THE COFFEE CORNER

Just a Beautiful Video!

2012-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a beautiful video or picture speaks for itself.

2012 Activity Update

2012-01-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here is what I'm doing thus far in 2012. Perhaps I'll see you at one of these events. By the way, any recommendations for the best espresso in any of these towns and cities is most welcome. Portland, no need to respond; I know I'll be going to Stumptown while I'm there!

April 14

Philadelphia Guitar Society

http://www.phillyguitar.org/

May 8-9

Fresno, CA

Six-String Showcase Concert

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

7:30 p.m.

Fresno City College

contact kevin.cooper@fresnocitycollege.edu or 559-442-4600 x8461

June 8-9

Portland, OR

http://portlandclassicguitar.com/concert_schedule.html

July 23-27

Hartt School

http://www.harttschoolguitarfestival.com

August 6-9

Brno, Czech Republic

http://www.guitarcz.com/afestival.html

Apocalypse not now: 2012 doomsday predictions debunked by NASA

2012-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Apocalypse not now: 2012 doomsday predictions de

bunked by NASA

Knee Surgery

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I am, after all, one of those guys who thought things could just continue on as they are forever. Although I've had a few aches and pains in my knees over the years, it's never been anything that didn't go right away. This time it didn't go away.

After quite a lot of flying over the summer, in late August I got off a flight with a stiff right knee. This kind of thing would usually go away after walking a bit. But it didn't go away, and got progressively stiffer. Eventually painful. By the 2nd week of September, I couldn't walk without a lot of pain. An MRI showed I had a torn meniscus, as well as a damaged MCL. The only way to correct the cartilage tear was surgery. I hadn't had surgery since I had my tonsils removed when I was a kid! So the idea freaked me out a bit.

Pretty amazing in the end. Just 2 little "vampire" marks on my knee, and zero pain. Just a little stiffness. My knee actually feels better than it has in months. But since they corrected some unanticipated bone wear by causing what they call a "micro fracture", I have to keep the weight off it for at least 6 weeks, and walk with crutches. CRUTCHES HURT! I also can't drive. After 6 weeks, I can start physical therapy.

Anyway, I look forward to this episode being over.

Trying Out a new 2011 Daniel Friederich cedar top

2011-09-16T12:14:00.001-07:00

I stopped by GSI to try their new Daniel Friederich guitar. I will always think of Friederich as the world's greatest luthier (my opinion). I decided to play my arrangement of "Wild Mountain Thyme", as it's such a beautiful tune, and one that sounded decent without my thumbnail.

Copenhagen Phil Flash Mob!

2011-08-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

At Copenhagen Central Station. This is what music is all about!

The 2011 Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop is coming!

2011-08-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this video from last year's workshop. A great program, and a lot of fun.

SENTIENT MEAT

2011-07-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Captains Log: Stardate 9986.104 - Sentient Meat

"They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"Meat. They're made out of meat."
"Meat?"
"There's no doubt about it. We picked several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, probed them all the way through. They're completely meat."
"That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars."
"They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don't come from them. The signals come from machines."
"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."
"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."
"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."
"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they're made out of meat."
"Maybe they're like the Orfolei. You know, a carbon-based intelligence that goes through a meat stage."
"Nope. They're born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans, which didn't take too long. Do you have any idea the life span of meat?"
"Spare me. Okay, maybe they're only part meat. You know, like the Weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside."
"Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads like the Weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They're meat all the way through."
"No brain?"
"Oh, there is a brain all right. It's just that the brain is made out of meat!"
"So... what does the thinking?"
"You're not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat."
"Thinking meat! You're asking me to believe in thinking meat!"
"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?"
"Omigod. You're serious then. They're made out of meat."
"Finally, Yes. They are indeed made out meat. And they've been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years."
"So what does the meat have in mind?"
"First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information. The usual."
"We're supposed to talk to meat?"
"That's the idea. That's the message they're sending out by radio. 'Hello. Anyone out there? Anyone home?' That sort of thing."
"They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?"
"Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat."
"I thought you just told me they used radio."
"They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even sing by squirting air through their meat."
"Omigod. Singing meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?"
"Officially or unofficially?"
"Both."
"Officially, we are required to contact, welcome, and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in the quadrant, without prejudice, fear, or favor. Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing."
"I was hoping you would say that."
"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?"
"I agree one hundred percent. What's there to say?" `Hello, meat. How's it going?' But will this work? How many planets are we dealing with here?"
"Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers, but they can't live on them. And being meat, they only travel through C space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in fact."
"So we just pretend there's no one home in the universe."
"That's it."
"Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you have probed? You're sure they won't remember?"
"They'll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them."
"A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat's dream."
"And we can mark this sector unoccupied."
"Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?"
"Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again."
"They always come around."
"And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how utterly, cold this galaxy would be if one were all alone with no-one to talk to but meat."

