Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Retrospective

I turned 68 this year and it freaks me out!

I have wanted to start an online diary for years, and have tried a few times, but have always been too busy to add yet another time consuming project to my massive workload. This is the time. I am aging, and fast, and before it is too late, I want to start logging some of my lifetime experiences for prosperity.

Even tho I have also added some stories to the forum under sojournstar.com, I will spew my thoughts onto this blog at will. My thoughts will most likely not be in any cronological order, besides age is stealing my memory files, but the things I write here will all be fact. I write a lot like I talk and think, so get ready for the roller coaster ride.


Kevin Dubrow


A while ago (years) Kevin Dubrow of Quiet Riot died in his home in Las Vegas. I heard this fly by me on The Soup one night, Joel the host stated something to the fact that "Kevin Dubrow died this week, and to honor his passing we give you this" and he proceeded to show a riot, with silence on the screen. This freaked me, and unfortunately my pc had crashed in the previous Nov, and I could not search it down.

I thought this was kind of a rude way to state this fact, but my other half Stephen said "at least they said something" which is true. When I finally got a new pc and searched it down, it was then it became a reality.

Why did it freak me so much? Because Kevin was once a friend, altho not a very good one. He had a band in the 80's called DuBrow, and he played the Starwood frequently in Los Angeles where I once worked. He played the stages there with bands like Snow, (Carlos and Tony Cavazo, and Stephen Quadros) who are still good friends, and London, the Nikki Sixx band (still known as Frank then) that morphed into Motley Crue.

Kevin wasnt always the friendliest of the bunch, he had an ego as big as David Lee Roth and a way too bad ass attitude, but under all that he was still a nice guy. I hated to hear about his death, and it made me think, he is way younger than me, and so are many other of my old friends who are gone or have serious health issues now. We all get old, but it seems like the Rockers go faster and harder than any others.

Up until a years ago, I was still vital, energetic, and very active. I used to run around the venues I managed or worked in like they were little boxes of nothing. The last big venue I was in management with, the Floodzone in Richmond Virginia (the size of the Starwood), had these huge widely spaced stairwells, and I would run up and down those steps maybe 50 times a night if not more. It never phased me. Now I am lucky if I can walk up my porch steps.

I learned a few years back that another old friend from Motley, has a similair back problem as I do, and when I saw footage of him on a special about the band, I was shocked to find how bent over and in agony he looked. He had the same look of agony on his face that I do now on a daily basis.

I guess the bottom line here is, you never know what, or how quick life is going to hand you a bowl of lemons, and you cant always make lemonaid from them, so its best to try and live your life to the fullest you can before the lemons devour you.

And in the words of Cameron Crowes mother "Don't Take Drugs"!





Find Out More About Me & Visit All My Websites @ AH! Design

Monday, February 16, 2015

An update is due!

I'm a little late saying YAY 2015!! lol, but I have been mentally distracted.

I am updating this blog, and also merging the Sojournstar Music Blog into this newer one. I Am Sojournstar will be used for more personal ramblings etc.

I have many projects on line, nothing new there, except I have spread my digital selling even further to include a couple of teachers websites, and some more shop platforms I am testing out.

We are also seriously going towards the Flea Market, Trunk Shows, and other forms of direct selling, as I still have lots of vintage items such as clothes and collectibles, and still have plenty of jewelry available, including 9.25 silver!

Have been experimenting with a few shop platforms online I can use as a Richmond based selling point, more on this later. The weather must be much warmer than it is now here, for me to proceed too fast too forward there yet







Find Out More About Me & Visit All My Websites @ Sojournstar.com

Monday, August 25, 2014

Power Blog Promotion Tactics

Brandon Gaille is the CEO of the internet marketing company ByReputation.com, which specializes in SEO, social media, reputation management, video production, and web design.

9 Most Power Blog Promotion Tactics is a comprehensive guide to help you get your blog noticed and to get you some traffic.
Hope you get some useful info!


Find Out More About Me & Visit All My Websites @ Sojournstar.com

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

A long time ago....

A long time ago I made my first blog here on Blogger, called Sojournstar,
and somewhere along the line, I lost the PW and account info,
and was never able to get in it, nor claim my name back!

