Ken_Coles

The actual number is around 35 or 40. The number you quote was during the Invision upgrade, when people trying to hit the site failed, but it kept counting them all up. Sorry, it's all a computer glitch (most of our existence is too, for that matter).

Well, I'm just now checking in -- had no Web access for several days. I did forget the Press Room hours, and got there too early in the snow storm. The door was indeed locked, so I loitered in nearby shops until they opened. What I had in my head was the 3rd Sat. singaround hours (3:30 PM). No harm done. To paraphrase John Prine, it was quite a trip. I actually got snowed in or snowed out of more than half the events I wanted to attend, but still had fun and just got back feeling quite relaxed. (Work should take care of that on Monday.) Anyway, have fun you New Englanders, and you all should get together more often, you live so close to each other! See some of you at the April 16 workshop. Ken Coles

To experience a reel Mike, you could also go to Mark's session. It is only a few miles from you there (on a non-blizzard night that is; I got snowed out!)

Probably it was spending more time the last 8 months teaching astronomy than playing concertina. I will be in Portsmouth long before the snow, and will play everything myself Friday if I have to! Driving all the way back to PA in the next storm will be interesting. Meanwhile, I have fled up the Maine coast, where it is beautiful today (cold and snow everywhere, but full Sun).

Yes, this is beginning to look like the wrong week to amble around Massachusetts. One doesn't come here in March (on "Spring" Break) expecting to see Spring. Winter is more like it! Ken, snowed in

If I were close enough to have that choice to worry about, the Catskills would have it hands down. Noel is significant, but no way is he alone worth more than having access to four different traditional players/teachers, plus all the other musicians and music that will be in the same place. Just my opinion. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The Catskills schedule gives you access to at most two teachers, not all four. Having gone to Noel as a complete beginner, I have to say it was a great way to start. At that level, I was listening slack-jawed to real Irish sessions, not participating in them anyway. Maybe that's why I've waited a few years to go to East Durham. And NHICS is a big gathering of talented musos, all of whom also share your interest in concertina. If you want to listen to Irish in action Richard, we need to get you to the CCE sessions in Pittsburgh (had fun last Thursday night, we did). Ken

OK, so it is only this morning that I figure out the Michael 01612 is the same person I visited last night. Maybe I should sign myself with my old Mass. zip code: Ken01453 (who is no relation to anyone by same name on Mike's recordings! When I get a faster connection than a pay phone I will try listening to them - I remember a few slip-up notes in there. _I_ didn't tell Mike I was a "great" player, that's his idea)

Bob Z is well worth hearing. I think I played his CD Hove to and Drifting three times last week! Had a nice visit last night with brand new concertinist Mike Foley. In a few days he has 3 tunes from Vallely's tutor in not-bad shape! You new players keep getting smarter. Soon I hope music will make all of humanity smarter and we can eliminate all bad things in the world. So teach your neighbor to play concertina. Had a nice visit at the new BBox store Monday also. Rich M. popped in to take a picture; perhaps for the growl basses thread. Off to see Mark Evans's favorite session tonight. Ken, Littleton, Mass.

OK, thanks everybody. I'm writing everyone I heard from (and a few other folks) off bbs and will leave this thread in Helen and Jim's capable hands.

Well, it was mentioned here, but perhaps that was too obscure for people to spot. I have corresponded with Paul Keating (program director) and offered to post a feature article for them to promote this year. On 10th Feb. 2005 Paul K. wrote me: I just replied that any press release/info was fine, but he hasn't sent anything yet. I was going to wait until he did, so your post here serves as our notice until then, thanks.

Well, maybe I'm beyond the pale then, as I'm putting together what I might call an "Art project" that involves papering some unadorned bellows. I may have it done by the NE Conc. workshop and if so y'all can see it then. I was inspired by Ken Sweeney's Tenor-treble Aeola, on which he used cigar bands for bellows papers! (I'm not using cigar bands...)

Greg, if you have the itch to try playing as soon as you can (a feeling we all know) and want to scratch it before I or someone else can get together with you, I think there are better ways to spend your money that buying old stuff off Ebay. One would be to call a dealer like the Button Box and rent an instrument (or several in succession). I'm convinced (because of the high proportion of worn out cheap boxes on Ebay) that this is more cost-effective for a typical beginner. Check it out. Ken

I finger cross row all the time now, and I learned it by doing scales across the rows. Scales have been the key for each of the instruments I can actually play (not true for everyone here, I know). I guess I'm in the Pablo Casals camp (did his scales every day).

