The E-Tap 2005 has been an successful event again, even when the number of participants has been smaller. An opportunity for the students to have much time to work and talk very closely with the teachers, to discuss and talk about individual interests and topics. The E-Tap-Seminar , which takes one week is integrated into the "académie international d`été de Wallonie - Libramont/Neufchateau" . This is very interesting, cause the atmosphere is unique and an interdisciplinary exchange beetween different musicians and styles is possible. Concerts and sessions every evening, audience and possibilities to perform gives an attractive environment.
So here some details of the whole put together like thumbnails
Classes: The number
of participants allowed to create two classes
1. Beginner/Intermediate: Mark Butler, David Bowmer, Claudio Delavalle,
Alexandre Tarabichi
2. Advanced: Adam Fulara, Olivier Verschueren, Mathias Sorof
Randy Strom from
California, a great player, very kind guy and a good friend now, showed in his
lessons some secrets of his way of playing jazz. Randy is one of the best walking-bass
specialists anyway and he has a rich musically in jazz-improvisation. For his
every-day lessons Randy has choosed the topics:
1. Walking-Bass-Technique and
2. Chord-Progressions.
So the showed things, that he practise several years every weekend live on stage
in California by playing individual arrangements of jazz-standards, sometimes
while accompaning himself as a singer.
Kuno Wagner from
Germany was well prepared for the seminar with special contents of minimal music.
In his topics he mixed generally musical contents with the tapping contents:
1. Clapping Music of Steve Reich
2. Polyrhythms on tapping solo and ensemble
3. Electric Counterpoint of Steve Reich
The participants practised rhythmically loops by handclaping and afterwards the joined together by playing same things by small tapping licks. The first day the rhythm is been easy than the level ascends day by day. So everybody got much new experiences and much new things to think about.
Daniel Schell with
topics:
1. Sightreading & Counting-Techniques
2. Repeating-Notes ( he introduced his new chapter "Repeating the Fingers"
of his book "My Space")
With "Repeating Notes" he choosed the main emphasis of his lesson
contents. A very important chapter of the tapping-technique anyway. He talked
about his approach to play repeatings 2, 3 or 4 times on a string or on a fret
- a very significant topic for tappers of all levels. We discussed a practised
his ideas very particularly.
Adam Fulara had choosed a general topic of music-theory for his master class. He initiated a discussion about musical energy in improvisation. He talked about the difference between scales and intervals, which are closed harmonic structure and that scales and intervals, which have a strong tension. He called one closed side BLACK and the tensioned side RED, and constructed an theoretical approach to change these colours while improvising. It is some kind of similar to Ramon Rickers theory of using (pentatonic)-scales from "Inside to Outside".
In my masterclass I talked about the possibilities of expression on tap-guitar , which are enormous . Tapping can be a very dynamical technique, if you put your right interest on plugging the strings dynamically. So there you can have nearly all possibilities of pianistic thinking, gathered with the quality of the guitar. The potential of different expressive possibilities should not be forgot.
First event has
been the teachers concert on Saturday-Evening. The tradition of the "Academie
d`été" ask for a teacher´s concert on one evening of
the week. So every evening there are two concerts of different styles, performed
by the teachers: for example: one evening flamenco dance and hungarian music.
So Saturday the second part has been the "Tap-Concert".
Kuno Wagner performed the composition "Electric Counterpoint" of Steve
Reich with a great sound while using liverecording-technology perfectly.
Adam Fulara, with a warm tone and Wolfgang Daiss, with instant drive played
some virtuoso jazz- standards.
I played two of my compositions, gently accompanied by the great Ramon "El
Cispa" on Cajon.
Randy Strom showed his amazing technique and enjoyed us with some tunes by playing
and improvising masterly and singing very gently .
Daniel Schnell performed in the first part of this evening-concert by playing
Indian music with this trio "Karo".
Randy Strom and Adam Fulara gave a concert on Tuesday evening at the Jazz Seminar Concerts in Libramont. The Jazz Seminar in Libramont is also a part of the "academie d`été". Probably it could be interesting for the future of E-Tap to organise lessons and demonstrations in Libramont too, trying to fill more people with enthusiasm for tap-guitar.
