When: Daily, at 11 (I'm
pretty sure, check your local listings), Dance Hall at Camp One, the
end closest to the dining hall. Same place as last year.
1) possess a mandolin,
and can hold a pick, track a melody, repeat a line back, and are interested
in learning tunes like this, or... 2) own a guitar, can track a melody and keep a beat, and are interested
in learning to accompany tunes like this. These sessions are also appropriate for anyone
playing a friendly other instrument such as a fiddle, concertina, and so
on. Probably not great for trumpets or zampognas, though. Try Camp 2! Where's this music from?: Mostly from two guys, Riccardo Tunzi (1900-1990) and Tony Flores (1916-2004), but probably something else too. |
 Riccardo was from Ticino, the Italian canton of Switzerland, and lived in California, initially in the Salinas Valley, from 1919 until he passed. Though he kept an apartment in San Francisco's North Beach for many years and hung out with Sicilian musicians there, he really kept a Swiss feel to his playing. Much of his repertoire was remembered from his youth in Locarno, Ticino. |
 Tony Flores was from San Vito, Sicily. An opera buff his whole life, and a keen sight reader, his entire mandolin repertoire and style were quite different from Riccardo's. He came to California as a kid in 1923 and lived in Monterey, San Francisco and Santa Cruz for the rest of his life. For years I played guitar for these two men - with Riccardo for the last fifteen years of his life, and a few more with Tony Flores, who passed away in September 2004, just shy of his 90th birthday on 26 October. Here's a track of Tony and I playing Toselli's Serenade. |
| Their playing styles define two sharp contrasts in the realm of
Italian mandolin music. I'll teach selections from each of their
repertoires, and probably some things not from their repertoires. As usual, some sheet music will be available, but we'll
focus on learning by ear.
The Aurora Mandoline Orchestra, 1937. That's Tony with the red bow tie.
I have a considerable backlog of interesting and accessible mandolin repertoire from 'round the world which I love to play and share. If the group is interested, we can stray into other musical realms for really nice tunes that are appropriate for the mandolin. Neither Tony nor Riccardo played Italian music exclusively, and neither do I. And neither should you. Click here for more info about that.
When: Daily at 12 (again, check the schedule), in the little room behind the dance hall at Camp One, or at a more audially friendly place, to be determined. What: I'll teach one-on-one lessons for guitar, or mandolin. Or another instrument, if I play it and can be of help. Guitar has always been my main instrument, and I love how it fits into so many places. Want to brush up on
accompaniment styles of a more-or-less European persuasion? Italian, African, Swedish, Greek,
Mexican, Polish or Hawaiian music? Ragtime? Delta blues? Want to know how to play or accompany an old Beatles or Riley Puckett song? How
to play with a flatpick, or fingers, with or without picks? How to tune
the bloody thing? By arrangement I can shift to mandolin or banjo, for
that matter. For whom?: You.
Maybe you and a friend. Any level, it's a private lesson. I'm your guy.
Sign up and we can do it. I have one hour a day to commit to
this, so I'll spread it at most over three sessions of 20 minutes each,
or two
half-hours, or the whole hour on one lone soul, as the demand dictates.
This could be a continuation of the pervious hour of Italian tunes, or
not. There
will be a sign-up sheet appropriately located. Or just see me.
to some details about other repertoire | About the repertoire session with Robin Petrie to some details about other mandolin repertoire | to the actual Lark website |