Gettin' REAL in the Whole Foods Parkin' Lot!

2011-06-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Scott's Summer Calendar Update

2011-06-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

June 3

NYCGS

http://www.nyccgs.org/index.php

June 18

The New Mexico Classical Guitar Festival

http://newmexicoclassicalguitarfestival.org/schedule.aspx

June 25

Interlochen Classical Guitar Workshop

http://college.interlochen.org/node/836

July 5-10

New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes

http://69.94.104.115/gi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=28

August 28-September 4

Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival and Workshop

http://www.cocguitarfoundation.org/index.php

Jeff "The Dude" Bridges on the new iPad App

2011-05-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

The new iPad App from "On The Music Path" is really reaching out to a lot of people, and everyone seems to be getting a lot of help and enjoyment from it. Jeff Bridges was at the App launch session where we all performed a tune or two, and they were able to sit him him down and get his feedback.

Screenshot from On The Music Path

An Old LAGQ Video I just found

2011-04-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe someone just posted this on YouTube! I'd been wondering where my copy went. Anyway, it brings back all kinds of memories for me. It's a promo video we did back in the mid 90's. I hope you enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N-BtKjj40g

BENEFIT CONCERT APRIL 30

2011-04-05T01:19:00.000-07:00

Fact or Brew-Ha-Ha?

2011-03-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Well, this DID start out to be a blog to review, report on, and praise coffee I've come across on my travels. But I got an upsetting email this morning. Starbucks is currently meeting with Peets to discuss a buyout.

What does this mean? Espresso that tastes like it has melted shaved metal in it? Read for yourselves.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/03/starbucks_in_talks_to_buy_peet.php

Starbucks used to be symbolic of quality. What happened? They have proven to me that quantity really can compromise quality.

Ode To St. Patrick's Day and Cheap Flights!

2011-03-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

The video says it all.

Jeff Hoffee LOVES his job!

2011-02-09T22:32:00.000-08:00

I came across this video on YouTube after hearing about his guitar cases for some time now. He has several videos of him literally trying to destroy the case in every imaginable way. Go to his YouTube channel and watch the case being hurled out of the back of his van while driving, and the "egg test". Enjoy!

Unexpected!

2011-01-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

When I'm surfing around on YouTube, I usually avoid the most "featured" videos, as I've never been one to go along with the crowd. But this is pretty darned good. I don't know who these people are, I've never heard this song, but it got my attention when I saw it had gotten well over 2 million hits. Enjoy!

Workshop in Montana in summer 2011

2011-01-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival and Workshop took place last summer in Big Fork, Montana at the Flathead Lake Lodge. What a great setting for a musical gathering. It was a sheer blast! David Feffer, the organizer, has informed me that it's on again for late summer of 2011. Keep posted for details.

An Inspiring Thought

2011-01-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - M.K. Gandhi

Poem for a Sunday

2010-10-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

On The Ning Nang Nong

On the Ning Nang Nong
Where the Cows go Bong!
and the monkeys all say BOO!
There's a Nong Nang Ning
Where the trees go Ping!
And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.
On the Nong Ning Nang
All the mice go Clang
And you just can't catch 'em when they do!
So its Ning Nang Nong
Cows go Bong!
Nong Nang Ning
Trees go ping
Nong Ning Nang
The mice go Clang
What a noisy place to belong
is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

Spike Milligan

to James F. Smith: Rest in Peace

2010-09-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

James Smith, chairman of the classical guitar department at USC for over 35 years, and my old teacher, friend and confidant, passed away peacefully in his home in South Pasadena, CA on Friday September 24th at 7:36am.

Jim had been battling a brain tumor for the past two years. After his first surgery his prognosis was promising. He continued teaching, performing and being the family man. But after the tumor returned a few times, the doctors having put Jim on some of the strongest and most aggressive treatments available, they were finally unable to operate any further. During his last weeks at home, he continued to receive guests, hear music, play music, and maintain a positive attitude, inspiring all of us who saw him or spoke with him.