On Tuesday early in the evening it has been my pleasure to give a solo-concert in front of the seminar lodge, open air with best weather, for to show the tap-guitar to more members of the académie. Daniel joined with his mini-marshall-accu-amp and played the theme of "All of me" . - Really a hot sound !
A great musical event happened on Wednesday after the Students Concert - with Randy Strom (tap-guitar), Sandib Banerjee(tablas), Manilal Nag (sitar) and others , who made the crowd crazy with amazing virtuosity and dancing after a very short time. Great feeling of jam-session and great thing to listen too, not usual for every jam..
The tap-student´s contribution has been one little piece per group. The first group with Mark Butler, Dave Bowmer, Claudio Delavalle and a young female violinist Delphine Blaise played a composition of Kuno Wagner with a real good sound. Second group with Olivier Verschueren, Adam Fulara together with the same young female violinist performed a short funky exercise.
During all working on tapping there has been time enough for holiday feeling. We had the great luck of real nice summerweather the whole week , not usual for the summer in the Ardennes. So we went three time by car to Daniel´s hut in the wood, to take a bath in the great pond beside the hut and to drink one or two beers. Pure romantic !
I think, that next year more people will come to Neufchateau, cause there will be contents for 6-string-guitar-tappers and bass-players, who want to learn basics of tapping, that they can integrate into her playing. I think , the next E-Tap-2006 will have a broader canon of topics , which could be interesting not only for only-tappers. This opportunity to learn relaxed from mastertappers in an one-week-seminar is worlwide unique and really advisable. Here you can get knowledge from the mastertappers, and that's quiet interesting for tappers and "regular"guitarists/bassplayers - however.
Last but not least,
a very important thing is lodging and food. For a very cheap price you sleep
in a single room, not comfortable like a Hilton-Hotel , but acceptable. The
food is great, a big breakfast and 2 warm meals per day at lunch and dinner.
That´s great - and everything tastes very well. The price for lodging
and food this year has been 168 € , that´s really not expensive.
This seminar has been very interesting, but different then last year. We had the time to work and talk detailed and particularly about the contents, that I described under "Teachers" upstairs. Especially for me this week had the spice of a symposium. So I had much time to discuss with Adam , Daniel, Kuno, Randy and Wolfgang about many theoretical and practical topics. But I really missed my friend Andre Pelat, who has been cancelled as teacher in reason of the small number of participants. But this is only this year, next year will be more , I am sure. It´s a real good place with enough space to recognise new friends. Last year I won all the other participants as friends - and this year I won a wonderful new friend , the legendary Randy Strom from California, one of the early tappers. Great !
I will say "thank you" to Daniel for his engagement in organising this event, Claudia for her kind support beside and her help in little and bigger daily questions, Claudio Delavalle for professional foto-shooting and technical support, Olivier Verschueren for technical support.
Positive surprises which come completely unexpectedly are particularly beautiful. This recently was confirmed, as Ron Baggerman asked me a few days before the 2. Dutch Stick Seminar 2005 took place, whether I didn't want to go along with that as a teacher completely. For a masterclass, although I had already been engaged, but I hadn't calculated with that. - I may therefore formulate this review from another perspective than last year now.
As a welcoming event the teacher concert in "De kleine Kadde" already advances to the tradition on the Friday evening. Concerning traffic engineering this venue lies really favourably next to namely the practice of organizer Frank Leurs, this one provided with once its house as free accommodation again, together with more than a sufficient drink supply. In order fixed at first and not adhered then anyway were allowed to introduce all Stick teachers after each other in a 20-25 minutes set in front of a full house. Frank Leurs made the beginning with sound-collages, already then it was my turn with a piece of Ron, and two of my compositions, followed by the famous virtuoso André Pelat. After short break it went on with the unique groove of Jim Lampi, the high musical and technical level of Bob Culbertson, with extremely laid-bake presented tunes of Youenn Landreau with rhythmically awkward, with fusion oriented speedlicks and defy organisation-stress with unbroken energy of Ron Baggerman. Also in the interplay with Frank Leurs as super singer and entertainer, with Carel Vrieling (Drums) and .....(Percussion) Ron showed once his high musical potential again . The third set has had different performing combinations, Ron with Bob, Bob with André etc. until the highlight in the great final with all operating artists on the stage. - Terrific evening and nice start of the seminar.
