Extra Photos from China 2008

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"

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

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!

- 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

photos by Jacques Pasqueille

Gates/Guitar

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

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"!

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

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

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.