It has irked me forever lol, but I finally settled on the second best,
I guess. So here is the start of yet another blog.

Truth be told, I just can't stop creating!!


Find Out More About Me & Visit All My Websites @ Sojournstar.com

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Make Fabric Bracelets with Scraps

Make Fabric Bracelets with Scraps

Dig up some fabric scraps and then head over to your local craft store to pick up some basic jewelry findings. You'll also need some needle nose pliers and Fray Check.Here's a quick and simple project to share with you today! Assuming you already have fabric/fusible interfacing/thread/etc it is also very inexpensive.


***************************************Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network!If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Vintage Spool Peg Rack

Vintage Spool Peg Rack


Using vintage spools of thread to make a peg rack? 
An inexpensive, creative idea for those old spools.



***************************************Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network!If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Printing company

Authored by Greg Fletcher

Living in the city, I have discovered many ways to make money. I have worked in a restaurant and a hospital as well as in real estate and computers. My most recent attempt to be successful has been in the printing business. I started my own printing company when I saw the need for paper products such as brochures and signs. When I first began in this business, I targeted schools and churches, then went to other small businesses. I realized that in order to be successful, I needed to get an affordable communications provider. I decided to get T1 Manhattan in my building and have been very pleased with it. I hope that this business will be more successful than previous businesses I have been involved with. The economy right now is not favorable to many businesses. However, it seems as if there is always a need for printing in any business, whether it is for flyers, bulletins, business cards, or signs. I have even looked into making banners for schools and sports teams. The opportunities in this business are endless.


*************************************** Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Benefits & Incentives

Starting April first, I will begin gifting the most active members of my fashion game network every month, with Diva Chix coins.
(Other coins from other games may follow in the future)

I will post some sort of chart in the next week, detailing the activity level and the gifts, but for now, I encourage all members and future members to start getting active, and earn some coins, mollah, and prizes.....

We can't have fun, if we aren't making friends. Come on, I know you guys can do it!

Also, I have tried to leave comments on several members pages, and been told I do not have permission
so ladies, and gents, unless you are purposely setting your profiles to not recieve greetings, or profile messages from other members, I would really appreciate everyone coming to the site, and setting up your profiles. You have so many wonderful options and tools to work with here, and I would love to see some beautiful profile art here.

As a matter of fact, I think I will also give prizes to the top 3 profiles on April 1st as well!!

So get those artistic juices moving, use the graphic editors to create stuff if you like, and get your thinking caps on and put some ideas out there onto the discussion forums!

Join the fashion network at
http://fashionvixens.com


*************************************** Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Friday, February 3, 2012

Small Business

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

I went to www.smallbusiness.xo.com at the advice of my accountant when I was first starting my business and I’m glad I did. I feel like I’ve got a lot more to do but at least I’m set up when it comes to having all the tech stuff for the business taken care of. What I really need to do is set up a website and get my business cards printed – there are definitely times when I feel like I don’t know how to market myself. I think it’s important to know all sides of the business but you know, at the end of the day I think it’s crucial to get your name out there so people know about you and know how to refer you if someone THEY know needs your services. I have a lot to learn when it comes to being a small business owner but you know, that’s the fun of it. I’m learning as I go because that’s the only way I know how to do it! I love being the boss.


*************************************** Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Almost time for a new computer!

You know the lifespan of a computer is about 5 years they say, between programs and software going obsolete, to crashes due to who knows what, not to mention viruses, apps that inject all kinds of nasties, etc out there, it is like a drive by shooting sometimes.

My pc has very fast connections, but lately has slowed down to a crawl. I have looked at the new models of pc's, everything from Sony brands to an
asus laptop and there are some pretty good bargains out there. Hopefully it will be a painless search lol!

One thing is for sure, I was lucky enough to get one of the last XP's when I got this one, I will NOT be buying any product with the name Vista on it.
If you all have any suggestions or advice, please do make a comment on this subject.