On Saturday after
a breakfast the teachings starts. Like 2004 there have been built 4 main-groups
with 6-8 Participants: 2 beginner , 1 intermediate and 1 advanced. One seminar-unit
had 75 - 90 Minute. The Saturday was jointed in 4 units, Sunday
in 2 Units in morning and 6 masterclasses (with 20 minutes each) in the afternoon.
I had chosen the topic "walking bass" as a main emphasis as regards
content for my lesson. I can say nothing exactly to the contents of my colleagues
here, only so much, that it was about the arrangement of topic complexes, one
can work on for a long time again. Antonio Capadonna has very beautifully bought
position at it to this in Ron's forum.
So-called "Small
Groups" parallel to the main groups were assigned , taught by the teachers,
these weren't allocated to any main group at this time.
With only 2 -3 participants individual lessons were virtually offered here.
The contact between teacher and students was efficient in this lessons form
thick and individually particularly. This new supply in the context of the seminar
became welcomed and used very much by all participants. Although the lessons
times were fixed, but designed in the execution fluent, so that the length orientated
itself at the contents, and this was always a bit more than planned. Only the
end was fixated, Saturday and Sunday 17.00 hours respectively. On Saturday a
boat waited for us at 17.00 hours like last year, that took us after a short
tour to an excellent Italian dinner. Also there was sufficient opportunity for
good conversations again.
The seminar evenings are whole music. After dinner we were taken to the pubs, where concert should take place again. Last year these were 4 concert locations, this year 2 locations lying thick with each, so that the seminar participants weren't apart torn in their decision which concert they should visit. One improves solution than in the previous year in short Bob Culbertson, Jim Lampi and Youenn Landreau performed on this stage, during André Pelat, Ron Baggermann, Frank Leurs and I were divided up for the other one. Bob, Jim and Youenn were supported by Carel Vrieling to the Drums, the seminar participants Bruno Ricard, Yannick Le Petit and Olivier Vuille revealed the program to on this stage (I know the latter only by the hearsay). As seminar participants performed on our stage Rochus Nobel from Munich, with a harmonical color full and very beautiful played composition, and Olivier Vuille from Neuchatel/Schweiz , with a Beatles-transcription and a song under use of its playing technique reflected extremely. We teachers took turns after this at the design of the evening. We were sympathetically accompanied by the drummer Ben Rozema.
Sunday morning passed like Saturday. In the lunch break there was much for opportunity of the interchange with everyone. Became CDs and accessories and other merchandizing articles of Ron Angeboten.
The masterclasses were held in the big hall of the cultural center "fluxus" in front of all seminar participants, teachers and helpers in the afternoon. 20 minutes for each units in which every teacher could report contents important for him essentially once again. Ron showed possibilities of the use of Stick and midi, Youenn Landreau emphasized in a masterly manner his rhythmical priorities, after his comrade-in-arms and organizer Alain Launay had pointed to this year's Tap Allaire festival 2005 in Brittany, with the appeal to seem numerous, I introduced the correlation of my uncrossed tuning with the standard tuning, as well as meaning my dealing with the dynamic potential of the Stick, Jim Lampi showed himself as one with the instrument, with Stick and voice, André Pelat introduced by a composition the special features of his new 12-string-stick, which one has four frets additional, to transcribe and play classical compositions correctly, Bob Culbertson proved to be the "Segovia" on the Stick once again and made an amusing short excursion to the avant-garde.
At 17.00 hours the seminar finished. Who had desire and time, and these were most, still could be aware of a third concert event. Frank Leurs had organised a concert evening with "his" Bigband, the excellent "East Side Big Band";(great Bigband ; very intonation strong, full of drive and swing; breadth stylistic repertoire) Many combinations came to performance within a long set of approx. 90 minutes. bigband alone, bigband featuring singer Frank Leurs, bigband featuring Stickartists Ron Baggerman or Bob Culbertson, or both together, bigband featuring André Pelat, In between times solo performances of Youenn Landreau, Jim Lampi and myself. A beautiful degree in a concert-location.
