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Greetings Subscriber!
It feels good to finally see a distant light at the end of this very long tunnel. Our next concert season is in the works, real life non-virtual salons are scheduled to start in September, and there’s even talk of a summer BBQ! It’s going to be a long summer looking forward to finally seeing everyone again, but it will all be worth it.
9th Annual WCGS Members Concert
It was my distinct pleasure to be able to set up all of my recording gear at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant and invite some of our members to come and record performances for our upcoming virtual members concert on May 8. Thanks to everyone who donated their time and effort to performing such wonderful music. I can’t wait to get it all together and premiere it for you in the coming month. Look for news on our Facebook page or in an upcoming newsletter detailing where you can see the fruits of our labors. I think it’s going to be a fantastic concert.
WCG Season 2021-22
Great news: Wilmington Classical Guitar will return in the fall! I’m currently in talks with artists to put together an entire season. I hope you’re as excited as I am! Already confirmed are Jordan Dodson, Phil Goldenberg, Xavier Jara, and the GFA Tour Featuring Johan Smith. In addition we’ll have the 10th Annual (!) WCGS Members Concert, and another soon-to-be-confirmed artist, so stay tuned!
To sweeten the deal, we’ll be holding a masterclass with each artist while they’re here, so all of you performers, practice up. Soon it will be your chance to perform for one of our artists in a masterclass, and a great chance for the rest of us to learn from your hard work.
Concerts are confirmed for Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, as in the past few seasons. The Church can’t wait for us to return, and we can’t wait to be back in such a wonderful-sounding hall.
Upcoming Salon: This Sunday May 23
Join us this Sunday the 23rd 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 this month, but new challenges will be posted as “announcements” in our Facebook Group, so be sure to click “See All” in the announcements section at the top of the “Discussions” feed when you log in.
Future and past challenge pieces will be available on our Facebook Group in the “Guides” section, so check back there for updates. You can even check off the pieces as you complete them!
Note that some Zoom settings have changed, and there have been recent updates that improve sound quality, so make sure your Zoom client is up-to-date! I’ve updated the instructions below to reflect these changes.
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 May 23, ONLINE. Mark your calendars!
2021 Salon Schedule
May 23 (online)
June 25 (online)
July 28 (online)
August 29 (online)
September 26 (in person!)
April Meeting Recap
Happy to see you all at our April meeting, and to hear many of you play. What a great turnout! Glad if you joined us.
Performers from March in performance order:
Viet Nguyen – La Llorona, Mexican Folk Song (April Challenge Piece)
Robert Guerrero – La Llorona, Mexican Folk Song (April Challenge Piece) and Op. 35 No.22 by Fernando Sor
Graham Williamson – Two Scottish Pieces: Daniel’s Tune (Rowallan Manuscript) and The Canaries (Straloch manuscript) arranged by Matthew McAlister
John Nguyễn – La Llorona, Mexican Folk Song (April Challenge Piece) and Maria by Francisco Tarrega
Carl Abramson – Double from the Corrente, Part A, from Partita 1, BWV 1002 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Jason Phillip Myerson – Minuet in C by Fernando Sor
Ralph Dominica – La Llorona, Mexican Folk Song (April Challenge Piece) and Leccion in G 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 2,451 followers on Facebook! Make sure you’re one of them, and help us break the 2,500 mark! https://www.facebook.com/wilmingtonguitar
Best wishes, and stay safe,
Matthew Lavanish
President & Artistic Director – The Wilmington Classical Guitar Society