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Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Bakery Truck

Thanks for the post, Vernon Lowe

Waiting tables was getting really old, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life other than be in food. I’d always been really good at baking, so I started exploring the idea of starting a bakery truck, you know, like those food trucks that are all the rage right now? The concept was that my truck would be like a moving bake sale…who doesn’t love cookies and cupcakes? To get started, I knew I needed to buy a domain name and get a website up so my brother Ken volunteered to help me with all the computer stuff. I also had to get a payment system together and also find a truck. That would be a pretty crucial part of the business! I found the perfect, shiny truck at a nearby used car lot and a few thousand dollars later, it was mine. One hand painted sign and a few dozen pounds of baked goods and I was ready to roll! Business has been booming and I’d say that my bakery truck was a raving success!



*************************************** Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Tutoring made easy- means No Excuses Left!

Today more and more people are wanting to either finish school after several years, or need more help than what can be offered in schools. One of my family members was quite disillusioned when he decided to take classes in the middle of his life, and found the teachers and professors were too busy to give any student the extra attention they need.

This may be a reason so many people who would like to learn more, hesitate, feeling they may be "too old", amoung some of the reasons.
Maybe Algebra 2 or any form of math is a problem for you, I certainly know it was for both my aforementioned friend, and myself. There is help available for those who would like to further their studies, whether it be 4th grade math or Adding fractions you can get affordable tutoring online in your own home. This is the way of the world today, you can find all the help and answers you need at your fingertips, and at your convenience.

My biggest mental block in school happened to be math, and most other studies that were not music or art. If you ask me to tell you the volume of any particular shape or container, I will probably figure it out eventually, much the same as a 4th or 5th grade math student might, which is why it was so amazing to me that I could understand and construct Astrology Charts, because subjects like the Formula for volume or even trying to understand things like Graphing linear equations are beyond my comprehension at times. There were no affordable online Universities, or schools when I was growing up, I think the internet has made it so there is not any excuse left why people can not get the help they need to educate themselves.


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Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Roger Waters, Usher and More on Tour!!

Roger Waters has toured extensively as a solo act since 1999 and played The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety for his world tours of 2006–2008. In April 2010, Waters announced The Wall Live tour, which began in Toronto on September 15 2010, and will tentatively end in Europe in June 2011. If you would like to get Roger Waters Tickets there are still tickets available!

Another artist on tour now is Usher. On March 30, 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, which became his third consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. You can get Usher Concert tickets

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Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network! If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for MusicRVA Social Network! and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Looking in the Past....

Yea, I know, I let people and things bother me too much, so, on a lighter note.....

Stephen and I just spent an hour or so looking at google earth, and it is so cool to look back at the places you used to live. Talk about memories. When I lived in Los Angeles, my last public business was a designer resale and vintage boutique called A Capricorns which had been located at 6107 Melrose Ave. a couple blocks from Paramount Studios.

Every morning when I left for the store, I traveled down Beachwood Dr. to Franklin, then made a left down Gower St. One morning I saw a black Trans turn onto Gower from the other side of Franklin, and I took a double take. It was Micheal J. Fox! He liked to scurry down Gower to the Studio every morning while taping Family Ties, and at one point I found myself side by side with him. To get to the point, almost every morning after that, I would notice him, we were apparantly on the same schedule, and maybe he also noticed, cause we found ourselves looking for one another to race down Gower together. It always made my morning.

Ironically enough, because my store was so close to the studio, Meredith came in one day to look around, and became a good customer. After she had initially come in, then so did Tina and Justine. I have a photo of Meredith dressed in one of the garments that were chosen for her to wear in a TV movie she had done.

Anyway, I really miss that store, and I think if I had an opportunity and choice to do anything at all I wanted right now in life, I would probably say, give me a nice little location, and let me deal in resale and vintage clothes again. I loved it, and not because of all the high end clientel I was lucky enough to have, but just because it is a great fun business to be in, especially if you have the connections I once had there in Hollywood. The store was written up in a section of Los Angeles Magazine, I still have that of course, and one day I might try to scan that little piece and post it. The mag is quite old now, and I try and treat it with kid gloves lol!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

The future looks....

