Artist Works

Greetings MMO Friends,

I recently have been playing/practicing more on my Soprano Mandolin. I purchased a few sets of the D'Addario Flat Tops in Phosphorous Bronze EFT74's. I have been using the flat tops on my Mandola for sometime now. I was previously using ELIXIR brand mandolin strings on my Lebeda - soprano mandolin.

But, I was amazed at how much nicer the Flat Tops were to play on my soprano Mandolin. I will try to bring my Lebeda mandolin to the first rehearsal in January - if anyone is interested in hearing the tone. They tune up very nicely and have a nice bright tone (to my ear) and no squeaking as you are going up and down the neck.

Secondly, ArtistWorks is having their annual %50 OFF on their online lessons including Mandolin:  Mike Marshall teaches Blue Grass Mandolin and Katerina Lichtenberg (Mike Marshall spouse) teaches Classical Mandolin. For those of you who have attended CMSA in the past, I am sure you will recognize both of them as gifted artists!

 At 50% off, a 1 year subscription was about $141.00 - and I find their materials and instruction is excellent (I am currently signed up with Katerina).


Happy Holidays!

Daryl Clark
MMO - Mandocello (The old guy in the back!)

Dec 2nd Rehearsal Recording

Great rehearsal last night!

As I wanted to share some of our music with my mother, I recorded it, then trimmed it down, omitting the long chit chat.

Feel free to download and share with your families.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sqjkbtqef42et9h/MMO%20Rehearsal%202019-12-02.mp3?dl=0

Notes ahead of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

A few notes ahead of our performance at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.

Host: Our host is Charlene Wickenhauser.

Admission: The normal admission price for adults (older than 15) is $15.  For December 15, orchestra members will be admitted for free all day.  When you drive in, tell the gate official that you're part of the 5pm Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra performance.  Non orchestra members will have to pay admission.

Charlene cautioned that the entry gate to the parking lot, where admission fees are collected, can be congested, and to budget an extra 10-15 minutes for your arrival.

Charlene also asked me to encourage you to visit the winter lights display and cafeteria before or after our show, the latter also endorsed to me by Sherry, who is an arboretum member.

Venue and Greenroom: We'll be playing in the Oswald Visitor Center MacMillan Auditorium, behind the information desks in the great room.  You can enter the visitor center either through the main entrance, or the freight entrance following the drive to the right-hand side (as you face into the front entrance).  The freight entrance has a buzzer.

We have a green room upstairs above the auditorium.  There's a staircase in the great hall to the cafeteria and green room.  Turn right at the top of the stairs and go to the room labeled Azalea Classroom.  There is also an elevator to the left (facing into the building from the main entrance) of the information desks.  We can leave cases, jackets, etc in the green room and lock up during the performance.

Compensation: We're not paid for the show, but the arboretum will give each orchestra member 2 passes for entry on a future day.  We cannot use those passes for entry for the day of our show.

Times: We're set to play 5-6:30pm.  The preceding performance is scheduled to end at 3pm.

https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/entries/1339-Mandolin-Mondays-205-w-Special-Guest-Ekaterina-Skliar

This is an exquisite performance of Victor Kioulaphides' solo mandolin composition Diferencias.  This is probably Victor's most recorded composition. 

One reason it is so different from other recordings (and so beautiful) is the instrument (Gibson A-9) and her strings (some brand of flat wound strings I think.) 

Notice that she is using a Ranieri style pick or at least holding a large pick in that style. 

Enjoy -

Lou

For the guitar players

I enjoyed looking at this catalog for the October auction of the estate of Walter Becker - more than 600 guitars, more than 400 guitar amps.  158 mb pdf, 596 pages, this looks best on a large monitor.

Becker auction catalog

Getting to the Landmark Center

Parking in downtown Saint Paul can be a challenge, so I thought I'd post some assistance ahead of our Sunday performance in the Cortile Atrium of the Landmark Center.  The atrium is the main open space in the center of the ground floor of the Landmark Center.  If you don't see it upon entrance, just look beyond the cafeteria.

