2003 Montreal Stick Seminar
Edited by Jim Reilly
Also read Reflections of a Novice Stick Seminar
Attendee by Bob Pizzutiello
We came, we saw, we tapped our brains out and I'd like to think Montreal will
never be the same. While you could argue as to whether or not the 16 Stick
players who converged on Montreal, the most European of North American
cities, really had that much of an impact on the city, there's little doubt
that Montreal changed those 16 players who attended.
Each seminar is different. Each has it's own vibe, reflecting the
participants, the location, the people who stop by and ask what the heck that
thing hanging in front of us is, Montreal was no different. From the almost
unbearable heat at the beginning of the seminar, to the party-like atmosphere
throughout the city and through to one of the best seminar performances I've
been a part of, Montreal helped form and inform yet another amazing Chapman
Stick event.
For this seminar report I thought we could do something different. Rather
than just document one point of view, I put the invitation out to folks to
contribute their unique perspective on the experience. We've ended up with
contributions from the event organizer, some beginners, some who have been
to a few seminars and one person who hadn't even touched a Stick till
Montreal.
We had it all in Montreal: seasoned veterans, energetic young players and
two people who had never touched a Stick before. Rather than tell their
stories for them, they've told them for themselves.
These seminars are great and only getting better. If you've always wanted
to go to one, GO!
One of my favourite things to do is strap on a Chapman Stick, drop my head
down, tap and listen to the music drift around me. Put on your favourite
Stick disc, make a nice cup of tea and enjoy this taste of the Montreal 2003
Stick Seminar.
From: Mitch Polgar
mitchpolgar@sympatico.ca
For me, it all started back in August 2002. At that point, I'd been thinking
about organizing a Seminar in Montreal for months. When the Ann Arbor Seminar
wrapped-up, everyone attending was writing about the experience. So, after
reading all this post-seminar talk, I thought, "Why not just do it." I
called up Glenn Poorman and asked him if he could give me some pointers on
organizing a Seminar. Glenn was incredibly helpful and put me on the right
track. Thanks Glenn.
Ten months later, Greg Howard, Jim Reilly, Steve Adelson, Jim Meyer, Jason
Brock, Bruno Quesnel, Fred-Erick Sauve, Sebastian Rooney, Bob Pizzutiello,
Joe Lynn, Christopher Chiasson, Karl Gans, Matt Tate, Dario, and myself all
showed up in a small Montreal Theater (Theatre la Chapelle) for what was to
be an incredible five day experience.
Though theory and technique were on the agenda, this was a seminar with a
heavy emphasis on performance. The idea of doing it at Theatre la Chapelle
was to give each attendee an opportunity to perform in a professional
environment (sound, lights etc.). Also, by holding the seminar in the
theatre, they could get a feel of the place before the performance. So,
Theory & Technique in the mornings, followed by afternoons preparing for an
evening of performances on the fourth day of the seminar.
First day's eve; Greg had arrived on the 24th so he could spend the afternoon
of the 25th setting-up for the event, this saved us a lot of time. Some of us
got together at the theatre around 6:00pm and went to a Greek restaurant on
Prince-Arthur Street (a terrace laden street closed to motor vehicles). This
was a good occasion to get to know each other a little and take in some of
the Montreal summer atmosphere.
The first seminar morning is usually a set-up period. However, this had been
taken care of the day before so we could get straight to work. The class was
split in two groups with Greg showing the basics of Emmett's method to a new
group of Stickist, whilst Jim took the folks who had been to seminars before
and put them through their paces.
After lunch, we began organizing the performances. This meant figuring out
how many solo and group pieces we could pull together. At this point, we had
four solo performers and one group performance, so both Greg and Jim had
their work cut out for them. Luckily, they both brought some group material
(four pieces total) and proceeded in showing the class what they had in mind.
Greg's pieces were "Still Water" and "The Offering," Jim's were "Remarkable
Things" and "Throwing Flames."
That evening we all went to dinner on Prince-Arthur and afterwards checked
out the Jazz Festival's opening night.
The Second day began with introducing Steve Adelson who could not be with us
the first day. Steve gave the morning class while Greg spent some one on one
time with a couple of guys. This would be a re-occurring theme (one
instructor giving the class whilst the other two doing the one on one thing)
and it worked out great. At this point I would like to mention one detail,
attending the seminar we're two individuals who had never touched a Stick
before, by the end of the second day they were doing walking bass lines with
the left hand and simple chords in the right. I believe this is testimony to
the Stick seminar's rapid learning curve.