OK, I have made a decision to start blogging here as if it were an actual diary. Why?? Because I am overwhelmed with everyday work, as well as the added work I pile on myself with new sites, etc.. and when I sit down to write about any one particular thing that deals with the experiences I have had in my life with pepole and my own traveling, I simply go blank! I can not tell you how many times I have thought I would like to tell a story about this or that thing or person, only to sit here and go blank. Why this is, I have no clue, but from now on, I am just going to write random thought and stories, just like it was my personal journal or diary. Hopefully some or all of you will still find it interesting.

Today I am going to rant a little about my state of mind, and some of the reasons why I have been feeling down and depressed. Some of you already know that I am not well. I have 3 slipped discs in my back which make it virtually impossible to work a regular type of job anymore, and altho I would still jump at the chance to work again for a venue like the Floodzone, sadly there are really none here that actually need someone to work/run them the way I can. I wish like hell I had saved some of the money I had made throughout my carrer, because I would open a venue of my own in a heartbeat, but sadly, that will never happen.

Another reason for my depressed state of mind is people. Not all people, just some, like the people that I helped in some way or another, who claimed to be friends, and then turned on me, talking about me badly behind my back and generally making an ass out of themselves trying to take what little they had learned from me, and basically stealing ideas to call their own (You know who you are, don't you!)
I had built the MusicRVA site up for a year and it was doing great, but then I had the unfortunate mishap of running into someone from a long time ago, who was never really a friend but just an aquantance, but I treated her like a friend. I should have known better as all my real friends warned me, but she did have a bit of writing talent, so I bit the bullet until I simply could not deal with her lousy frienedship anymore. While that person was in my life, my site stats fell almost 50%, and I started hearing from club owners and other people I did not even know yet, that I was being bad mouthed by this "person".

Altho it was quite some time ago that this person has been removed from my life, the damage was done, and my attitude ever since has been less than exciting over continuing with having "writers" for that site. Don't get me wrong, there are many who have written for the site, and who are incredible writers and people, but only one was an incredibly huge mistake. It was definately my misfortune, after several years out of public view because of my health, that the first person I ran into and decided to trust upon trying to get out into a public world again was her, cause she is exactly the type of person you want to stay in your home and hide from, and it really sucks when there is someone like that in the world who makes you want to just cringe and hide. The only satisfaction there, is that because this person is who and what they are, they have lost most of the good friends they had that were worth having, so karmic justice does work if you wait long enough!!

As I said earlier, I keep piling more personal work on top of the work I Must do everyday. An example is the newest network for fashion and fashion games that I am in the process of building. I just can't help myself LOL!! I am addicted to creating sites on the internet, what can I say.
Well, as I said, I am "journaling" now, so I will continue later. Hopefully this way will work out better than the way I started this blog. If you guys have any questions or want to make any comments, feel free, I will try and answer them the best I can.
Peace!




MusicRVA.Com

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Michael Jackson Final Researsal Footage


Watch CBS Videos Online


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Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network!

If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for
MusicRVA Social Network!

and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must
Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The REAL Michael Jackson as known by his real friends

For those of you who loved Michael Jackson, and for those of you who did not, this was in the latest issue of the Earth Rainbow Network Thought I would share it, as in my humble oppinion, it shows those that thought ill of MJ that maybe they did not know the real MJ, only the hyped up circus freak the media made him out to be. This post from a true friend shows the real MJ!


Deepak Chopra: Michael Jackson -- June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson will be remembered, most likely, as a shattered icon, a pop genius who wound up a mutant of fame. That's not who I will remember, however. His mixture of mystery, isolation, indulgence, overwhelming global fame, and personal loneliness was intimately known to me. For twenty years I observed every aspect, and as easy as it was to love Michael -- and to want to protect him -- his sudden death yesterday seemed almost fated.

Two days previously he had called me in an upbeat, excited mood. The voice message said, "I've got some really good news to share with you." He was writing a song about the environment, and he wanted me to help informally with the lyrics, as we had done several times before. When I tried to return his call, however, the number was disconnected. (Terminally spooked by his treatment in the press, he changed his phone number often.) So I never got to talk to him, and the music demo he sent me lies on my bedside table as a poignant symbol of an unfinished life.

When we first met, around 1988, I was struck by the combination of charisma and woundedness that surrounded Michael. He would be swarmed by crowds at an airport, perform an exhausting show for three hours, and then sit backstage afterward, as we did one night in Bucharest, drinking bottled water, glancing over some Sufi poetry as I walked into the room, and wanting to meditate.