• The Landmark Center has a parking and public transit guide.
• My favorite parking ramp is the Robert Street Municipal Ramp, an 8-minute walk from the Landmark Center.  You can reserve it for $5 with ParkingPanda.
• Street parking is limited, but free on Sundays, except when there is an event at the Xcel Center or CHS Field.  There is at least no Wild game Sunday, but the city does not post all exceptions on the meters and my recollection is that the meters will take your money any day of the week.
• The Landmark Center is a 5-minute walk from the Green Line Central Station.
• Several bus lines drop off/pick up at 5th and Market Streets at the Southeast corner of the Landmark Center.

If anyone would like to carpool with me, let me know.  I'd like to arrive at noon.  Lon has asked that we're ready by 12:30 for sound check.

Hear from you Sunday,

Jonathan

New Possible Spring 2020 Dates: Ramsey County and Lyngblomsten

I've posted some more possible dates at Ramsey County Care Center and Lyngblomsten for Spring 2020 shows at https://rsvp.mmo.mando.land/ .  Could you please visit the site and indicate your availability, or email me (Jonathan)?  I'm happy to help with password and other site assistance.

The Irish Ensemble is looking to play at Greenhouse Village March 11 as well as another opportunity or two around St Patrick's Day.  Let me or Allison know if you'd like to join in and we can get music and practice times to you.

Jonathan

Directions to and Arriving Episcopal Homes

Sunday we have a 2pm performance at Episcopal Homes at 490 East Lynnhurst Avenue in Saint Paul.  Our host, Kristin, will greet us at the door and has a couple of notes.

- When entering the parking lot from University, use the first door on your right to the Welcome Center.
- You can park anywhere, but please sign your car at the desk to the left entering the Welcome Center.
- There's not a lot of parking, and Kristin is expecting family visitors, so if you can carpool, please do.

I live nearby at XXXXXXXXX.  Feel free to use my house as a staging area, parking usually isn't tight on Sundays.  If you like, we can head over to the Blue Door after the show for a burger and beer or a beverage at my house if the Blue Door is crowded.

Jonathan

Mandolin orchestra rehearsal Tuesday, October 29

Reminder: No mandolin orchestra rehearsal Monday, October 28. We will rehearse on Tuesday, October 29 instead. Usual place, usual time.

Anyone have a bowlback?

Does anyone have a bowlback they'd be willing to lend me for a few weeks? I'm interested to try one after CMSA, but would rather not buy one just to try it. Or if you'd rather hang on to it but wouldn't mind sharing for a rehearsal, I would enjoy that too!
Thanks all!
Ben

Some interesting (and very good) mandolin picking: https://youtu.be/BWxs1cZEwTY

A new project: mini guitar to octave mandolin

A Luna brand travel guitar - 22.5 inch scale - which I bought some years ago for 20 bucks - its cracked back and brace were easily fixed with Elmer's glue.  Now planning to convert it to an octave mandolin, using amazingly cheap eBay tailpiece and tuners.  I'll post again when it's done.

7-8 Players for St Mary's December 10, 12:30pm?

An audience member from Parkshores asked if we had 7-8 members to play for 45-50 minutes at a church lunch, December 10th.  He has a Greek carol he'd like played but is leaving the rest of the set open, perhaps Christmas Carols.

Is anyone interested in playing in a sept/oct/ish-tet at Saint Mary's?

Kentucky Mandolin For Sale

At the risk of a game of telephone, a friend of the orchestra would like some help selling her Kentucky mandolin.

Allison:

Hello from Iceland, Jonathan! I’m about to start my wilderness horseback tour and can’t follow up on this, so I’m wondering if you’d post the information below about a friend’s mandolin for sale onto MMO’s blog. I won’t be back until August 12; the best response contact is the seller at her email address: Joan Cochran, joanlcochran@gmail.com

Joan:

I have a Kentucky FM-250 mandolin I bought from Homestead Pickin Parlour in 2014 but I've not caught the bug to learn to play it well - time to part ways.
Through your mandolin orchestra, could I list it for sale?
Mandolin/strap/canvas case were $450 five years ago.  I'd like to sell if for around $350. It's in perfect condition; not played much.

Rain Contingency for Today

It looks possible that this afternoon will be stormy.  The Loring Park Art Fair directors have asked that we defer any decisions to cancel until noon today.

