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Welcome to ARS NEWS, an e-newsletter for recorder players. Please make sure to scroll to the bottom to see upcoming virtual recorder classes and events. Enjoy!
Click here to view email as a Webpage
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American Recorder Magazine is Mailed and Online!
Some highlights for this issue, the first edited by our new editorial team, Geoffrey Burgess and Mary Humphrey, are:
• A special article in ON THE RECORD(ER) where Tom Prescott (shown with two former co-workers on the cover) looks back over his long career. Recipient of the ARS’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2019, Tom officially retired from recorder making this Summer after 50 years.
• In FEATURES, Geoffrey Burgess invited makers, players and instructors to share their thoughts on the art of recorder voicing. Read their advice in Voices on Voicing.
• In another FEATURE, Recorders in Orchestras, Rachel Begley takes us into the performance space, onto the stage and behind the scenes as she explores the inclusion of recorders in orchestras.
• In LEARN, Lobke Sprenkeling offers essential tips for recorder consorts, in the second part of this set of articles.
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The Members’ Library Edition accompanying this issue is Blue Toots by Donna DiBella. This 7-part piece was made possible by generous donations from the West Suburban Early Music Society (led by Kathy Hall-Babis) and The Clearing Folk School’s Woodland Consort (led by Pat Badger), honoring the memory of Joanne Miller (1949 – 2022).
Recently retired from Lawrence University, pianist/organist DiBella picked up the recorder sometime in the ‘80s and has fond memories of playing with retiring AR editor Gail Nickless in the early 1990s. Blue notes and light swing create a delightful setting that has the listener eagerly awaiting what comes next. Separate parts and play-along recordings with one part missing are available for ARS members here.
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ARS Annual Members' Meeting to be Held Online on October 19, 2024, at 3pm Eastern
All members are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting, held on Zoom. It is a great way to hear all that ARS has accomplished in the past year, learn how donated funds were spent, and have an opportunity to ask questions. Want to bring up an issue? Agenda items can be emailed to Susan Burns in the ARS Office. Registration and an active membership are required.
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Lifetime Memberships are a great way to demonstrate your commitment to ARS and never have to remember to renew again! Please see our Lifetime FAQ page and our list of Lifetime members. Contact the office with questions or assistance switching to this membership level.
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Focus on a Member Benefit: Free Second-Level Virtual Classes
ARS has been offering free online beginner classes for anyone to join, but ARS members get a special exclusive benefit: free classes to take your playing to the next level. though still beginner-friendly. Past classes have included Learning Bass Recorder; Lost & Found -- Finding Your Way in the Music; Tone and Phrasing; Transitioning From Soprano to Alto; and much more. Classes are led by the best professional recorder teachers around, so don't miss out!
Click to Learn More
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ARS Welcomes New Members Who Joined in July
Anthony Achonye, NE
Patricia Becker, OH
Sandra Ferguson, CA
Jeanette Gross, CT
Dr. Sanne Kreijkamp-Kaspers, Australia
Deborah Phoebus, Australia
Hugo Reyne, France
Echa Schneider, CA
Keith Shapiro, PA
Anna Simms, WA
David Van Blarcom, BC, Canada
Mary Wade, KS
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Checking in with Chapters, Consorts, and Recorder Orchestras | |
The Case for Humanity: An Approach to Programming Music
ARS Board member Wendy Powers discusses ways that a teacher/coach/conductor/programmer can approach works of music that make participants uncomfortable or offended. In first choosing a piece of music for a class or program, it must have either aesthetic or historical worth or both. If the piece is controversial, then discussing historical context is essential.
Click to read more
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ARS Chapter Representative Roundtable Dates for 2024-25
The Member Benefits Committee has set the Chapter Rep Round Table schedule for the upcoming year, and are alternating the meetings between Saturdays and Sundays so that every rep has the opportunity to attend. The dates are on the ARS homepage Events Calendar. All times are 2:00pm - 3:30pm Eastern time.