That person, whom I considered (at the risk of ridicule) very pure, still survived -- he was reading the poems of Rabindranath Tagore when we talked the last time, two weeks ago. Michael exemplified the paradox of many famous performers, being essentially shy, an introvert who would come to my house and spend most of the evening sitting by himself in a corner with his small children. I never saw less than a loving father when they were together (and wonder now, as anyone close to him would, what will happen to them in the aftermath).

Michael's reluctance to grow up was another part of the paradox. My children adored him, and in return he responded in a childlike way. He declared often, as former child stars do, that he was robbed of his childhood. Considering the monstrously exaggerated value our society places on celebrity, which was showered on Michael without stint, the public was callous to his very real personal pain. It became another tawdry piece of the tabloid Jacko, pictured as a weird changeling and as something far more sinister.

It's not my place to comment on the troubles Michael fell heir to from the past and then amplified by his misguided choices in life. He was surrounded by enablers, including a shameful plethora of M.D.s in Los Angeles and elsewhere who supplied him with prescription drugs. As many times as he would candidly confess that he had a problem, the conversation always ended with a deflection and denial. As I write this paragraph, the reports of drug abuse are spreading across the cable news channels. The instant I heard of his death this afternoon, I had a sinking feeling that prescription drugs would play a key part.

The closest we ever became, perhaps, was when Michael needed a book to sell primarily as a concert souvenir. It would contain pictures for his fans but there would also be a text consisting of short fables. I sat with him for hours while he dreamily wove Aesop-like tales about animals, mixed with words about music and his love of all things musical. This project became Dancing the Dream after I pulled the text together for him, acting strictly as a friend. It was this time together that convinced me of the modus vivendi Michael had devised for himself: to counter the tidal wave of stress that accompanies mega-stardom, he built a private retreat in a fantasy world where pink clouds veiled inner anguish and Peter Pan was a hero, not a pathology.

This compromise with reality gradually became unsustainable. He went to strange lengths to preserve it. Unbounded privilege became another toxic force in his undoing. What began as idiosyncrasy, shyness, and vulnerability was ravaged by obsessions over health, paranoia over security, and an isolation that grew more and more unhealthy. When Michael passed me the music for that last song, the one sitting by my bedside waiting for the right words, the procedure for getting the CD to me rivaled a CIA covert operation in its secrecy.

My memory of Michael Jackson will be as complex and confused as anyone's. His closest friends will close ranks and try to do everything in their power to insure that the good lives after him. Will we be successful in rescuing him after so many years of media distortion? No one can say. I only wanted to put some details on the record in his behalf. My son Gotham traveled with Michael as a roadie on his "Dangerous" tour when he was seventeen. Will it matter that Michael behaved with discipline and impeccable manners around my son? (It sends a shiver to recall something he told Gotham: "I don't want to go out like Marlon Brando. I want to go out like Elvis." Both icons were obsessions of this icon.)

His children's nanny and surrogate mother, Grace Rwaramba , is like another daughter to me. I introduced her to Michael when she was eighteen, a beautiful, heartwarming girl from Rwanda who is now grown up. She kept an eye on him for me and would call me whenever he was down or running too close to the edge. How heartbreaking for Grace that no one's protective instincts and genuine love could avert this tragic day. An hour ago she was sobbing on the telephone from London. As a result, I couldn't help but write this brief remembrance in sadness. But when the shock subsides and a thousand public voices recount Michael's brilliant, joyous, embattled, enigmatic, bizarre trajectory, I hope the word "joyous" is the one that will rise from the ashes and shine as he once did.

*** Bless passionate, beloved Michael Jackson. He will be with us again! We are One. Bless us all.


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Be sure to sign up for the new Sojournstar Music Network!