After noon, we divided into groups to practice the ensemble pieces. One group
would use the stage, the other would practice in the bar/cafe space off the
theatre's lobby.
Later that evening, after another fine meal, some of us headed out to the
Jazz Fest whilst others chose to go back to the residences and practice. One
of the Festival activity's is a Jam session at Hotel Windham, so Steve puts
his name on the list to get up there and jam it out with the boyz. He goes
on, has a great jam, then after one piece, they thank him and have a round
of applause for him without even asking him his name (no class) ... I thought
this was absolutely unfair to Steve who would have stayed for more but the
house band apparently preferred waving Steve in favour of a guitarist friend
of theirs. Politics!
The third day; was a repeat of the second day, only difference was the group
instructor. Jim took over the class in the morning. Greg and Steve were doing
the one on ones and I was trying to get some sleep.
After noon, we had not yet worked out a piece with Steve, so he showed us
Fran's Mambo, a piece on his CD "The Answer's Inside." It worked out great
and was a lot of fun learning.
That evening we did not go to the festival, instead, after dinner we all went
to a club called Le Swimming where an old friend of mine was playing with his
band. Blue Quarter is a TechnoFunk Lounge act, Olivier Lagace plays Stick,
accompanied by a bass player (Steff) and Drummer (Bittou). At this point I
was ready to pass out due to sleep deprivation, so Greg, Joyce (Greg's Wife),
and myself headed for home early.
The fourth day we had a lot of work to do polishing the tunes up and setting
everyone's sound. The performance was that evening so we took the whole day
to prepare for it, going over the tunes with all the different ensembles,
doing the sound check etc. No stone was left unturned, except for one detail:
presentations. Just before the show started, Jim and I realized we had not
worked out what we were going to talk about between performers, so we just
looked at each other and said, "We'll wing it."
The first ever Sticks & Tones evening of Stick performances started at 8:00pm
on Sunday the 29th of June: two sets, 14 pieces, 1 improv, 16 Stick players
and two great hosts.
First Set
1 -Condemned- Fred, Sebastian, Mitch Fred-Erick Sauve, Sebastian Rooney and
Myself, opened with a piece I wrote fourteen years ago (Condemned) ... It had
been many years since I played this song live, it felt great to be
accompanied by two wonderful musicians; Fred on Stick and Sebastian on Drums,
I played Stick and sang.
2 -The Offering- Greg, Fred, Joe, Chris, Seb (drums): A Greg Howard piece
off the "Lift" CD. Everyone played very well here, however Fred was brilliant
with his wild effects.
3 -Beautiful- Matt Tate and the candid eight (Solo Stick): This was the
second time I had the chance to see Matt perform live, the first was in Salt
Spring. Three months and he has managed to improve. I think Matt will be one
of the guys to look out for in the near future.
4 -Remarkable Things- Jim R., Jim M., Matt, Jason, a Jim Reilly piece: I
think Jim pulled this one out of his hat at the seminar and the guys did a
great job with the arrangement. I caught myself whistling it on more than
one occasion during the seminar, catchy tune!
5 -The Manifest- (written by Glenn Poorman) Jim Meyer (Solo Stick):
Confidence in one's ability to deliver a performance is a must for any
performer. When I met Jim Meyer in Vancouver (early April), he seemed to
struggle with this issue. I can honestly say that I heard a much more relaxed
Jim Meyer in Montreal, it showed in his performance. Congrats Jim.
6 -Nest on the Air- & -Kamloops Procession- Jason Brock (Solo Stick): Jason
performed two beautiful compositions off his "Medicine Stick" CD, both with
a Celtic vibe. Technically, his playing is a combination of expressive
dynamics and flawless technique, we can expect great things from Jason, and
if you don't have his CD, take my advice "GET IT."
7 -Throwing Flames- Jim R. Bruno, Dario, Bob, Karl, Seb (Drums): The cast
here was of the beginner level but I honestly have to say nobody sounded
like a beginner. Even Bob who four days before had never even touched a
Stick.
8 -Still Water- Greg, Matt, Chris, Seb, Karl (Drums): A second composition
by Greg, taken from the "Lift" CD. An occasion for both Matt and Chris to
play some lead lines and Karl to play Drums.