Jim radiated his enthusiasm about music and life like a bright floodlight. He made it one of his many missions to unite all the faculty of music by starting the "James Smith and Friends" concerts, which he presented at USC for the past couple of decades to a sold out hall. He also founded the "Wednesdays at Noon" concert series at USC's United University Church, and instituted outreach performance programs for all classical guitar students. He cared about community in music, and one rarely made a social visit to Jim's home without playing a piece of music for him or sightread through piles of music with him. Music was the driving force in his life.

Speaking for myself, I miss Jim deeply. We had our arguments, usually at his insistence (he LOVED debate!), but we also had many more moments of profound connection. I must admit that I found myself becoming hopelessly nostalgic in the guitar studio today, and couldn't concentrate at all. Looking around at Jim's music cabinets, his books, trinkets given to him by decades of students lovingly put atop shelves and any other available flat surface, it started to hit me that he wouldn't be back. Ever. The thought even now makes me pause...

Those of us who mourn are lamenting our own emptiness. Selfish? Maybe. They who pass on are in a better place, or at least I choose to believe so. This being the case, Jim is already occupying himself with organizing musical soirees, and sight-reading through duets for cherubim harp and guitar. And, Gabriel, if you're blowing your trumpet up there in heaven, Jim will find you bringing duets to read. And he will probably scold you for being out of tune.

So, Jim, as sad as I am at losing you here on earth, I console myself with my belief that I'll see you again one day. "As I am now, you once were; as you are now, I will be". The circle of life is endless and beautiful. I'll bring my guitar, old buddy.

Please visit:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jamesfsmith

(taken with the USC guitar department on August 27th, 2010. Jim is in the back row by the wall, 3rd from the right.)

Concerts Just Added!

2010-09-17T00:10:00.001-07:00

The most unfortunate situation with Stepan Rak having to cancel his upcoming Southern California appearances due to visa snags has lead to me filling in for him. There are two concerts coming up:

Friday, September 24th at 8pm, Cal State Fullerton's Meng Concert Hall.

link: http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/music/2010-2011/september2010.html#rak

Saturday, September 25th at 8pm for the American Guitar Society (AGS) at the LA VAlley College Recital Hall.

link: http://www.americanguitarsociety.org/series/10-11%20series%20frt%

Hersbruck Festival

2010-08-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

It was great to be back in Hersbruck, Germany, for the guitar festival there. It is different from the other, perhaps more popular, guitar festivals that are scattered through Germany in the summer, in that it's committed to diverse guitar styles other than just classical. It is organized by guitarist Johannes Tonio Kreusch, and local city official Petra Hoffman. Keep their website in mind for the future: http://www.gitarre-hersbruck.de/index.php/lang-en/home.

Here I am with organizer Petra Hoffman and mayor (bergermeister) Robert Ilg.

Cheltenham Guitar Festival, July 26, 2010

2010-07-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the shaky video and the small sound, but I played in this chapel last night, and loved it so much that I had Geoff from the festival film me with the iPhone 4 during my "soundcheck". Amazing room to play in. This is the Prelude from Weiss' Sonata No. 35. For those who insist on knowing such things, the guitar is by Philip Woodfield (although this video doesn't do it justice).

Noah takes a photo of himself every day for 6 years.

2010-06-13T03:15:00.000-07:00

I love this video. I don't know who Noah is.

Recent MPR spot for the LAGQ

2010-05-26T13:34:00.001-07:00

New Web Site

2010-05-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

My new website is official. Please visit:
www.scott-tennant.net

Coming up Soon!

2010-05-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

May 16: (with LAGQ) Southbank Centre, London,UK
May 17: (with LAGQ) Heilbronn, Germany
May 19: (with LAGQ) Beverungen, Germany
June 22-27: GFA Convention in Austin, TX (party, concerts, party, party, etc.)
July 12-16: Guitar week at the Hartt School, Hartford, CT
July 25-27: Cheltenham Guitar Festival, UK
August 4-7: (with LAGQ) Nurtingen Guitar Festival, Germany
August 10: (with LAGQ) Rheingau Musikfestival, Germany
August 15-17: (with LAGQ) Iserlohn Guitar Festival, Germany
August 18-21: Hersbruck Guitar festival, Germany
August 29-September 4: NGW Workshop, Montana USA (link: http://nationalmusicworkshop.squarespace.com/guitar-workshop-in-montana/)