Result: For me
it was a completely new experience and important another step.
I think that, in future, the interest in Stick and Tapping will further manifest
itself in Europe and not disappearing in the sinking again , as the end of the
80s /beginning of 90. The inspirations which start out from these meetings are
enormous for me. Teachers and students can take much from each other along and
advance the development together. I enjoy the time, at which unnecessary rivalry,
envy and arrogance are missing.
My many thanks in conclusion are for Ron, Frank and the whole helper team once again, with technicians, support musicians and helpers for the organisation.
I particularly thank Ron and Frank, to make it possible for me as the first German Stick player to teach in the Stick community at an international level .
You have done a great job , really !!!
Mathias Sorof 2005, April, 20
Homepage: www.tapguitar-stickmusic.de
For further information
go to Ron Baggerman´s homepage (Button "News")
Homepage: www.galaxygypsy.nl
Short time before the 2. Dutch Stick Seminar took place, Ron Baggerman asked me, if I would teach a little bit more than the planned Masterclass during the seminar. Surely I agreed, and so I will talk about my experiences of this weekend.
But at first time I would like to thank Ron and Frank for great job of organising this seminar-event. So much work before, during and surely afterwards, you and your crew have done perfect job.
First new experience was to be part of the main sticknight concert, where all the teachers performed one after the other, later in duet- and trio-combinations, supported by drums and percussion, at least with all artists on stage. I appreciate the friendly feeling between the teachers it is very inspiring. First time this evening I met and heard Youenn Landreau, who convinced me technically with a big rhythmical energy, stress-less timing and complex rhythms, as good as stylistically with his celtique tunes. I like that well.
Second new experience
was to be a teacher on that kind of seminar. I like the fluid, where teachers
can talk about the essences of their thinking - so I decided to teach walking-bass
basics on every level. The combination of playing technique, theory and practice
works well in this topic.
And it is a pleasure to have so interested students.
Third experience was the real good methodical idea of the organisers to build small groups, cause the efficiency for the student is great in this kind of lessons. The teacher have more possibilities to be concentrated on what the students are playing - more reflected like a single lesson with the essential touch of a seminar topic. It think, that will take place next year again.
Fourth experience was to perform a barnight-concert together. A strange feeling not to be the only stickplayer. So it has been a relaxed night with listening to the famous playing and virtuosity of Ron and André , the performing of the seminar-participants Rochus Knobel and Olivier Vuille (both done a good musically job!!!) and with my stage performing together with the excellent supportmusician on drums Ben Rozema (my compliments for this sensible professional guy), with the glorious entertainment and voice of Frank Leurs and a heavy jam at the end of the concert.
Fifth experience was to hold a masterclass, which has been more a performing and concert event. But for the first time it is alright. I agree to Bob thought, to use this platform more for discussions about different models. So I used this short moment to show a little bit of my musical idea of tapping and stick-playing, which have for me more musical than technical priority. Nevertheless I enjoyed this performing afternoon with each individual artists, the powerful enthusiasm of Ron, the definite timing of Youenn, the incarnated groove of Jim, the musical virtuosity of Bob and the virtuous musicality of André.
Sixth experience was to get more in touch with my colleagues and the students during the conversations all over the time. I think, this inspiring energy will last I long time.
Seventh experience was the final concert with "East Side Bigband" featuring Bob, Ron, André and Frank and Solo-Performing of Youenn, Jim and me. Great Sound, perfect intonation, heavy drive and swing - my compliments for the band. A really good highlight placed at the end of this great seminar.
These are some of my thoughts, that I will keep in my mind. Let us see, what the future will bring - and I hope to see everyone again next year.
Last but not least I will thank Ron and Frank for giving me the possibility to teach in that manner, a great honour and support.
Good luck and progress for everybody
Mathias Sorof 2005 , April 19
The Zaandam Stickseminar has been a very successful event. We contemporary have a time with unique opportunities to join such events over Europe. And , of course, these events are not expensive indeed. It's possible to sit together and talk with stickmasters. These seminars are more than lessons - they are like a focus in which you can learn many things about the musically concepts of stick players, you can watch essential ways of thinking, you can ask about the concepts and you can try to assimilate a little or everything.
