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May 2006 Newsletter:

1)   SMAS welcomes rock-guitar specialist Brodie Cumming [more]
2)   A Little Night Music Opens in Rohnert Park (Diego García is Assistant Conductor).[more]
3)   Sunday afternoon free percussion jams.[more]
 
1) SMAS welcomes Brodie Cumming
 
Brodie Cumming (not to be confused with Brodie Giles, our wünderkind ear trainer and recording engineer) is a young guitarist who specializes in all styles of rock guitar including: classic rock, metal, shred, fusion, grunge/alternative, pop, folk and blues. Brodie is coming to SMAS this May and he will be available to teach two very interesting guitar disciplines:
 
a.    Beginning/Intermediate guitar with Keyboard Theory: Although it is possible to write and perform rock music without knowing formal music theory or standard notation, most famous musicians who cannot read standard notation admit that it would have opened doors to new options. High school bands require that guitarists have some proficiency in theory and standard notation. Guitarists who have unsuccessfully struggled to learn music theory on their guitar can often master the basics on a keyboard. Brodie’s approach of music theory for guitarists should be appealing to people who want to become fluent speakers of music, and would like to become fast, confident readers on the guitar.
 
b.   Advanced rock guitar techniques: Learn to integrate specific skills into lead and rhythm guitar performance. Techniques include: speed picking, sweep arpeggios, hammer-ons and pull-offs (legato techniques), tapping, etc. Some call this shredding, somewhat dismissively. We call it virtuosity.
 
2) A Little Night Music Opens in Rohnert Park (Diego García is Assistant Conductor).
 
As mentioned in our last newsletter, our piano and theory instructor Diego García has been named the Assistant Conductor of the professional production of Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music”. The show opens on May 4 and runs for three weekends through May 21th in Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park. Show times are Thursdays at 7:30PM, Friday at 8:00PM and Sundays at 2:30PM.
 
 
3) Sunday afternoon free percussion jams
 
Join fellow musicians for an afternoon of percussion. Starting in May 6th, and continuing throughout the Summer, SMAS will be hosting free percussion jams between the hours of 2:00 and 3:00PM. That’s right, in this case, “free” means $0, $nada, $zilch, $zip, $gratis. Bring a hand-drum or other percussion toy (we need more cowbell!), or borrow one of ours.