2010-04-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

2010-02-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

I'll be performing at Boulevard Music Saturday, March 6th at 8pm. Hope you can make it! Here's the link: http://boulevardmusic.com/livemusic/140.html

Songs of His Fathers and Forefathers | San Francisco Classical Voice

2010-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Songs of His Fathers and Forefathers | San Francisco Classical Voice

Extra Photos from China 2008

2010-01-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Just cleaning out my photos and came across these. Lots of great experiences in Beijing, summer 2008.

In the Great Hall of the People for the final banquet.

In front of the Great Hall of the People.
Outside the national concert hall.
On the Great Wall, already getting dizzy.

"Salutation to the Dawn"

2009-12-22T02:17:00.000-08:00

by Kalidasa (Sanskrit poet, 4th century AD)

Look to this day!

For it is life, the very life of life,

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

- The bliss of growth,

The glory of action,

The splendor of beauty -

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow only a vision.

But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation of the dawn.

Early 2010 Performances

2009-12-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

January 9

8pm

South Bay Guitar Society, San Jose, CA

http://www.sbgs.org/

January 16

8pm

The Fret House

Covina, CA

http://www.frethouse.com/index.php

tel: (626)-339-7020

January 23

7:30pm

Pensacola Junior College

Pensacola, Florida

March 6

8pm

Boulevard Music

http://boulevardmusic.com/livemusic?year=2010&month=03

More to come. Check back for updates.

PERFORMANCE JUST ADDED!

2009-12-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

- Saturday, January 16, 8pm -

The Fret House

309 Citrus Ave.

Covina, CA 91723

- for ticket information, visit:

http://www.frethouse.com/information.php?pID=13

or call: (626)-339-7020

from the Festival International de Guitare de Paris, 2008

2009-12-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

photos by Jacques Pasqueille

Gates/Guitar

2009-11-26T01:19:00.000-08:00

We just performed our Don Quixote with actor/comedian Phil Proctor at New York's 92nd Street Y while on our recent tour. Our start time at the Y had to be moved back 30 minutes to 8:30 because a special, mysterious guest was suddenly booked to speak from 6:30-7:30. It was kept fairly secretive, until we got there and found out it was Bill Gates. Phil Proctor saw this sign outside the hall by a container of pencils and thought it was funny, so he took a photo.

Coffee Mona Lisa

2009-11-26T01:15:00.000-08:00

Artist assistants stand next to 3,604 cups of coffee which have been made into a giant Mona Lisa in Sydney, Australia .
The 3,604 cups of coffee were each filled with different amounts of milk to create the different shades!!

New Interview on the "Classical Guitar Blog"!

2009-10-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Guitarist Christopher Davis has created an informative new blog called simply the "Classical Guitar Blog". It would be worth bookmarking for all of you guitar fans.

Here is part 1 of a multi-episode interview he did with me over Skype. Amazing what you can do with technology these days.

the link:

http://www.classicalguitarblog.net/2009/10/scott-tennant-interview/

Chri$tma$ i$ in the air

2009-09-20T23:30:00.000-07:00

I heard my first Christmas song in a TV ad this evening, and it took me aback a little bit.

Now I love Christmas, and everything about Christmas. I love Christmas songs, Christmas cookies, Christmas parties, and I like wearing my Santa cap when I go to the Christmas parties. Heck, I like Christmas so much, I even wear the cap around the house. I love Christmas spirit, and I love all the Christmas movies. I'm always sad to see Christmas end. I am all for the 12 days of Christmas.

But I remember being at a supermarket checkout stand last year after Halloween, and hearing some Christmas music. I remember the effect it had on the checkout woman. She was going on to everyone how depressing it was to think of the Holidays that early, and then she went on to reveal that she really didn't like the Holidays at all. By the time it was my turn to check out, she had worked herself up into a state of some miserable angry depression. I felt bad for her. I just wanted to pay and get out of there.

So tonight when I heard this Christmas song, I felt a little spark of joy ignite in me, until I thought of the checkout lady. Now if I can only remember which store it was so I can avoid running into her this season!