· September 14, 2024
· December 8, 2024
· March 1, 2025
· June 1, 2025
If you have a topic suggestion or haven’t been receiving announcements about the roundtables, please contact Phil Hollar.
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Rio Grande Recorders Chapter Remembers Joyce Henry
Joyce brought in top-notch teachers to run workshops for the Rio Grande Recorders, whose members are drawn from both New Mexico and Texas.
Click to read more
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ARS offers a webpage with all the chapters offering virtual/hybrid meetings. There are several chapters with a worldwide membership, led by world-class music directors, thanks to the wonders of Zoom.
(Is your group offering virtual meetings but not on the list? Email us!)
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A Brief Reminder of ARS Scholarship & Grant Deadlines
Weekend Workshop Scholarships Apply four weeks before funding is needed. Virtual events are also eligible for funding from Grants and Scholarships, as long as the amounts do not exceed stated limits.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grants Any chapter, recorder orchestra, or consort may apply. Partner Workshops and Businesses are also eligible. Apply anytime.
Professional Development Grants: Any recorder professional, meeting certain criteria, may apply to ARS for support of their professional development pursuits. Primarily funding the ARS Recorder Residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, applications for other venues will be considered. Deadline: September 15 of the year preceding the proposed residency or project.
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ARS 2nd-Level Class for Soprano/Tenor Recorder: Tone and Phrasing
with Jennifer Carpenter
The soprano gets a bad reputation for sounding shrill and squeaky! But the soprano (and tenor) is capable of being a beautiful solo instrument as well as an ensemble companion. This 4-session course will focus on sound/tone production and expressive phrasing. Conquer your fears of playing high notes and learn how expressive the soprano/tenor can be!
September 23rd, 26th, 30th, and October 3rd at 8 PM, ET
*2nd-Level Classes are free and open to ARS members only. If the class is full, please utilize the waitlist.
For more information and to register, click HERE.
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ARS Beginners' Class for Alto Recorder
with Tish Berlin
Mark your calendars! If you have never played recorder before, or if it has been eons ago since you have played, this is the course for you! Build a solid foundation for learning recorder through the American Recorder Society’s 4-part beginners’ course for alto recorder starting on October 15, 2024 with recorder professional Tish Berlin.
October 15th, 17th, 22nd, and 24th at 6:15 PM, ET
*Beginners' Level classes are free and open to everyone.
Registration will open very soon, so keep an eye on our website!
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Wednesday Webinar:
Practice Pitfalls!
with Anne Timberlake
Wednesday, August 28, 7 PM, CT
Practice, over time, is incredibly powerful! With practice, you can make amazing strides in your playing! But if you’re not careful, you can also develop, reinforce, or cement habits that will hurt you down the line. In this live, one-hour Zoom webinar, we’ll review common practice pitfalls– and how you can change your practice to make sure your practice is working for you, not against you!
To register and receive your Zoom link and password, visit my website. Or purchase a season pass! Webinar participants also receive six weeks of streaming access to the replay.
The registration fee is $20. If you have questions, or if you prefer to write me a check, you can contact me at anne@annetimberlake.com.
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English Fiddle Tunes
with Debby Greenblatt
Tuesday, Sept 17, 7 PM, CT
Wednesday, Sept 18, 10 AM, CT Friday, Sept 20, 7 PM, CT
Different tunes will be played at each session.
The workshops will feature pieces from “English Fiddle Tunes for Two”, a collection of 48 lively pieces originating from England. These curated gems include easy arrangements of hornpipes, jigs, maggots, polkas, waltzes, etc.
We will read, play, and discuss various survival skills for these charming pieces. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on the screen during the workshop.
There is limited enrollment, and pre-registration is required. The cost for each workshop is $10. The cost of each optional book is $15 (includes shipping if ordered with workshop registration).
