CMSA 2022 MMO Update. Wow!

A lot of chat prior to last night's performance. There's a BUNCH of MMO people going to CMSA 2022 in Kalamazoo!

Here's what I know:

Mandolins: Cheryl G., Lou, Allison

Mandolas: Jonathan, Sarah

Mandocellos: Daryl C, Dotty, Erick

Bass/guitar: Jack L. Dave Ingham

Director: Lon Hendricks 

I may have missed someone. There are a lot of gyrations figuring out transportation, but people are open to driving together. There are some folk going via train and plane.

Let me know if you are considering attending and are trying to figure out transportation.

Dotty

Richfield Bandshell!

 So glad to see so many of us at the Richfield Bandshell last night!

Jim and I were there early and set up chairs and chatted with the young man handling sound. He was very amiable and helpful and clearly enjoyed his job. He talked about the lunchtime children's program they had earlier about science and how they had the kids and the entertainer all on stage.

As a performance venue, this is a new one not just to us, but to the city of Richfield as it opened over the last 3-4 years. Great acoustics onstage without monitor speakers. A nearby bathroom (wow!). Wise of them to hold up on landscaping given the drought of the past couple of years. In a few years, the arbor vitae behind the stage will grow and shelter performers' backs (and iPads), not to mention the audience's eyes from the setting sun.

It's clear there's Richfield community support given the number of people who came out in spite of the iffy weather forecast and stayed for the entire performance!

I just wanted to thank everyone in the orchestra (we had an excellent turnout) for sticking with the program despite the forecast.

Dotty

Mandocello

 CMSA is coming up! Kalamazoo, Sept. 21-25.

Most of the music is already available thanks to Lon who is key to all of that.

I do think attending workshops and conventions, particularly those that are classical in orientation (but none-the-less play a wide variety of music), are wonderful development opportunities. Several days to JUST play the instrument, attend workshops about the instrument, and perform together!

If you're intimidated by the notion...don't be. You ARE good enough no matter your skills. You will have concentrated time, be around knowledgable people and will improve. And there's no shame in playing air mandolin at times!

Go, if you can spare the time and afford it.

This year, if you register now, you'll already have access to your parts, so you can begin looking at them, maybe some performances exist on Youtube and you can listen (I haven't looked, usually at least one is there).

In August, I propose to host small mandolin family instrument group practice sessions Saturday mornings 10 AM at my home in Excelsior. By small, I mean no more than 5 people. (Guitars, I can't hope to help you, you may want to do your own thing). Though I play mandocello, I've played mandolin and octave in the orchestra.

We'll focus on the tricky bits...seeing if we can't identify optimal left hand fingerings for stratospheric sections and work on rhythms to the extent we can. That prep will make your experience at CMSA even more enjoyable.

Look me up in the roster on mnmando.org and shoot me an email if you're interested in doing this.

And I encourage others to do the same outreach/small group thing. In fact, I think the MMO will get better if various folks go "hmm, this is challenging...maybe an off-site sectional will help!"

Dotty