9 -Fran's Mambo- Steve, Dario, Fred, Bruno, Chris, Bob, Joe, Carl, Seb
(Drums): On the third day, Steve showed us "Fran's Mambo", a composition off
his "The Answer's Inside" CD. The guys did a fantastic job with it and
appeared to have a lot of fun playing it. In this piece were two guys
(Bob & Joe) who had never touched a Stick until four days before: walking
bass lines in the left and chords in the right!!! What can I say?
Second Set
1 -Sept Care- Fred, Seb, Mitch: A Fred-Erick Sauve composition. "Sept Care"
is the first part in a trilogy of polyrhythmic compositions. Fred, Seb and
myself had been getting together to practice this piece, every Saturday for
a little over a month. It's a lot of fun to play and MAYBE we'll get it
RIGHT next year.
2 -Fred Erick Sauve- (Solo Stick): Fred performed two pieces; the first was
a Pierre Attaingnant composition followed by an Eric Satie piece. Fred has a
large repertoire to chose from. When I asked him what he had in mind for his
solo piece, it was a toss-up between Satie and Crimson's "Red." I'm happy he
chose Satie, I don't remember the title but it was one of the evening's most
exquisite moments for me.
3 -Olivier Lagace- (Solo Stick): Olivier performed a Bach piece (I don't
remember the title) on Bruno Quesnel's padauk ten String. Funny anecdote,
it's Olivier's turn to go on, Greg & Jim are in the Loges and I'm on stage
presenting the next performer, Greg & Jim look at each other and say "hey!
where's Olivier?", the Loge's washroom door open's and out rushes Olivier
with his hands and fore arms dripping with water, he grabs Bruno's Stick and
off he goes ... seems the toilet gave him a hard time. His performance was
outstanding, wet hands and all.
4 -The Improv- Greg, Steve, Jim R., Olivier, Seb (Drums): The idea was to
put four high calibre Stickists and a Drummer in a completely improvised
situation (no one was hurt). No one was allowed to work things out before
they went on. The result was inspiring to say the least. Approx. fifty
minutes of constant change in direction with some very interesting ideas
from all. Here my hat goes off to Sebastian who provided excellent rhythm
in support of all the different ideas that were going on.
The fifth day; started with some one on ones with Greg and Steve, Jim gave
the rest of the group some exercises to work on. This went on up until just
before noon. After noon, Steve gave a Clinic on the Roland VG88 (very
interesting) followed by Greg's gear clinic on the use of his set-up (also
very interesting). The clinics ended just before 4:00pm at which time we were
scheduled for an open door for those who wished to test drive a Stick and
maybe have some questions answered. Two guys showed up and both of them are
now seriously thinking of acquiring an instrument.
We wrapped it up at 5:00pm and said our goodbyes...
The following day was Greg's performance at the Montreal International Jazz
Festival. Mr. Howard played a solid one-hour set in front of approx. 500
attentive spectators. After his performance, a crowed of people gathered
around him congratulating him for his brilliant performance and asking all
kinds of questions about the Stick.
That's my story and I'm Sticking to it.
I would like to thank Greg Howard, Jim Reilly and Steve Adelson for their
teachings, all those who attended, without you, there is no seminar, Theatre
la Chapelle for the opportunity to do this in such a great space, Stick
Enterprises for all their support, and last but not least Christiane, my
Inspiration, my Love.
Mitch
From: Bruno Quesnel
davus@sympatico.ca
Five days dedicated to the Stick, in Montreal, WOW! I must admit that I was
a little intimidated at first but everyone was really cool and helpful. After
just a few minutes, Greg adjusted my Stick at the right angle and position
and it made a big difference. Seeing beginner players and more advanced ones
are really interesting and inspiring. I felt like a sponge absorbing as much
information as possible.
Warm-up exercises, hand (head?) independence, theory and practice, every
aspect of the seminar was great. A lot of thanks to the instructors, Greg,
Jim and Steve, for their teaching and patience with the beginners like me.
The Sunday night show was great. Part II of the show was transcendent, I
don't remember how long the jam went but I was very impressed to see four
Stick players -and Seb on drums- with different musical background play
together. I almost dropped a tear when Olivier played Bach's prelude on my
Stick, what an honour!
I strongly suggest to all players to go to a seminar, it's amazing how much
we can learn in a few days. Special thanks to the organizer Mitch, and hope
to see you all in Montreal next year!