Minis are fun, no doubt about it. But (unlike a pocket harmonica, say) they are not really a cheaper more portable alternative if you plan to play a lot. What I mean is that a vintage miniature won't cost you any less than a comparable full-size model. A modern Tedrow costs nearly as much as his full-size box. Even a Stagi mini is several hundred dollars. So, while I enjoy playing them they wouldn't be my choice for a travel/road instrument if I wanted to play a significant fraction of my (admittedly limited) repertoire. I take my Morse if I can or just do without when I travel.

Hi folks, Every so often, such as right now, we go through a spell of people trying to use this site to advertise various non-concertina items. Believe me, we do monitor, delete, and take other action against such persons. We have quite a few tools at our disposal. Where possible, I don't use the strongest ones without consulting Paul first, as he is the chief around here. I check the whole site twice a day typically, and Paul stops in most days also. While I appreciate everyone's diligence in reporting spam to me personally, I can get it taken care of faster if I don't have all your emails to go through first. Let me suggest the following. If you see spam (nearly always it is clearly labelled as not concertina-related), 1) ignore it 2) don't reply in the spam thread. Not discussing it at length in other threads can also help; some of these folks love the attention 3) IF it has been there for more than 24 hours or you have other evidence that we are asleep at the wheel, then by all means do report it to us. Same for extreme situations (extremely negative comments, unappropriate content, etc.). 4) understand that we may not reply to your notice to us individually (sometimes there are quite a few of you) I have to go to work now, so this is all the time I have. We are glad you care about this site enough to diligently monitor it for us. Thanks. Ken

Like many other topics, you can read about old pitch in a A fine article by Wes Williams in the "classic" part of concertina.net. It is worth poking around there. Whether to retune such boxes is an old controversy (esp. in the case of heirlooms like Jeffries). There were some good discussions of it on the old bbs...so I believe they predate this system, but our tireless veterans can undoubtedly review all these points for you. (I am too worn out from chasing spam right now )

Mark Evans has written me with enough events to fill the whole week (will know soon what day I'm actually coming Mark), but would love to see anyone else (what is Jay Lamsa up to?) Ken in snowy PENNA about 20cm since yesterday and still going

I was in a similar group (which we unimaginatively called a brass quintet) when I lived primarily in the state of Indiana (for ten years). Miss that; the best I've done since is a horn ensemble (hexadectet!).

I'm less than an hour away Richard (Richard, right?). Maybe it's about time I came into town and showed you all sorts of great things, including cases. Let me know. Ken, up in Indiana, PA

Next week is my Spring Break, and I'm bolting Pennsylvania for a dose of music in New England. If anyone wants to meet up or there is an event you want me to know about, just speak up! Friday evening is already taken for Tom Hall's session in Portsmouth, N.H. Ken

So tell us, where did you get your Eddie Bauer concertina case? And what part of the world are we referring to? Regards.

I believe that as of a year or so ago, I knew just about every concertina player in the state of Indiana, at least the central part. If you can wait until my next visit back there (in early May; I'm taking my Spring Break in Massachusetts!), you can play my whole collection! Off the top of my head I can't think of any of those players near Indy who would be easy to turn up, except one anglo player who (perversely) does Irish on G/D - he often turns up at the Golden Ace on East Washington St. for the Tuesday evening Irish session. Tell them I sent you. Let me know offline to hear more. Ken (in exile at present)

That (Mark's magic story, not Chris's repairs) is a pretty fair description of my experience on every trip I made to Tom Hall's Friday night session in Portsmouth NH last school year. One of the things I miss most about living in New England. Have not stumbled onto (or succeeded in organzing) anything similar here in western Pennsylvania. Awaiting that time...

Actually, Paul and I consulted about this, and you will find a Concertina.net link at the top of this page. That takes you to the home page, where you can wander to Learning, Listening, Buyer's Guide, Repair, Around the World and so on. That was our compromise (Paul really has three half-time jobs right now), better than waiting for us to redesign everything! No rapping necessary (English ritual dancers excepted) but do hunt around over there. If printed out all that wisdom since 1996 would fill a sizable book, and some of it is still worth reading. Cheers, Ken

Hi, where can i get details of this? Is it seriously aimed at Anglo? or would it give an EC player trying to do Irish any help? Chris (aargh! Dr. Gilbert at metronome 200!!!! my fingers just won't go there!) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well, you could read about it right here. (says the Associate Editor, wondering how many forum users have never visited the Rest of Concertina.net.)