Martha Masters - Guitarist, International prize winner and teacher, takes the WYGF 20 second interview.

WYGF: How old were you when you started the guitar?

Martha: I was 6 years old.

WYGF: Who inspired you?

Martha: My dad has always been an amazing role model for me in many ways. Musically, I have many heros!

WYGF: What was the last concert you attended?

Martha: Jason Vieaux- brilliant!

WYGF: We’ve heard of him! What can’t you live without?

Martha: The smiling faces of my 3 kids!

WYGF: Lovely! Any burning ambitions?

Martha: mmm….I pretty much do what I love, so what more could I want?!

WYGF: If you had one piece of advice to a young guitarist what would it be?

Martha: Practice smart….quality counts for much more than quantity in the practice room!

Guitarist, International prize winner and teacher, Mark Ashford takes the WYGF 20 second interview.

WYGF: How old were you when you started the guitar?

Mark: 8yrs old.

WYGF: Who inspired you?

Mark: John Williams and and my primary school teacher who strummed a few chords along to Kumbaya my Lord!

WYGF: Praise be! What was the last concert you attended?

Mark: One of my own performing in the VIDA Guitar Quartet at the Dillington Guitar Festival.

WYGF: What can’t you live without?

Mark: My two girls, ipod, coffee, nail papers and the odd drop of Whiskey.

WYGF: Ditto! Any burning ambitions?

Mark: To walk the Appalachian Trail.

WYGF: Cool! If you had one piece of advice to a young guitarist what would it be?

Mark: Whatever you do, do it with passion and from the heart.

Guitarist, composer, teacher, and musical innovator, Gary Ryan takes the WYGF 20 second interview.

WYGF: How old were you when you started the guitar?

Gary: 8yrs old.

WYGF: Who inspired you?

Gary: John Williams and also the BBC Radiophonic workshop.

WYGF: What was the last concert you attended?

Gary: A concerto final. 3 Pianos, 1 violin, 1 cello, and one flute.

WYGF: Nice! What can’t you live without?

Gary: My family and a sense of humour.

WYGF: Any burning ambitions?

Gary: To make my daughters happy.

WYGF: Sweet! If you had one piece of advice to a young guitarist what would it be?

Gary: Listen!

Helen Sanderson talks about her work directing the World Youth Guitar Festival, what WYGF students will be getting up to whilst at the festival, the final WYGF student concert, 13.30 14 August at the Bacon Theatre, and the promise of some kind of WYGF event in 2010! More on that final thought soon!

WYGF Artistic Director Mark Eden reports on how preparations for WYGF’s guitar ensemble showcase concerts are going:

Just under a month ago I organised a rehearsal and concert in Winchester for my Junior Guildhall Guitar Ensemble, and private guitar students to get together for a day and play through the piece which we will be showcasing at WYGF.

GSMD Junior School’s Music Course offers the highest level of specialist teaching on Saturdays, and has famous Alumni such as performer and songwriter Dido, I’m a Celeb star Myleene Klass, composer Thomas Adès and trumpeter and Classical Brit award winner Alison Balsom. For more information on GSMD Junior School click on webpage image below.

Rehearsal for the WYGF showcase concert went smoothly which was really amazing as the Junior Guildhall students and my home students had not met previously, so I was impressed by their professionalism and preparations on their individual ensemble parts.

All the students also performed solo pieces and the concert offered parents, family and friends a chance to hear everyone as individuals. I was really overwhelmed by the high standard, as the programme included Sunburst by Andrew York, Study No.9 Op.6, in D Minor by Fernando Sor, Cycles in the Avenue by Vincent Lindsey-Clark (on the WYGF09 Channel YouTube Competition), La Flamenquita by David Cottam, Etude No.5 Op.60, in G by Matteo Carcassi, Danza del Altiplano by Leo Brouwer, Prelude No.1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the Gran Tremolo by Agustin Barrios Mangore.

The ensemble were also joined by some of my even-younger students who performed solos and ensemble pieces by WYGF guest tutor and ensemble leader Peter Nuttall.