Summer Festivals '09

2009-08-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

It was quite a busy summer. I went to Europe twice within the course of 2 months, amongst a few other more local events. This last journey was quite a thrill. I went to Brno in the Czech Republic again for their festival; the second time I've been invited to go. It's a beautiful place with wonderful people.

my concert in Brno ...with Vladislav Blaha (middle) and friends.

Then on to the UK and the West Dean Guitar Festival with the Quartet. West Dean college is near the town of Chichester, about an hour's train ride south of London. I was completely taken by the surroundings of this estate, with some of the most beautiful landscapes and gardens one could ever see. I had a difficult time staying indoors. The weather was cool and breezy, and the sheep (numbering, I hear, around 2,000) were the perfect captive audience for practicing. I would go here again any time, and most certainly will!

West Dean College

Gerald Garcia trying out a guitar - John Dearman and Gerald, 2 iPhone masters!

my audience at intermission...

panoramic shot taken from my practice bench

Alfonso Montes and Gerald. I think they know each other.

with John Mills, artistic director of the West Dean festival

At the Chichester train station headed to London Stansted airport.

Then it was off to Hersbruck, Germany, and then to Poznan, Poland to round off the trip. All in all, great people, wonderful friends, incredible locations...but it's good to be home as well.

Hersbruck: Eli Kassner and Leo Brouwer, two legends in the guitar kingdom. Maestro Brouwer is celebrating his 70th birthday this year.

In Hersbruck with luthier Toni Mueller.

San Francisco: What a cool place!

2009-07-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's July, and 80º at night here in LA's San Gabriel valley. I had to get out for a while, and seeing as I only had these past few days to do it, I had to think fast. I needed a road trip. Where to go?

San Francisco was a no-brainer! I had taught at the conservatory from 1989-1993, and came to know and love the city. It's a packed place, something like 7x7 miles square. Each neighbor

hood or district seems to have it's own micro

-climate. Personally, I love the windy cliffs and the fog that rolls in at sunset. It's always hard to leave SF, knowing that I'm coming back to the LA heat.

For a guitarist, SF has been a pilgrimage for the last couple of decades, being the home of Guitar Solo, probably the world's most comprehensive guitar shop. Of course I had to stop in, and a visit which I intended to be quick, lasted over 2 hours. I ran into my old friend Dean Kamei (owner), and Carlos Barbosa-Lima, who happened to be passing through town, stopping by the store to say "hi" to Dean, and get his email while he was at it. Such is the laid-back nature of the store.

I am lucky enough to have good friends in SF, who always offer to take their time to show me around, and just generally hang out. Mark Simons and Marc Teicholz took me on walking tours of their parts of the Bay area. Marc T. guided me through his boyhood neighborhood in Berkeley, showing me an area called "Gourmet Ghetto". There are more top-notch food and beverage vendors in this small area than many entire cities can boast of. I had to make the pilgrimage to the original Peet's Coffee on Vine Street in Berkeley, then walked around the corner past Chez Panisse (book up to a year in advance folks!) and to a gourmet sandwich place called "Gregoire's". This tiny kitchen is basically just that: a kitchen, with a cash register, a 2-person counter, and 2 tables outside. But they have absolutely incredible, yet simple, sandwich creations for down-to-earth prices. Primarily a take-out place. Mmmmm-MAN!

I am a registered espresso addict, but I prefer the terms "coffee geek" , "connoisseur", or "lover". Regardless of what people call me, I have to visit the local best whenever I can, and the Bay area has its local best for sure. Caffe Trieste in North Beach is at the top of my list as the best espresso I've had in SF. Blue Bottle Coffee also roasts some incredible batches of beans. Peet's is still a sentimental favorite of mine, though.

Walked through the Haight-Ashbury part of SF. This place could be Beverly Hills, the Melrose district, or Amsterdam. Depends on your tastes. Regardless, it's a time capsule tribute to the 60's, and a truly fun place to visit.

Finally, I visited Kenny Hill's workshop near Santa Cruz, and picked up a couple of guitars to bring back home to LA for a couple of his clients here. I like his guitars, and I like hanging out with Kenny. I have been playing one of his signature models for a couple of years now, and I have not found any guitar that is easier to play. As I get older, I find I just want to do things I want to do, and playing guitars that are "fun" is one of those things. His guitars make you want to play them.

Overall, an incredible trip that was way too short. How does that song go? "I left my heart in San Francisco..."?