Bruno Quesnel
From: Jason Brock
jason.brock@SYMPATICO.CA
What a great learning experience. Each teacher, as well as other students,
gave me something different and extremely useful. Everything from technique,
to theory and all that falls in between. Including how to prepare for a huge
performance (Sticks and Tones) and pull of something remarkable such as the
Improve involving Greg, Jim, Olivier, Steve and Sebastian on drums (Thank
Mitch!). Sat. night watching Olivier's Band "Blue Quarter" Wow!!
www.bluequarter.com
Seminars are so inspiring - can't write much more I've got to head to the
woodshed. Nice to meet all the new players and veteran players, again an
excellent group of people!
See you all again.
J Sunbrock
From: Christopher Chiasson
scrow@interlog.com
The beginning of the seminar for the propagation of "Stickness" found me
poking along autoroute 40 towards the St. Laurent exit in Montreal on a
sweltering day in early Construction (the ritualistic summer road work
ceremonies) 2003. I'd forgotten what traffic had been like since I'd moved
from the city a decade and a half before. Mitch Polgar had given decent
directions to get to Theatre La Chapelle, so once I was past the traffic and
the wrong lane mishaps that always get me going through Montreal, I was
actually on time after planning to be early.
The city was tilted into the side of the mountain where I stayed on the
McGill University campus at McConnell Hall. No air conditioning. No Breeze.
No sleep. Fortunately the people I had met that evening at the initial greet
session at the venue provided a much needed buffer against the minor climatic
irritations hanging about the town that weekend. Karl, Matt and Jason were
good enough to accept my company and I later found that we were all stuck at
one end of the residence together. This would later provide for some much
appreciated hilarity from a few of the late night gab sessions we were to
have. Jim Reilly was also there with us in the budget accommodations. His
laid back manner offset the sometimes manic moods of the evenings.
I got the impression from (organizer) Mitch Polgar that the seminar was in
essence a no pressure affair designed for players of all levels. This led me
to believe that I'd end up somewhere in the middle of the class which turned
out to be true.
I got to the first day of the session for a review of some technical basics
with Greg Howard. I'd heard of Greg a while back but never really got to know
any of his material until I'd heard a little something he'd done on a Dave
Matthews tune, which I think was called "The Dreaming Tree." Refreshingly,
he wasn't playing bass like I'd heard so many others do. Sure enough, Greg
was a pro. I stood and listened. The beginners were given the basics about
how playing the Chapman Stick should be as ergonomically stable as possible.
Hand posture and an open-style technique allow the player to be flexible and
comfortable which is important when one considers how much territory there
is on a Stick. It is a good idea to view the instrument as a compact keyboard
when you first try it out and if you've ever watched an accomplished pianist
you might notice how there is more than just the hands moving. Arms and even
the body get into the act of playing the instrument. It should be the same
with The Stick, in Greg's eyes. The arms and body help with the time while
conveying more power and articulation to the strings and the relaxed posture
of the hands reduces stress on the wrists and fingers.
Having never really had my playing evaluated I was surprised to learn that
I'd been using outmoded posture in the hands and fingers. I had some leftover
technique that was tying me up when I was playing chords in the left hand.
Again it was the open hand this lesson was reminding me about. There was the
issue of keeping time in the opposite hand as well. Having played bass for
the last four years or so it was only natural that I would use my right hand
to keep time. Greg said that it would make things much smoother to get used
to doing this in the left so that if I was inclined to solo my phrasing would
(or could) be much freer.
It was the same thing that Steve Adelson told us later. The left hand has to
get a point where it is largely automatic so that soloing happens without
that lock-step stiffness. Through all of this, Matt and Jason (advanced
students), and Karl (the beginner of the residence group), were probably
discovering their own bits of wisdom as they stood in the class circle and
took instruction with the rest of us.
The classes themselves were pretty orderly and never went too far beyond what
the players could handle. (I remember struggling at points myself with Jim's
rhythm and dexterity exercises.)
There was usually something I hadn't thought of that came up. I remember an
indie lesson with Steve Adelson where he gave me some serious basics about
quick chord construction using a good solid position based method. At least
now I won't have to count intervals to get upper partials. Since all of the
players were musicians to begin with they brought whatever experience they
had.
I remember Joe Lynn who had never touched the stick previous to the Montreal
class and later kept a solid bass with the group performing one of Greg
Howard's pieces called "The Offering" at the concert on Sunday. Mitch Polgar
also brought one of his songs to the performance, lush and sombre under the
support of his Grand Stick. I remember Sebastian Rooney whipping off
improbable Allan Holdsworth-sounding phrases with his mirrored fifths tuning.
His natural energy would cause his hands to move like restless birds.