Other fabulous guitar ensembles will also be showcasing themselves at WYGF – here’s a rundown of who, where and when. Please remember that friends and families are welcome to attend the WYGF showcase concerts:

WYGF Showcase Concert Series, Wednesday 12 August 2009, 14:00 pm – Bacon Theatre (free admission)

Dorchester Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Chris Stell

Holme Valley Music Centre Guitar Quartet (Kirklees Music School) – Musical Director: Ginette Eady

Guitar Project – Musical Director: Gordon Dunn

Haringey Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Nick Walker

Chichester Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Linda Kelsall-Barnett

WYGF Showcase Concert Series, Thursday 13 August, 14:00 pm – Bacon Theatre (free admission)

Junior Guildhall Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Mark Eden

Bad Nauheim Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Konstantin Zobel

Corinium Players Guitar Ensemble – Musical Director: Sandra Dukes

Final WYGF Student Concert, Friday 14 August, 13.30 pm – Bacon Theatre – NOT TO BE MISSED! (free admission)

All WYGF Guitar Ensembles

NYGE – Musical Director Chris Susans

WYGF 2009 Guest Artist Martha Masters took time out of her busy schedule at the GFA Convention in Ithaca NY to talk to Mark Eden.  Martha is a major figure in the North American guitar scene and is a performer and teacher with impressive credentials: GFA Competition winner in 2000; CD and DVD recordings with Naxos, GSP, and Mel Bay; teacher at the Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles; and also Vice President of the Guitar Foundation of America.

Those of you who are unlucky enough not to be on the WYGF course and picking up some encouraging gems of advice from her, can still get a chance to hear her at the WYGF International Concert Series on Wednesday 12 August at 19:30 in the Bacon Theatre. Fellow American guitarist Brad Richter will also be performing that night so book your tickets early. Box office details for the Bacon Theatre are as follows …

Tel: 01242 258002 (9am-5pm)

email: admin@bacontheatre.demon.co.uk

website: www.bacontheatre.co.uk

Buy online at TicketWeb

Helen Sanderson, our illustrious WYGF Director, nabbed me for a chat on the WYGF09 channel about some of the highlights for the World Youth Guitar Festival 2009 and about our new venue Dean Close School in Cheltenham, and the Bacon Theatre where all the big concerts will be held.

I was a little taken by surprise, as I was just back from performing at the GFA in the States with Chris,  but I managed to get a few important snippets of WYGF info out amongst all the questions being fired at me. We need more of you to subscribe to www.wygf.org so that you’re able get the latest direct to your inbox or on RSS to your reader.

So this post/blog is really the first in a series from some of our amazing WYGF09 Guest Artists and Tutors, and some of the backroom boys (and girls!) who make this incredible event work. Hope you enjoy them and lets us know what you think by leaving a comment! Looking forward to seeing (and hearing) you all at WYGF – Mark!

On September 6th, the Eden Stell Guitar Duo gave a workshop and joint concert with the Corinium Players, a group of young guitarists, aided and abetted by a few equally enthusiastic adults from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, UK.  This workshop also provided an opportunity to ‘fine-tune’ the ensemble’s programme and optimise their chances of achieving a winning place at the GOFI contest in Germany which they were competing in later that month (GOFI blog coming soon).

The day started early with Chris Stell putting the CPs through their paces.  The players responded brilliantly to his coaching and conducting suggestions, working on achieving a much greater dynamic range and contrast, and characterising the music as an ensemble.  Chris’ enthusiasm knows no bounds in his desire to get the music perfectly honed, and the CPs motivation to hit those musical goals was a testament to their dedication.

Mark Eden took over from Chris after the CPs well-earned lunch break.  Armed with a re-working of an arrangement of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ that he had been working on all morning with CP’s Musical Director, Sandra Dukes, the ensemble’s concentration was tested to its limits after the morning’s session, but they were quick to pick-up the new ideas and prepared well for the evening’s concert.

Final rehearsals and pointers generated some fun ideas for the possible encore performance of the ‘Return to sender’ Elvis number with US style pilot sunglasses.

The evening’s concert was an enormous success. The CP’s have a strong local fan base in Cirencester and the church was full as ticket sales had been going well all week.  The audience warmed to the fun and engaging programme presented in a relaxed and light-hearted way by Sandra Dukes.

Musical items included …
Minuets I&II – Handel (arr. Robinson), Chariots of Fire – Vangelis (arr. Hare), 7.53 on Time – Lindsey-Clark, Sugar Plum Fairy – Tchaikovsky (arr. Gray), ‘Viva Jujay’ – Trad (arr. Charlton), Palladio – Jenkins (arr. Gary Spolding), Bohemian Rhapsody – Mercury (arr. Dukes), Return to Sender – Blackwell (arr. Dukes)

Composer and performer Vincent Lindsey-Clark made a surprise visit to hear the CP’s performance of his ‘Seven Fifty-three on Time’.  This fun and catchy piece with nine parts is becoming a regular concert item for many guitar ensembles. Vincent was impressed and delighted with the CP’s performance.

The second half featured the Eden Stell Guitar Duo’s multimedia concert of music and images entitled ‘Music for an Island‘ from their latest CD BGS117.  It was a tough act following the Corinium Players, and the duo concluded an enjoyable and stimulating workshop and concert.

Find out what happened at GOFI here at WYGF.org soon!

Report by Mark Eden