Kenny Hill playing his own guitar.

Marc Teicholz showing me Chez Panisse.

the kitchen at Gregoire's (and 2 customer counter).

the original Peet's Coffee on Vine in Berkeley

the "Trieste" mobile!

. Haight-Ashbury resident

Scott Tennant Solo Events for 2009

2009-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

August 1

Trilogy Guitars - Playa del Rey, CA

http://www.trilogyguitars.com

August 12

Brno Guitar Festival - Czech Republic

http://guitarcz.com/

September 4

CSUDH Guitar Fest - Dominguez Hills, CA

http://www.myspace.com/csudhguitarfest

October 16

Metro State Universtity - Denver, CO

Box Office: (303) 556-2296

October 30

USC Guitar Celebration

Los Angeles, CA

Espresso Thyself

2009-06-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Since this blog began as a platform for me to review coffee from my travels, I figured I should post something about my new espresso machine. It's the Rocket Giotto, from Rocket Espresso of Milan. The name is appropriate; it looks like a small spacecraft!

Rocket Espresso began in the 1970's as ECM (Espresso Company Milano) when two business partners, Friedrich Berenbruch and Ennio Berti, ventured into the fabrication and production of commercial grade machines for home use. They created the Giotto, which remains a classic today. (For more info, go to rocket-espresso.it).

During a recent week in Wilmington, Delaware while the quartet was performing and recording a cd with the Delaware Symphony, I discovered that their music director, David Amado, with whom we've collaborated in years past, was a fellow coffee enthusiast. No, actually, enthusiast isn't the word; he's an espresso maestro. He roasts his own beans at home, and has as much or more knowledge about espresso brewing than any coffee specialists you can find online. Just one look at his machine of choice, the Expobar Brewtus, says it all.

He introduced me to the bottomless portafilter, an object of true wonder. A portafilter is that metal basket with a handle you see baristas filling up with ground coffee, extracting a shot, and then banging out the used grounds. This portafilter has no spout; the bottom has been hacked off to expose the bottom of the basket. Extracting espresso through this produces the thickest, richest shot of espresso, finishing with a trail of crema the likes of which fantasies are made of.

The machine was waiting for me when I got home from tour, so I've only had it a few days. I'll have to increase my skills at it, but I trust that the resulting golden brown cups of distilled coffee essence will only get better and better!

2009-06-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

According to the Law of Attraction...

we don't attract what we desire,

we attract what we are.

Santa Barbara, CA, March 25, 2009

2009-04-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

The performance, and even the rehearsals, were an absolute joy!

John Cleese joins the LAGQ on March 25th

2009-03-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

In an evening of something completely different, actor/comedian John Cleese will join the LAGQ as narrator in "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote - Words and Music from the Time of Cervantes". Taking place at the Santa Barbara Guitar Festival on March 25th at the Lobero Theatre, it is one event in a stellar guitaristic lineup from March 22-29.

Living in Santa Barbara, CA, and having attended performances there by the LAGQ, Cleese met the quartet and, after realizing they had been followers of his work for a long time, they developed a mutual fan-ship.

In this unique production, Cleese will bring to life a dozen characters from Cervantes' classic tale, enlivened by music from the period by the likes of Milan, Mudarra, Narvaez, de Encina, Ortiz, etc, which was researched in depth and with great care by Bill Kanengiser. He also adopted the script, condensing the series of 3 books into a performance of 65 minutes.

If you're in the area next week, come on by! Follow the link below for all information.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=60530197409&h=J6HLX&u=Ac4Ln

LIFE ON THE ROAD volume one

2009-03-20T01:46:00.001-07:00

above: John in San Antonio, TX.

above: Odair playing a unique Humphrey guitar, San Antonio hotel lobby

above: OK, do you actually think I'm drinking coffee outta this? Come on now...

above: Trapped in the Chicago airport...again.

above: Tour van loaded, and it's off...to somewhere else.

LIFE ON THE ROAD volume two

2009-03-20T01:36:00.001-07:00

above: Paul O'dette, Tania Chagnot, Ana Vidovic, Paris cafe

above: Isabelle, Guitarreria proprietor, and Paris' most hospitable hostess

above: After masterclass in Mons; Fa and Odair.

above: Celso Machado giving a percussion lesson

above: Holiday cheer at Les Galleries Lafayette

LIFE ON THE ROAD volume three

2009-03-20T00:55:00.001-07:00

above: Guitarist gathering place, Paris

above: The streets of San Francisco

above: Writer's cramp in Tokyo

above: Andy warping space briefly, allowing me a unique shot.
above: Bill backstage in Tokyo

Two Realizations

2009-02-12T15:42:00.000-08:00

Thoughts

become

things.

ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº

Act as though you are, and you will be.

Sergio Assad's "Interchange for 4 guitars and orchestra"

2009-02-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

Backstage with, left to right: Matt Dunne; J. Dearman; B. Kanengiser; Sergio Assad; M. Greif; Scott T.; Odair Assad

On February 6th and 7th, we (LAGQ) gave the world-premiere performances of Sergio Assad's latest work, "Interchange" for guitar quartet and orchestra, along with the San Antonio Symphony under the direction of Gregory Vajda. The orchestra was stellar and the performances went extremely well. We're very pleased about that, to say the least. It took a lot of work to get the piece together; and the piece, in fact, was years in the making itself, having first approached Sergio about it years earlier.

Tonight we play the first of 3 performances of the concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic, Christopher Seamens conducting. To see if the concerto is coming to your neck of the woods, visit our website: http://www.lagq.com.

Update on the Hand Situation

2009-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to say that my hand is improving. It has been almost 5 months since the nerve problem began, but finally, with some prescribed anti-inflammatory medication, a physical therapist and some chiropractic help, it is 90% better. The pain in the arm is gone, and some numbness remains in my fingers. At least I can play again!

One of the biggest tasks now is to regain my strength in my right arm. My triceps and forearm muscles have atrophied quite a bit. To give you an idea of how much, I can still easily press up a 20-30 lb. dumbell with my left triceps, but barely 8 lbs. with my right. This muscle will regenerate, however, so I'm not at all worried about that. But it does stay sore a lot. I won't bore you with details.

I haven't traveled or played concerts since this began, so this is the first touring I've done. I was nervous about it at first, but, as the symptoms started to shift, I gradually felt better about taking care of the problem while on the road. It's easy at home; I have all my little traction machine at home (thanks, Greg!), and have access to my therapist and chiropractor. But I've rigged up a travel traction device with a rope and towel, and hang it from a doorknob in the hotel room. This looks odd when I'm doing this, to say the least, and I triple check that the shades are drawn and the door latched before I begin. I can't imagine what a maid would think if she were to walk in and see me lying on the floor with my head in a sling.

I promise I'll do my best to keep this blog more up-to-date while I'm on the road. Lot's of great things to report!

A new page

2008-12-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

I have a new Facebook page. Check it out when you get a chance!

2008-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

Playing with Butterfly Knives
Segovia class, 1986, USC
Segovia class, 1986, USC
Segovia class, 1986, USC
1976: Pepe Romero masterclass, Houston (age 14)

Watch Your Back!

2008-12-15T18:41:00.000-08:00

About fourteen weeks ago or so, I decided I needed a massage. Although I made the decision to get regular massage treatments many years ago, this time I had a particularly painful "knot" under my right shoulder blade. This familiar knot has been a frequent nemesis of mine, and a well-known trigger point. A combination of playing my guitar and carrying a lot of stuff on and off planes, through airports, often early in the morning with little sleep and certainly no stretching or warming up, had left the door open for this little pest to pay a visit to my back countless times over the past decade or so. But this time, the massage didn't work.

In fact, the next day, or about two days after I had gotten home from an extended bout of traveling and more constant guitar playing than usual, not only was the knot still there, but a pain was radiating from it down my right arm. This was alarming to say the least. It was a distinctive pain, that of an irritated nerve. And, one day later, the index and middle fingers of my right hand were numb.

I had experienced very mild versions of these symptoms in the years past, but only a coupe of times, and I was able to literally "shake" it off. A couple of shakes and stretches and it was as good as new. This time it wasn't working, and the pain was increasing along with the tingling numbness. It was a combination of one's arm being asleep while someone was hitting it with a baseball bat. No exaggeration. I decided I needed the experts.

I got an xray and an MRI scan. The results showed a bulging disc at the base of my neck. That would be a herniated disc at c-7, for those who like doctor-speak. It is from here that the nerve emerges which serves the right arm, hand, and specifically the thumb, and the first three fingers. I decided on chiropractic treatment, which I am still receiving regularly, over three months later.