If your on the East Coast, be sure to sign up for
MusicRVA Social Network!

and if you want to make money while having fun and promoting your band, music or business, then you must
Join me at Weblo Virtual World for Fun & Profit!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

June National Guitar Workshop

Artist Corner:
David Wilcox

The ability to match words to music is a skill that requires just as much dedication as learning an Eddie Van Halen solo note for note. There are very few masters of this craft and this year we are lucky to feature one of them. David Wilcox first came to prominence in the late 80's when his first A&M record, How Did You Find Me Here? was released to critical acclaim. Combining a voice that is a cross between James Taylor and Nick Drake while his guitar skills rely on altered tunings and partial capos. This gives the music an organic feel while keep a level of sophisication throughout.

At our 2009 Songwriting Summit David will giving an afternoon masterclass on his approach to crafting songs. David's latest release, Open Hand, is an excerise in economy. The whole album was recorded over the course of one week during this past December. All the tracks were recorded live with a band that included Dan Phelps on guitar and keyboard, Jon Evans on bass and James McAlister on drums. A simple concept of creating some great music and recording it live as it happens.

As a guitarist, David blends incredibly complicated fingerpicking patterns with beautiful melodies. In my opinion, it is the goal of every great guitarist to make the difficult sound effortless and very few singer/songwriters do this as well as David Wilcox. His command of altered tunings is on par with Joni Mitchell, which gives his harmonies an incredible open feel.

Don't miss this chance to get up close with one of the greatest songwriters around. Register for our 2009 Songwriting Summit in Purchase, NY from August 9th through 14th.

http://www.davidwilcox.com


Benedetto Guitars CEO Howard Paul Coming to NGW!


Howard Paul, CEO/President of Benedetto Guitars will be visiting our McLean, VA and our Jazz Summit in Purchase. Howard will be bringing some of the latest Benedetto Guitars for our students to try out.

There will also be a presentation by Howard on the history of archtop guitars.

Jazz Guitars - The Perspective of a Manufacturer/Player

Archtop guitars have defined the voice of jazz since Lloyd Loar's 1922 Gibson L5. The metamorphosis from the 16" acoustic carved guitars without cutaways to chambered solid body electrics and laminated archtops impacted players, manufactures, retailers, and certainly music itself. Howard Paul, a gigging guitarist and President/CEO of Benedetto Guitars will discuss Bob Benedetto's philosophies, the application of architectural principals and difference materials, and the practical aspects of modern jazz guitar making. This is a unique prospective from the premier jazz guitar manufacturer today. Bob Benedetto's business partner since 2006, Howard has performed extensively with guitar greats including Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Joe Beck, Frank Vignola, Dan Faehnle, Jimmy Bruno, and many others. He performs regularly in his trio with bassist Ben Tucker. In addition to his music, he spent ten years as an Army logistics officer, and as a steel company executive.

http://www.benedettoguitars.com


Teacher Spotlight
Veteran Faculty Share in the Strength of NGW

In the 26 years of the NGW's existence, the strength of the program lies in the talent and expertise of the teachers. Matt Smith, Kim Perlak, and Dennis McCumber have been vital assets to the NGW program and are continuing to bring their knowledge and passion to the students.

Matt Smith is one very busy New York City based musician. On any given day, Matt can be found wandering the globe spreading the love, performing, producing, writing, teaching, recording, or giving up the secrets of playing guitar at one of his "Chop Shop" concert/clinics for Ovation and Hamer guitars. Matt is a self-taught singer-songwriter and guitarist who plays a bunch of crazy stringed instruments in just about any style, and has a simple, friendly way of sharing his knowledge with others. Matt has performed with, opened for, or recorded with many artists including, B.B. King, Sheryl Crow, Trey Anastasio, Buddy Guy, Greg Allman, and many others. Recently, Matt has performed at the NYC Blue Note as well as Carnegie Hall, Central Park, and Eisenhower Park with the NY Pops Orchestra. Matt continues to perform at numerous international guitar festivals. Matt has an extensive discography, including a recent release from his latest project, Meet the Monstas, and a plethora of books from the Workshop Arts/Alfred Publishing Company.