At noon I will email the group with the prognosis and whether the orchestra is on the hook to perform.  In the event that our performance is cancelled, I will also call all members who have RSVPd affirmative, using the phone numbers on the roster.

Thanks for your patience,

Jonathan

Rehearsal attendance

Next week, July 22, is the last rehearsal before our Loring Park concert. After that, August 5 will be the last rehearsal before our Edina, Harriet, and Como Concerts. In recent weeks, various factors have conspired against rehearsal attendance. On July 15, we were under 50%. If we're going to be ready for our summer concerts, we need to have our players in attendance at rehearsals.  Please make attendance a priority on July 22 and August 5.

If your status for any upcoming concerts has changed, please update that information at https://rsvp.mmo.mando.land

Performance Dates

I am booking the Orchestra to play Sunday November 17 at the Landmark Center at 1pm.

I'm also looking to book a performance at Parkshore Place this Fall one of

• Tuesday, October 22, 6:30pm
• Tuesday, November 19, 6:30pm
• Tuesday, December 3, 6:30pm

Would orchestra members either log into https://rsvp.mmo.mando.land or email me with availability, please?

thanks,

Jonathan

Mandolin Band Referral for September 14th Party

Someone called MMO/me this week asking if we could recommend a band with strong mandolin and vocal components for a party.

"The date we are looking at for the party is September 14th.  Ideally, we would pay around $1500 for the right group. Female and male vocalists would be a major bonus, as well as a willingness to allow and include guests to sing for a song or two. 

We are hosting the party in our home in the Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis."

I thought I'd forward along the interest and see if any orchestra members had recommendations or inclination to play.

Jonathan

Portable 360º Swivel Stool for musicians

Hi all,
Some of you have asked where I got my handy swivel stool, which sets up easily and comes with a travel bag. The manufacturer is sold out and the price on Amazon is over $50, but I found it for $37 on Walmart.com. So FYI, here it is:

GCI Outdoor 360º Stool

Hello all,

I forgot announce last practice that my dance company, the Ethnic Dance Theatre, is having their concerts next weekend (May 17-19).  I'm playing my ethnic string instrument, the tamburitza, in the orchestra for the first few suites, and I'm dancing in several other numbers!  We have a wonderful guest group of vocalists, a very talented orchestra, and our costumes are gorgeous with several authentic pieces.  Early ticket pricing ends today.

I would love to see some of you in the audience!

Three concerts (all same show):

• Friday,     May 17 at 7:30
• Saturday, May 18 at 7:30
• Sunday,   May 19 at 2:00

at the EM Pearson Theater at Concordia University on Hamline Ave.

Write-up from the Ethnic Dance Theatre's website:

Come with us as we travel the Balkan peninsula, which sits at the crossroads of the two continents–Europe and Asia, and thus, at the crux of two major religions, Christianity and Islam. We begin our journey with dances from a regional along the Kupa river in Croatia. MILA Vocal Ensemble completes the Croatian set with a bouquet of songs. We make our way south through Albania, then enjoy dances from Serbia and neighboring Romanian to round out the first half. After the intermission we continue heading south on the peninsula to Macedonia followed by a set of songs by MILA from the Sephardic Jews. Dances from Greece are followed by a musical set by the EDT Orchestra from Turkey. Dance traditions from Bosnia are followed by the closing sets of Bulgarian songs by MILA and a Bulgarian dances by the EDT dancers.

There will be a brief Question & Answer opportunity after each show along with teaching of simple folk dances on stage with the accompaniment of the EDT Orchestra.

Tickets:

Ethnic Dance Theatre is offering Early Bird pricing through May 10th. The discounted prices are Adults $25, Seniors/Students $20 and Children Under 12 at $10. This is a significant savings as the full prices are Adults $35, Seniors/Students $25 and Children Under 12 at $15.  Go here for tickets.

Congrats on making it all the way to the end - you deserve treats at practice on Monday.

~ Tiffany

April 29 rehearsal at St Anthony Park Lutheran Church

Hi everyone,
I have confirmed that we may rehearse at St Anthony Park Lutheran Church on Monday night, April 29, at our usual time, 7-8:30pm.

Parking is available in the lot on Luther Place. Please arrive a few minutes earlier than usual to help move chairs. I'll plan to arrive and unlock door at 6:40p.

