Some Thoughts by Donnie

My previous post on Erica Cha is quite humorous to me because only this afternoon I was watching CUNY TV here on cable in New York and caught two documentaries on BACH back to back. He is the greatest composer in musical history and a monument to the art of music! Then to report on Erica's prelude performance was a treat as a followup.

As those of you who know me, I only deal in the truth and will sometimes be attacked for that so I keep my blog only to my voice as I experienced such heartache and pain when I was on forums over the years. After turning a young 63 this past April, I have been deeply looking at what I can do with the rest of my life with the guitar. This blog will hopefully be my legacy of my Guitar Devotion.

I have taken off the Summer performing in the Music Under New York Program to "Smell the Roses". I have been taking time to work on "the basics"- "Wood shedding" and cleaning up my website. Also working on getting more healthy.

My congratulations go out to RUPERT BOYD the young Austrailian/American Guitar virtuoso who continues to bring beautifully performed concerts wherever he goes! Read his blog and check put his Videos on YOU TUBE.

Also worthy a big mention is the lovely and enormously talented GOHAR VARDANYAN! I was looking forward to attending her concert sponsored by the New York City Classical Guitar Society but just came out of the hospital and was too weak to travel. I apologized to her at the MANNES GUITAR SEMINAR.
This young woman is a F A N T A S T I C  ARTIST!!! Check out her performances on You Tube also!!! What a treat to watch and her hear her perform.

I will be reporting on the MANNES 2013 Seminar in bits and pieces as I have selected about 7 or so separate reports on this great event! MICHAEL NEWMAN, LAURA OLTMAN and MARIANO AGUIRRE - the three powerhouses of presentation must be hugged for all their efforts in staging this wonderful event. I must also include the supporting staff of students who did all the necessary day by day operations of keeping this Seminar moving along! LOVE THAT MICHAEL! HE IS SO FUNNY! I watched Michael grow up and I also attended his 1st concert at a church on 13th street in Manhatten. He was "THE OUTSTANDING" student of Cuban Born Virtuoso Guitarist/Teacher ALBERT VALDES BLAIN. We also attended the 1st American Masterclass of the Giant JOHN DUARTE in 1973 when he gave his class at the great GUITAR WORKSHOP in OYSTER BAY LONG ISLAND. I remember the director, a slight man full of energy- KENT SIDON - who had a great staff of exceptional teachers. Anyway- Michael played rings around everyone. There were lots of jealous folks up there who just thought this "WISE ASS PUNK KID" was too much to stomach but I knew exactly what Michael was all about. He has a great wit and loves to turn a cute and humorous phrase, which was too often taken as a "Smart Alick"
spout. I remember the jealous comments behind his back of those who wondered "Who in the hell is this snippy punk?" . I also remember how studious Michael was. He had his pencil and little pad to take absolutely everything Duarte told him about his playing and I thought this was an excellent eye opener for the rest of the students but they didn't catch on. Yes that was also the year we had the great JERRY WILLARD on the staff as teacher and concert artist!!!! HEY JERRY HOW ARE YOU DOING BUDDY?
Jerry Willard played his transcription of the RITUAL FIRE DANCE witch knocked my sox off".!!!! in the late 68-69 , I was a student at Mannes when the legendary Virtuoso Pianist ATUR RUBENSTEIN came to Mannes to shoot a documentary on his life! I attended a concert of his at Carnegie Hall in which he performed one of his great "SHOWPIECES" - The Ritual Fire Dance. He loved to add theatrics to that explosive performance by raising his hands to the ceiling and landing whack after whack of those massive chords, always landing solidly like a rock! I know there is a video on You Tube you can reference of his performance! Oyster Bay - The Guitar Workshop also had a couple of other moments in my life! One was the FANTASTIC CONCERT given by legendary Flamenco Virtuoso SABICAS . I remember how I was pissed that he didn't start right at 8pm. I later heard that there were some "Special VIPS" who requested they hold up the concert start time so they can be there. It was a usual SABICAS display of mastery. Yes this was the time when all the young guns of the super fast scale proponents led by PACO DE LUCIA were just getting started. I noticed how SABICAS would show the audience that he too could flash a mean scale at warp speed! It was just that spirit he conveyed as he said "SEE. I TOO CAN DAZZLE YOU BUT I DON"T NEED TO"! I was also indebted to Maestro Sabicas as he patted me on my back for performing a fine version of the B minor etude by Sor when he was visiting TONY DAVID at the American Institute of The Guitar on 54 th street. TONY and SABICAS were great friends and I actually was in the company of just us 3 one afternoon and I asked to see his hands because I always loved the big rich tone he produced on the guitar. YEP THAT  man had meaty fingers and super strong nails. I was on top of the world being congratulated by him and just being around him. I was heart broken when my dear colleague and friend DENNIS KOSTER told me at a social gathering that SABICAS passed away with no one around him. As I write these words, the tears are again flowing as this great gentleman graced my life with his beautiful character and dignified spirit.

ROSE AUGUSTINE was our greatest hero and I will always miss her! I loved that woman and the week in which she passed away, I spent several hours with her one afternoon that week.She was complaining about a cold that would not go away. Little did I know that whatever that was, it did her in at the end of the week. I was stunned to find out about her passing from the concert stage of Eliot Fisks's Tully Hall Concert~!! I have been friends with Rose since the late 60's and I loved bumping into her around the city. That hopefully will be a separate post on this blog of mine. She did so much for us!!!

I can also write a long and separate blog about that "GUITAR HERO" - ELIOT FISK. I have followed Eliot since the late 60's also and at this years Mannes Seminar told him about the many times I have heard him including his performance at The 1975 Toronto ( or was it 1978 ?). That was the year ALIRIO DIAZ performed. Eliot is either loved or hated because he is brash and bold on the concert stage. Sometimes he comes across as a "SLEDGE HAMMER" because he really can make the guitar say "UNCLE". He has already gone down in my mind as the equal of LISZT, PAGANINI,  BEETHOVEN. Without question, Eliot is "OVER THE TOP" but what an exciting persona to experience and it was such this year. I almost attend the GFA just before the Mannes to get another taste of Eliot but I decided not to go Guitar hog wild on myself. More on Eliot in an upcoming post! I love how he was dressed in a white suit and how he always calmly walks to the concert platform which belies the torrential volcano that will be erupting when he places that instrument on his lap. Was that a run on sentence? Eliot blows me away!

Let me take a time out right now. This blog rings me out as I have so much to say about our craft and the people in it. MAURICE SUMMERFIELD ROCKS!!!. I want to hug my buddy across the pond for that MAGNIFICENT MAGAZINE - "CLASSICAL GUITAR" as I am enjoying each and every issue. There is so much Classical Guitar activity around the world and this magazine continues to be a great source of up to the minute information and excellent articles on so many aspects. Yep- an upcoming blog on this great magazine also!! I am not sure but I believe the GFA was supposed to honor MAURICE this year and he deserves it! KUDOS TO MY DEAR FRIEND! I LOVE YOU and ADMIRE YOU!

This 63 year crazy guy is spent for now. Gotta get some sleep or maybe check out some performances on the web and sip some coffee. See you next post!!!

DONNIE GUITAR!