RSVP Site Updates

I updated the RSVP sites today for MMO and BYNRIE.  For new members, I will be creating accounts and invitations for you today or tomorrow.

If you run into problems at either RSVP site, please email me.

The updates include:

• MMO and BYNRIE instances share password and email information.  If you have accounts on both, I copied the login information from old MMO site to the new version.
• You can log in with your name from the roster, or with your email from the roster.
• Your login credentials (user name and password) are sticky, so you don't need to sign in again if you've used the site within the past month.
• The Italian-flag heat bar indicating group response totals has the affirmative and negative response counts in text.
• Security updates from the open-source community

Thanks for helping Lon and I plan for performances,
Jonathan

Preliminary set list for March 30-April 21

Here is a preliminary set list for our concerts on March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 21:

Fanfare for Lon Hendricks
Cathedral Hill
Lullaby for Chris
Carousel
Waltz for Bill Monroe
Suite Marinaresca I & IV
And I Love Her
Please Please Me
Four on Six
Minneapolis March
May Polka
Benediction
Palladio

For the second year in a row, Stealin' Home is playing on Valentine's Day at Sneakers Pub & Eatery in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. Since our guitar player Don Brunnquell is off in New Zealand, my friend Jay Scoggin and I are being joined by Tate Ferguson for this gig. For those of you who have only heard Tate's mandolin playing in the MMO, this is a great opportunity to hear his equally excellent guitar playing. Tate will be handling about a third of lead vocal duties, too! Sneakers Pub & Eatery is located about one hour east of St. Paul at S119 S McKay Avenue, Spring Valley, Wisconsin 54767,(715) 778-4200. Apple or Google maps will get you there easily, but basically what you do is drive east on I94 to Spring Valley Exit 24, County Road B. Drive south 6.2 miles, then turn left on North Second Street. Drive east 2 miles to McKay Avenue. Turn right on McKay and Sneakers will be on your right. There will be Valentine's Day dinner and drink specials available and some pretty good music, to boot. We will start playing between 6:00 and 6:30, and will continue until 9:00 or so. We hope that some of you can make it!

2020 Elections... MMO Officer Elections!

We'll have MMO officer elections February 3.  I will leave paper ballots and some pens at the front desk of the Baha'i center to be collected after practice.  You may also email your selection to any officer prior to the February 3rd practice.  I'll tally the votes after pizza.

The current officer positions are held by:

• President: Tate
• Vice President: Dotty
• Secretary: Allison
• Treasurer: Jonathan

I nominate:

• President: Allison
• Vice President: Joy
• Secretary: Ben

Please email any current officer, or post to the blog, your nominations.

best wishes,

Jonathan

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