"This is my 20th year teaching at NGW. I've become lifelong friends with the staff and faculty, and have seen so many students grow into great musicians. I've structured my Chop Shop and Bluesblaster classes to be entertaining, inspiring and filled with enough real world information to keep you busy for years! NGW is the first and BEST in its field!!!"

http://www.mattsmtihsworld.com

Kim Perlak is a guitarist and American music scholar and has been on the NGW faculty since 1999. In December, she received her doctorate in Guitar Performance at the University of Texas at Austin. Kim completed a Master of Music degree at Yale School of Music and received her BM, Magna Cum Laude, at Stetson University. As a soloist and collaborator with classical, jazz, and folk musicians, she has been featured in university concert halls across the country, on NPR and CBS Sunday Morning, and at Austin's famous club, Ruta Maya. Kim is on the faculty of Concordia University-TX, Austin Community College, and Austin Guitar School. Her lecture-concerts on American musical culture have been funded by the Carolina Institute for Leadership and Engagement in Music. Her recording with guitar, flute, and cello - Yong, Kim, and Cathy at Yale - is available at cdbaby.com.

At NGW, Kim teaches Classical and Beginner Intensive Core, and is the Coordinator of the Intern Program. "The Classical Core is a lot of fun for me to teach because I was once a classical student at NGW. I'm always amazed at the amount of progress each student makes in one week through this kind of intensive curriculum and collaboration with the other students. Beginner Intensive Core is another favorite of mine - and a class I helped to develop in 2000. This class is truly amazing. Every year, brave individuals who are new to the guitar come for an intensive jump-start and get farther than they ever imagined in one week."

http://www.myspace.com/kimperlak

Dennis McCumber has been a guitar instructor and performer for more than 20 years. He holds a Bachelor's degree in music education from The College of Saint Rose. Dennis performs regularly in the New York City area with various rock, blues, and funk bands, and occasionally as a classical soloist. Dennis has shared the stage with such greats as Robben Ford, Eric Krasno, and Big Bill Morganfield, son of the late great Muddy Waters. Dennis has performed at the Chicago Blues festival, as well as the Hard Rock Café on Beal St. in Memphis, TN. His trio, The MG3's, is a featured act at Club Groove in New York City, where they are advertised as a "3 piece slamming funk band." He also performs with the soul jazz/funk band, The Ex-Caminos. In addition to performing, Dennis has been a middle school music teacher in the Bronx for the past 10 years. While teaching in the Bronx, he was given a guitar lab by VH1 Save the Music and a keyboard lab from the radio station Hot97 Hip Hop Symphony. Dennis has been an instructor at the National Guitar Workshop since 1996, where he teaches blues, funk, and rock. He resides in Westchester County, NY.

Dennis is very excited to be part of four different summits this summer. He will be teaching his course, "The Total Blues Guitarist, by with his book of the same title, at the Blues Summits in Chicago and Purchase, NY. Dennis is also involved in the very exciting Jam Summit in Purchase. "To be able to spend time with Jimmy Herring and Oteil Burbridge can only be filled with life changing inspiration." Dennis' personal favorite is the Funk Summit in Purchase. "This is a dream come true for me! I have always enjoyed teaching the Funk Improv classes at the workshop and now I get to dedicate an entire week to my favorite style of music." Dennis will get to share all the cool tricks and licks he has developed over the many years of playing funk music.

http://www.dennismccumber.com


Beatles Boot Camp with Lou Manzi


Focus on the timeless music of the Fab Four in the "Beatles Boot Camp" seminar. Over the week, students will learn a wide variety of Beatles tunes, from the early days through their last recordings. In addition to learning to play several songs each day, students will analyze each song's chord progressions, strums, and licks.

According to the seminar's teacher, Lou Manzi, "It's a real blast to hear all those parts together. Just think of the great opening riff to 'Day Tripper'. You're in the class and you start it off, then the bass part kicks in, then a couple of people come in with the accompanying chords. Then we all start singing and play through the entire song, while somebody plays the solo (we learn many of the solos from the recordings). Now that's a fun experience, and it's what we do with each song we cover."

Lou's love of the Beatles and enthusiasm for this class comes across clearly in his description: "I love to teach this class because I love the music so much, and I love to see and hear the students have a great time with the music and each other. There is very little theory or scale practice involved with this one. It's pretty much play, play, and play some more."

Beatles Boot Camp will run at our SUNY Purchase, NY location from July 19th to 24th.

You can find out all about these events at the National Guitar Workshop

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