MMO friends: Correction to my post about John Maxwell's concert at Creek House on May 4th: doors open at 6:30, and the music starts at 7:00pm. Steve

Tempo Definitions

MMO Friends: A reminder that my brother, John "Greyhound" Maxwell, will be appearing at Creek House in New Brighton on Saturday, May 4th at 7:30pm (sadly, Bella--above, right--is not accompanying John on this tour). The Washington State Blues Society named John as its Best Acoustic Blues Guitar Player in 2018, and he received a similar award when he still lived in California. John plays pre-war acoustic blues, ragtime, and originals on guitar, metal-bodied resonator guitar, and resonator mandolin. He will be performing St. Louis Women on resonator mandolin, and his slide playing on our favorite instrument is pretty amazing, if I do say so myself. Creek House puts on regular house concerts and is a first-rate listening room for acoustic music. To reserve a seat and get directions to Creek House, visit: www.creekhouseconcerts.com. To listen to John's "Bella's Romp," visit: https://youtu.be/XpQUk84cSYc To listen to St. Louis Women, visit: https://youtu.be/AFge96aYTvs I'll be joining John on blues harp and mandolin on several numbers. Hope to see you all at Creek House on May 4th! Steve

Episcopal Homes

I'm looking to book a gig at Episcopal Homes in Saint Paul where the activity director is a fan of the MMO.  They've asked if we could play a Sunday or Saturday afternoon show instead of a Monday evening show.  They believe that more residents will be able to attend an afternoon performance and that the lighting in their atrium, where we would play, is less than ideal after dark.

Would you either email your willingness to play one of the following dates, or RSVP at https://rsvp.mmo.mando.land/ ?

• Sunday, Oct 27, 2pm
• Sunday, Nov 3, 2pm
• Sunday, Nov 10, 2pm

Thanks for your patience, willingness to try, and feedback on the RSVP website.  

Thanks as well for suggestions on venues.

Jonathan

RSVP to Performances

I've created a site to record dates players are available to perform.  The site allows Lon and myself (Jonathan) to see which performances and potential performances players can attend so that Lon can tune the set list and I can book dates.  It also allows you to preemptively enter dates that you cannot play.

If you don't want to use the RSVP site, please feel free just to email me (Jonathan) which performances you plan to play, and which you cannot.

The Site

https://rsvp.mmo.mando.land/

Log In

Enter your user name (your name on the roster): 

Enter your password (I'll send you a password shortly):

If You Forget or Lose Your Password

You can email Jonathan to reset it.  It's easy for Jonathan to reset a password (but not recover).

Or you can reset it automatically from the log in page-- just enter your name as listed on the roster and click "I Forgot My Password".  The server will send you a new password to the email address we have for you on the roster.  Emailing the reset password can take 20-30 minutes sometimes.

RSVP for Events

The default screen you'll see should say "Browse Events", but if you see other screens, you can return by clicking "Events" in the bootstrap banner.

For each event there is a red/grey/green toggle switch beside a date time.  Click the left, middle, or right side of the switch to say that you cannot, might, or are able to perform at the event.  You can always change your RSVP.

The bar to the right side of the switch indicates what portion of responding players can attend.  More red is negative.  More green is affirmative.

If there are multiple dates for an event, that is because Jonathan is trying to narrow down possibilities to book a venue.

Lon and Jonathan will see a "Details" button that allows only them to see who has responded and summarizes the RSVP count for each section.

Tell Me You Cannot Play Dates

You can specify dates that you cannot play before before Jonathan even thinks about booking.   Click "User Settings" in the bootstrap banner.  Click "Blackout Dates".  Click the dates on the calendar that you cannot play.  The server will record the dates for Lon and Jonathan for booking hints and will RSVP negative appropriately.  You can change the RSVP for the event later, but there is no way currently of unsetting the black-out date, other than asking Jonathan to reset it.

The display of the "Cannot Attend These Dates" calendar fails intermittently and Jonathan will work to improve it.  You should be able to fix the display by reloading the page.

Change Your Password

You can change your password under "User Settings" by clicking "Personal" and clicking "Change" next to "Password".