I remember Jim Meyer and his wife in conversation at the Afghan restaurant,
polite and affable as they recalled living in Toronto for a time. Jim later
rendered a piece by Glenn Poorman in performance that was quite beautiful.
I remember someone saying that Jim Meyer had happily disproved their theory
about Stick players over thirty not being able to make major technical
strides on the instrument. I remember talking to Bob Pizzutielo about the
problems of latency in pitch to voltage synth technology and watching him
draw sine waves to illustrate the conclusion we'd just come to.
I remember Fred Eric Sauve's brain melting forays into the realm of sonic
textures during the performance of "Offering" contrasting with the deep,
shimmering counterpoint of the piece he wrote for three sticks and performed
with Sebastian and Mitch. Even more intriguing was the solo piece Fred
presented by Eric Satie (Gymnopeadia III), an elegant, pensive work that,
with the other performances, again showed that he wasn't just someone who
was obsessed by the innards of his rig but was also a well rounded player
and composer.
There was the dramatic original solo piece by Matthew Tate, the energy of
which at certain times resembled flamenco contrasted by Jason Brock's
delicate harp-like composition called "Nest on the Air." I remember Olivier
Lagace dropping Bach organ etudes backstage as if they were afterthought.
It was a side of this Blue Quarter man that few people get to see. Then there
was Steve Adelson's piece (Fran's Mambo) with its veritable orchestra of
Stick players and that ominous booming sound of the bassline that suggested
a seance for the ghost of Raymond Chandler.
There was a final 20-minute or so improvisation on the concert night. The
instructors and guests all got up to create a performance of music which
lasted close to half an hour it seemed with no preparation whatsoever. Greg
Howard was no stranger to this having made a recording called "Water on the
Moon" based on this very principle. All of the players were competent enough
in their own right to make the idea work. There came a certain point in the
performance where the sounds seemed to resolve and take on the character of
clock chimes, which was particularly intriguing and poignant considering that
the whole event was to conclude the next day.
I remember Matt introducing me to Meshugge, a Swedish metal band with this
improbable groove to their music. Nothing from that genre had caught my ear
like that since The Dillinger Escape Plan. I remember the dark side of Jason
Brock and the hilarity it produced. I remember Matt's appreciation for the
city's finer walking beauty, for the most part descended from good French
families. I remember agreeing that there was a lot more of it here than
anywhere else I knew. I remember Dario's toast so solemn at Swimming in
tribute to the evening of Blue Quarter music and the mood of the weekend
that no one was allowed to use the glass after it was (un)made. I remember
Karl on kit solidly shepherding me through one of my nail-biting group
performances (possibly in exchange for some fretboard swim buddy activity
in the first classes).
All these things reminded me "my blood is [still] made of laughter". Thanks
to all for reminding me.
Chris Chiasson
From: Joe (Horatio) Lynn
jlynn@berklee.edu
I have always been interested in the Chapman Stick but have been unable to
find an instructor in Boston. A 5-days seminar in Montreal sounded wonderful,
so even though I knew nothing about playing the Stick, I signed up.
Initially, I told the organizer, Mitch, that I would be there just as an
observer and that he did not need to include me in the performance night
as I did not even have a Stick.
When the seminar started, Greg kindly loaned me a prototype Stick to enable
me to follow along with the very useful instructions provided by himself,
Jim and Steve. With a little help from my own guitar playing background and
musicianship training, I was soon able to play a little something on the
Stick. When the participants were assigned spots for the performance night,
I was confident enough to be included. Everyone worked very hard to be
prepared for the performance, and when the big night came, we went out and
totally enjoyed the teamwork.
When the seminar ended, we left with the feeling that there is still very
much to learn and with a great yearning for the next seminar to come.
Joe Lynn
From: Steve Adelson
SteveAFran@aol.com
The Montreal Seminar was simply spectacular. Aside from getting a speeding
ticket on the NY Thruway, there were many positive episodes during the week.
Fifteen extremely friendly Stickists learning from one another, playing
music, socializing, downing a few Boreales stouts, and presenting a very
professional concert of much diversity. Blew me away how well everyone
played. Had a blast with the 4 Stick "free" jam. Mitch and Jim and Greg
organizing and holding it together. Greg never sounding better at the Mall
performance. The Jazz Festival itself was just that, a Festival. Great music
and so much of it. It was everywhere. Sat in with a piano trio, and a guitar
duo on two occasions.
Most importantly, was the response from the students. They attentively
absorbed the theory, techniques and concepts that were presented throughout
the week. Great give and take experience. Good job by all.