This is no advertisement of chiropractors or any other kind of practitioner. Rather, I feel I should tell everyone out there to watch their backs. Playing the guitar as we do leaves all of the muscles, tendons, bones, nerves and fascia vulnerable. They are especially open to injury right after an extended playing or practicing session. Over time, if we don't address these items, if we don't maintain the machine, our physique becomes compromised. Like an athlete, we need to tend to our overused muscles and sinews.

I am no doctor, and will give no advice here. But because of my experience with this matter, I beg you all to do some research on your own if you feel you have any pains or tinglings beyond the norm. I now stretch, keep the muscles warm, and always take regular breaks. I massage out any tension knots that I can reach myself, and if I cannot, I have them rubbed out professionally. I also now monitor myself when tempted to sling a heavy guitar case and computer bag onto my shoulders, and roll my bags whenever I can. Things you can look up on Google or even YouTube:
-Brachial Neuralgia
-Trigger Points
-Stretching!
-Nerve Flossing (sounds weird, but it works)
-Pinched Cervical Nerves
-Self Massage
-Finger Tingling/Numbness
-Arm Pain, etc, etc.

Since this has happened, I have had to cancel solo engagements for the first time in over 30 years of playing concerts. It has been impossible to get through an entire full length concert program on my own without having to stop and shake out the numbness. The pain has greatly subsided, thanks to the therapy, exercising and stretching. As for concerts with my quartet, those are easier, in that I am not solely responsible for 100% of the notes, and have a few seconds here and there to shake and reposition my arm. I am positive this will clear up, probably within a six-month period. Meanwhile, I'll just keep up the practice.

Please take care of yourselves, and watch your backs!

"Canción" by Carlos Rafael Rivera

2008-08-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

June 2008 Tour

2008-06-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

Our hosts in Beijing probably thought we were crazy, and perhaps sponsored by the Starbucks company, as we kept asking for Starbucks everywhere we went. We were elated to find a Starbucks at The Great Wall. Although, we really didn't need the caffeine to get our hearts pumping for the climb; that is one STEEP wall!

In another photo, Bill and Matt catch up on some practice at the Moscow airport. The lack of organization, space, and pretty much anything positive was ASTOUNDING at this airport. I've never been in such a chaotic, frenzied crush of confused & angry humanity than the security "line" at the Moscow airport. Although Moscow and it's people are amazing, I don't look forward to using this airport again.

The Law of Attraction

2008-06-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to jot down something I've been thinking about lately. This comes up all the time when I teach in one way or another, but, now that school is out for the summer, it gives me time to step back and reflect.

It has to do with "the law of attraction", "active visualization", call it what you will. A stream of books, films, cd's, have come out in recent years -"What the Bleep Do We Know", "The Secret", "The Law of Attraction", to name a few - all with basically the same message: laws of physics suggest that when we act, think and feel a certain way, we attract the very thing we are focused on.

When I was a boy, learning to play the guitar, my teachers would get mildly frustrated with me. I would come into the lesson imitating a different player practically every week. I would see their picture on an album cover and copy the way their hands looked (which was rarely attractive), or do my best to sound just like them. And I became really good at it. When I look back on it, "pretending" was my own way of active visualization; I would copy something, and then let my playing adjust to the physical traits I was taking on. Not always brilliant results, but the self-training was extremely valuable.

There are a couple of lessons here, I think. First, embrace a child's enthusiasm to pretend, especially when he/she is pretending with artistic projects. What child do you know who doesn't believe they are a great artist when they show you a crayon drawing?

Secondly, grownups should pretend more. We should give ourselves some regular time to let our imaginations out of the cage and go free.

I have had a saying floating around on my computer desktop for a couple of years now, and I'm finally beginning to realize how powerful and true it is, and rarely easy to do: "Act as Though I Am, and I Will Be".

Earth's worst cup of coffee?

2008-05-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

After seeing the RyanAir flight attendant use "espresso powder" to make an espresso, I knew I was in for a questionable cup. It was terrible. Took a picture to remember it

About ST

2008-05-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

To learn more about Scott Tennant, visit his website by clicking here.

Where is the LAGQ?

2008-05-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

To find out if the LAGQ is going to be near you soon, click here!

Coffee

2008-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

My coffee choice of the month, Intelligentsia! Try it and taste for yourself.