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Dear Subscriber,
I hope the winter is treating you well. As always, around this time of year, the air inside starts to get especially dry. Don’t let your guitar suffer. Keep it in its case, and keep it humidified!
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our December salon with special guest TY Zhang! I had a great time and really enjoyed the music shared by our members as well as the insights shared by our guest. Thanks for being there and helping to make it all happen.
Upcoming Salon: This Sunday January 31
Join us this Sunday the 31st at 6:00 pm on Zoom for our next Members Salon. We’ll all be playing and critiquing from the comfort of our own homes, as we have been for a good time now, so please plan on joining us for some fun and good music! We’ve been having great turnouts for our online Zoom salons and I’m looking forward to seeing you all again Sunday.
No challenge piece for this month, but we’re planning on getting back in the swing of things in February. Stay tuned!
Note that some Zoom settings have changed. I’ve updated the instructions below to reflect these changes. Make sure your Zoom client is up-to-date!
The following Zoom meeting link will remain the same every month, so feel free to add it to your calendar.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/149817292?pwd=Mmk3R0VKRWliNXp3ZFJJeXJtb255UT09
Meeting ID: 149 817 292
Password: 625369
Zoom Meeting Instructions
Our Zoom meetings have been going great thanks to some preparation we all take part in to help things run smoothly. Please follow the instructions below to ensure we all have the best experience possible.
1) Set up your laptop (preferably) or other webcam-enabled device (tablet or phone) in a quiet space in your home.
2) Plug in headphones or earbuds to ensure the sound quality is optimal (conferencing software will otherwise garble your audio as it’s trying to filter voice from background noise).
3) Download the Zoom videoconferencing app and install on your computer or device.
4) Once installed, create an account, and then test your mic and speaker connections in the Zoom app. On the computer app, click on the gear icon (Settings) in the upper right corner under your initials to access the Settings. In settings, click on Video in the menu on the left to preview your video feed. Make sure you have sufficient light on your front for the camera. Click on Audio to test and preview your mic and speakers/headphones.
5) If you plan to perform or listen with the best quality, in the Audio settings, under the Music and Professional Audio make sure the “Show in meeting option to “Turn On Original Sound”” box is checked. I also like to check the boxes for “Disable echo cancellation” and “High fidelity music mode.” Note: not all of these settings are available on other devices. Change what you can.
6) Join via the link https://us04web.zoom.us/j/149817292?pwd=Mmk3R0VKRWliNXp3ZFJJeXJtb255UT09.
7) Once joined, click the “Turn on Original Sound” button in the top left of the screen. Once enabled, the button will turn blue and say “Turn off original sound.” “Original sound” will use the unfiltered feed from your microphone, allowing for your most musical performance. If you’re not performing, this isn’t necessary.
8) Have fun! Any further instructions will be given in the meeting.
Please keep your Zoom client up-to-date! They are constantly improving their platform, but you can only reap the benefits by ensuring your software is updated.
Note you can always create your own meeting to try out the system and familiarize yourself with what it can do. If you have any questions, please let me know and I’ll try to answer them for you.
Oh, and I wouldn’t plan on playing any duos, unless you really want to give it a chance. The latency issues will yield very mixed results.
We will continue to hold our monthly meetings on Zoom until it is deemed safe to meet again in person. Hopefully, that won’t be too long from now, but I still anticipate it will be several months.
**If you are coming to the salon, please arrive between 5:45 and 6:00. Join up and get your settings straight, and have fun chatting with everyone else.
*NOTE: The following salon will take place on January 31, ONLINE. Mark your calendars!
2021 Salon Schedule
January 31 (online)
February 28 (online)
March 28 (online)
April 25 (online)
December Meeting Recap
We had another fantastic turnout for last month’s online meeting with special guest TY Zhang, and some great performances. TY shared a lot of great advice for preparing music and improving technique, including some ideas for interval training that were very interesting. Thanks everyone for showing up and participating. Hope to see you all again this Sunday.
Performers from December in performance order:
Simon Varley – A Ballade Circassienne by Alfred Cottin (maybe)
Matthew Lavanish – “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” words and music by Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent
Scott Kuykendall – Silent Night by Franz Gruber Arr. Steve Krenz
John Nguyễn – Milonga by Jorge Cardoso
Robert Guerrero – Ejercicio No.2 by Dionisio Aguado
Check out our Facebook group for some great insight into what’s happening online with classical guitar. There are all kinds of new things popping up, from festivals, masterclasses, competitions, concerts, and lectures.
To submit an event for our event calendar, please Email our event calendar coordinator at events@wilmingtonguitar.org.
We’re at 2,297 likes on Facebook! Make sure you’re one of them, and help us break the 2,500 mark! https://www.facebook.com/wilmingtonguitar
Bestn wishes, and stay safe,
Matthew Lavanish
President & Artistic Director – The Wilmington Classical Guitar Society