Get Help

Please feel free to ask Jonathan for help on the site, or to suggest improvements.  For the curious or technically generous, you can see the plans for the site and server at https://github.com/jonathanlb/cat-wrangler

There's also description for the features under "About" in the bootstrap.

Johanna Shores Thanks

We received a thank you note for playing at Johanna Shores and I thought I'd share with the group.

MMO Friends -

Sorry for the late notice:

My dance group is hosting "Balkan Fest" at St. Paul's Landmark Center tomorrow (Sun. Feb. 17) from noon to 5:00. 

Although I will not be playing any instruments for this show, I'll be dancing in full, authentic costumes in several suites throughout the day.  There will also be food (Jack, we made homemade sarma!), activities, and audience participation - a great way to learn Eastern European dances!

Link to event: http://www.ethnicdancetheatre.com/event/2208/
Admission: $6

~ Tiffany

February 4 rehearsal recordings

I made mp3 files from my recording of our February 4 mandolin orchestra rehearsal.
You can find them at the following links:

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/arirang-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/bright-size-life-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/clarks-point-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/concerto-rustica-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/eleanor-rigby-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/fat-boy-rag-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/halleys-comet-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/kalamazoo-swag-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/waitin-julia-belle-190204.mp3

http://www.minnesotamandolinorchestra.org/young-america-190204.mp3

Mandolin Orchestra photo January 28 maybe

Elizabeth Gieseke will be at our mandolin orchestra rehearsal on January 28, and she'll have a camera with her. If enough MMO members are present, we'll take a photo or two of the group . We don't need to dress alike--just wear something that you wouldn't mind being photographed in. If there aren't enough people, we'll take a photo on another day.

News from Sherry Ladig

Hi everyone,
Sherry Ladig and I are meeting for coffee soon to talk about Irish music and her suggestions for our BYNRIE tune list. She asked that I share the following information about her upcoming events. Be sure to save the date of February 1st when her band Dunquin will play their annual Scottish Island Concert!

January 19th  , 6-8 pm Dunquin plays a food shelf fundraiser at Tillie's Café, corner of Cleveland/Marshall Aves. in Saint Paul. All tips go to the local Keystone Community shelves. Eat well, hear great music, do good for your community! We'll play our favorite Irish and Scottish tunes. No cover charge.

January 25th 6-9 pm Burns Night Scotch Tasting at the Historic LeDuc House; 1629 Vermillion Street (Highway 61) in Hastings. Hear Scottish music, poems by Robert Burns, and taste excellent scotch and food pairings. Reservations required; call 651-438-8480.

January 26th Dalwhinnie (that's Dunquin with a Scottish accent) plays for dancing and listening at the evening Burns Night celebration at the Lost Spur Country Club (see details elsewhere in this bulletin for tickets and reservation information). Lots of Scottish entertainment, dinner and a celebration of all things Burns! Sponsored by the Minnesota Scottish Fair and Highland Games folks. This is a ticketed event; for full details see www.mnscottishfair.org and make your reservation there.
    SAVE THE DATE!  Less than a month away:
February 1st, 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 p.m.) The 18th Annual Scottish Island Concert. Dunquin band and guest musicians play an unforgettable evening of spirited and soulful Scottish tunes and songs, and Joy and Jim Gullikson offer their fabulous Scottish tea at the interval (tea included in the admission price). Best entertainment value in town for fifteen bucks! If you love great Scottish tunes, don't miss this! At Olivet Congregational Church, 1850 Iglehart Avenue in Saint Paul (near Marshall and Fairview). No advance sales; tickets at the door. More information at www.sherryladig.com
             Hope to see you at one or more of these!
                   Sherry, Don and Rosa

Hey, All,

Just a reminder that "first" Monday is coming up, so I'll be wrangling MMO members to have pizza at Jakeeno's after practice January 7th, so plan ahead if you'd like to join.

Allison has reserved a venue March 17th for a St. Patrick's Day performance of some type and we'll be discussing who would like to play what.  For context, some of the orchestra played an Irish trad and Ladig set at Can Can Wonderland last year and are looking to follow up at St. Anthony Lutheran.

Also, Nine Mile Creek has asked that a subset of us play for them.  They cannot accommodate the entire orchestra, so I'd love to hear ideas on who would like to play... at a time to be decided.

Happy New Year!
Jonathan