!

Linda,

Sorry I missed working with you in your new role. One question, though... Jim says he was the only "Pandinist" in the group. If you were senza Pandini, then what instrument did you play? Certainly not your 10-string bandolim?!? Oh, wait... I just realized that I read you were playing mandola for some pieces. Does that mean it WAS the bandolim?

[Eugene]

Eugene: what will it take to get you to come to New York? ... we all miss you.

An event to coincide with a less harried time on my day job...which seems rare since taking my newer position. Pity me, mandobrethren and mandosistren.

[Linda Binder]

Yes, I brought the Ribeiro 10 string! #I was playing some school concerts right before the workshop with Orquestra de Samba, and have a Brazilian duo performance coming up so I needed to keep the familiarity with that instrument. #Its really hard for me to switch back and forth. #The Pandini scale, body shape, nut width, and number of strings(!) is very different so I thought I'd stick with the bandolim, especially since I was asked to play mandola on one piece. #Versatile instrument! #Another incentive for bringing it was that I knew some people wanted to see it. #Next year I imagine I'll be back in the Italian bowlback camp....unless I have another instrument, which seems to be my disturbing pattern. #My MAS isn't getting any better.

[brunello97]

I'll admit I had to blast in and out of the city last month on a surreptitious archi-geek operation with no chance to connect with my mandolin pals. #Sincere post-operative apologies to Jim and Victor, for sure. #Which is why more PHOTOS of the workshop/concert would be delightful to see, if available, from anyone in attendance. #(Remember, I'm the only one here, I think, who actually requested to see more of Victor's vacation pictures from Greece--No slide show is too boring for me.)

Mick

[Jim Garber]

I forgive you, Mick, but now you owe me the beer or coffee or whatever we decided we would meet over. Maybe you need to come to the next workshop or CMSA in Montreal (tho I am not sure I will be there) in October.