For more information, and to register:
https://www.greenblattandseay.com/workshops_english.shtml
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Multiple Class Options
with Tish Berlin
1. Be a Bass Boss: Bach and Blaker for Bass Recorder
Tuesdays and Thursdays - 10/15, 1017, 10/22, 10/24: 10-11 AM, PT
Start each session with a short warm up to work on tone, fingers, and tongue, then work on the bass parts for works from Bach's Art of Fugue and duos by Frances Blaker. For experienced bass recorder players. Pitch: a=440.
$100 for all four classes. Classes will be recorded and available to stream for one month.
2. An All-Zoom Practice Challenge
Tuesdays and Thursdays - 12/3, 12/5, 12/10, 12/12: 10-11 AM, PT
In this 4-session class packed into two weeks, you’ll practice technique exercises for 30 minutes with me, then spend 15 minutes on a medieval estampie and 15 minutes on a Telemann fantasia, focusing on effective practice methods for both pieces. For intermediate and up players of soprano and alto recorders. Pitch: a=440.
$100 for all four classes. Classes will be recorded and available to stream for one month.
To learn how to register, please write to Tish at tishberlin@sbcglobal.net
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North American Virtual Recorder Society presents their September Playing Meeting
with Rachel Begley
When: Saturday, September 28, 2 - 3:30 PM, EDT
Cost: NAVRS Membership is $20 and each playing session is $15.
Membership is not required for your first meeting but there is a charge of $15.
Earth, Wind and Fire! The richly varied selection of pieces will include a beautiful ensemble setting of divisions upon a ground, a section from an evocative Renaissance Mass, and an arrangement of a movement from a dynamic baroque concerto. There may even be an unusual bonus piece or two! With a little historical background and a short illustration of how each piece "works", Rachel's goal is to make this amazing music more and more enjoyable for us to play, while also helping us refine our skills as music makers. She will also show us some connections between our recorder technique and each of these three elements with some useful and memorable tips.
For more information and to register, visit the NAVRS website.
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Multiple AEM Online virtual classes
with Annette Bauer
1) A Complete Beginner's Introduction to 16th-century Mensural Notation
Tuesdays, Sep 17, 24, October 1, 8 at 7 PM, ET
Are you curious about the origins of our Western modern notation system? Sign up for this introductory class where we will focus on reading and playing from easily accessible 16th-century sources. $100 for all four classes.
2) Tandernaken Settings ca. 1430-1540 for intermediate to advanced early notation students
Wednesdays, Sep 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9 at 5:30 PM, ET
This popular Middle Dutch tune was used as the slow-moving tenor line for virtuosic polyphonic settings. We'll explore 5 of these wonderful settings. $125 for all 5 classes.
For more information and to register visit AEM Online
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Want to Share Your News?
The deadline for this e-newsletter is the 20th of each month. To submit your news using an online form, please go to https://americanrecorder.org/newsform. You may also email an article and photos. We love to hear stories of how the recorder community is still going strong. Send any of the types of news items you have seen in the paper newsletter or past ARS NEWS emails. Digital photos are welcome, as are digital videos for YouTube (DropBox or Google Drive suggested). Send your articles/photos to newsletter@americanrecorder.org.
Want to Share Your Upcoming Events?
Virtual events can be publicized by emailing Jennifer Carpenter. In-person events can be publicized using our online Event Calendar submission form (only ARS members may submit). Event info will appear in the calendar on the ARS homepage.
The deadline for ARS NEWS (this publication) is the 20th of the month. Send news to Susan Burns and event information to Jennifer Carpenter. ARS NEWS is emailed the last Tuesday of every month, with occasional exceptions.
Newsletter editors and publicity officers for Chapters, Consorts & Recorder Orchestras should make sure that your regular communications like e-newsletters are sent to the ARS office.
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If you've received this from a friend, sign up for your own monthly subscription to ARS NEWS or to ARS NOVA, our monthly e-mag, using this link.
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Learn more
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P.O. Box 480054 Charlotte
NC 28269-5300
Phone: 1-704-509-1422
Toll Free: 1-844-509-1422
Fax: 1-866-773-1538
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