In Zaandam there have been 4 Teachers, everyone an individual character in musically performance and teaching manners. Every seminar-meeting, every seminar-lessons has so much information, that you can make many one-hour-single-lessons out of that. It has been a great variety of stick and tapping-specific information, tips and concepts of thinking.
The organisation of Frank Leurs and Ron Baggermann worked perfectly, they have combined a varied program, which began with a motivately teacher-concert on Friday evening.
The seminar-planing by giving 4 lessons in 4 groups, so that everyone of the participants have had the opportunity to meet every teachers each day, has been proved one's worth. So everyone could get a maximum of knowledge for himself. I think, this didactic concept should be continued to give every participant a good quantity of stuff for exercises etc., from Beginners up to Advanced.
Another structure
of concert-planning filled the Saturday evening, on which the 4 teachers gave
individual concerts , everyone in another location. That opens another variety.
Only it have been probably hard to decide for the participants, which concert
the wanted to take part of .
And it has been possible for the participants to perform. There haven't been
so many guys , who used this opportunity. Antoine Ratel, Olivier and me used
the moment.
After the 4 Lessons on Sunday and the regular finish of the seminar in the afternoon, many stickplayers stayed for the evening in Zaandam to join the Sticksession in "The Blacksmith". But by the reason of less place in the pub there has been no possibility to join a bigger session. So the 4 teachers played some tunes , one after the other, to show their virtuosity and musicality, supported by the professional, variedly drummer Carel Vierling. From the participants Antoine Ratel, Francoise Becot and me played some tunes and Frank Leurs sang repeatedly with his great voice.
For the future I hope, (Frank promised it ..) that the Seminar will be continued next years. The stickcommunity shows once more, that there is a brotherhood between stickplayers without vain and competition, that will be exemplary. Beginners sit and talk together with Stickmasters without fear. And it's a great opportunity to get essentials of big much knowledge. Let's have attention and let's keep that way of friendly exchange.
All my thanks I spend to Frank and Ron for the organisation , and especially for Frank, who made it possible to lodge in the rooms of his practice for free, what makes the costs cheaper. That has not been natural !
See you next year.
Mathias Sorof 2004,
April , 26
The 3. German Stickseminar has been a very successful event in 2003 for the stickist scene in Germany. 3 days of meetings and seminar-hours and a lot of new informations has been a fruitable time. Especially for me, cause I am interested in checking the compatibility between my tuning and the chapman tuning.
It has been a great time with two well-known stickartists. Greg Howard from the United States showed his reflected way to play the stick. He taught special themes from his method, gave many fruitful tips for playing technique and how to hold the stick, and he performed himself as a great virtuoso on the chapman stick in a club-concert on Saturday-evening as good as in a in a teacher's concert on Sunday.
Ron Baggerman from the Netherlands showed with a great spice of enthusiasm, how funny it can be to play the stick. He gave the students plenty ot tips about bassgrooves, chords-progressions and improvisation-roots to practise on the stick. He convinced with his concert-performances on Saturday and Sunday, that he is one of the leading stickplayers in the world too.
Karsten Roeth has
organised the seminar very well. There had been two classes of students : beginners
and intermediate/advanced . Each day the teachers changed in these groups ,
so that everyone had the possibility to meet the teachers very closed.
The seminar happened in a private house of Ina and Karsten Roeth`s family. Many
thanks for this familiar opportunity.
You can find a
special review of the 3. German Stick Seminar on:
http://home.arcor.de/roeth/stick/e_seminar3bericht.htm
It´s one of the most respectable advantages of these kind of seminars , that it's possible to get friendly in touch with the stickmasters in familiar manner.
So it have me a great event for me , cause I could check up the compatibility of my stick tuning, which I am using since 1980, with the standard tuning, baritone-tuning and other. For me it's a great realisation that I can change knowledge easy with all stickplayers. On reason more to keep in touch.
A new event, the 4. German Stick Seminar in planned on the first weekend in November 2004. For details go to http://www.chapman-stick.de
Keep on sticking
Mathias Sorof
Klein Dahlum , 2004-06-24