SAME TIME NEXT YEAR?
(One funny visual-- observing all the guys in the dressing room before the
concert, tapping their instruments silently, all wearing the same Stick
T-shirt uniform, anxiously pacing and bumping into each other. It looked
like a Gary Larson cartoon begging for a caption.)
P.S.-loved the energy, music and humour of Olivier L.
And thanks to Mitch again for the invite to be part of this event. Jim's
organizational skills and Greg's energy made every aspect a positive
experience.
Steve Adelson
From: Greg Howard
Stickist@AOL.COM
I've been to a lot of cities, and can't think of one that stands above
Montreal as a great place to visit, not to mention a great place to have
a Stick seminar.
The festivity of the Jazz fest was all around us, and it was really
heart-warming to have such an enthusiastic response to my performance there.
There is a relaxed vibe and an appreciation for music that's more pronounced
in Montreal than most cities. I can easily see Montreal becoming a Stick
nexus for the Northeast.
The seminar was really focused on performance, so the folks who came were
serious about working and performing. This made the "tangible" reward of the
concert that much greater. A five-day seminar is a long seminar, but I think
the extra time really made the event a big success.
Thanks to my fellow teachers, Jim and Steve, to Emmett and Yuta for all their
support of the event, and to Christiane and all the other folks at Theatre
La Chapelle for providing us with a great welcome, a perfect venue, and a
professional and attentive crew.
My biggest thanks go to the students. Without your dedication to improving
your craft, there would be no reason to hold these events. By concentrating
our efforts together, we are advancing the art of Stick playing in a really
unique and powerful way. It's great to hear the improvements in returning
students' playing, but I don't credit the seminars for this. The events may
provide inspiration and ideas, but I know the hard work happens at home, in
the woodshed. And there's been some woodshedding.
It's exciting to watch the next generation of players following close behind
me. I'm honoured to be your teacher, and I'm proud to be your peer.
Looking forward to the next ones, coming soon to a city near you....
Happy Tapping,
Greg
www.greghoward.com
And I'll take the last word: Jim Reilly
play_stick@canada.com
A couple of things I remember:
Second set performance night, time for Olivier's solo tune but Olivier was
nowhere to be found. It wasn't just time for him to go onstage, he was late.
Mitch had just introduced him. Greg came running backstage,
"Where's Olivier?!?"
Then we noticed the light on in the bathroom. I knocked on the door. A
wide-eyed Olivier opened it.
"You're on, right now," I said.
"O.k., now?"
"Yes, Mitch just introduced you."
Off he goes. We hear a few muffled words from the stage. Greg comes
backstage barely able to control his laughter.
It seems that the toilet had broke. The little wire that attaches the lever
to the plunger had broken. To flush the toilet, you had to lift the lid,
reach into the bottom of the tank and lift the plunger by hand.
Greg knew this because he had had to do it earlier. Greg knew Olivier had to
do this because Olivier's hands were dripping wet when he came on stage.
Olivier shook them off, water flew in all directions, he picked up his Stick
(not actually his but a borrowed Stick) and played.
While Greg is backstage telling us this, Steve Adelson came in, turned
towards the bathroom and a unison chorus heard the group of us shout as
loudly as we dared, "No...!"
Same night: I broke a string. Yes, I broke a string while playing my Stick.
Right at the start of our group improvisation, the highest melody string
broke. I couldn't believe it, nobody breaks Stick strings, but there you go,
I did.
What does one do when the break a Stick string? Do I stop everyone? Do I ask
for a new Stick? Is it even going to stay in tune?
Well, it stayed in tune. And I played without it, of course after I made a
big production out of unwinding it and throwing it off stage. So there you
go, I inadvertently invented the nine-string Chapman Stick.
Once I got use to it, it was actually very informative. I suddenly had to
think about things again. I couldn't rely on locations so much and had to
transfer my patterns and shapes to new places to make them work. I was
forced to listen in a new way and suspect my playing was better than it
may have been otherwise. Who knows, it sure was fun though.
I remember having to take my Stick out of the gig bag and check it through
in the flight case. Yes, it does happen. I wasn't allowed to carry my Stick
on the plane.
I remember how wonderful it was to hear other people interpret my tunes in
performance. I remember some amazing meals, great music both at the seminar
and floating through the Montreal nights. Most of all I remember 15 other
Stick players getting together and creating some magic.
See you next year,
Jim Reilly play_stick@canada.com
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