EGO Electric Guitar Orchestra

Come join the fun! Our wonderful community orchestra just celebrated our first birthday with three public performances in two weeks.

On May 19, eleven members of the EGO Electric Guitar Orchestra gave our first performance of 2024 at an outdoor arts & crafts festival hosted by Steve Gamburd and the Hazel Perk Cafe. We performed six songs in the middle of the parking lot to a large and appreciative audience. So much fun! Our best number might have been Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

Four days later, six of us performed at the Hatch Art Gallery in Hamtramck, hosted by Mike Kelly. What a wonderful place. Art galleries are really the perfect venue for EGO. Our newest member, Winston, sat in on a couple of songs after only one or two rehearsals. Winston is a beginner, so if you are also a beginer – YOU CAN DO THIS! It’s just that easy. And we have challenging parts for you pros out there, too.

Then, on June 1, we were lucky enough to perform at the annual Palmer Park Art Fair in Detroit. Thanks, Mark Loeb! This is a huge, annual event, attended by thousands, with a big stage and lots of incredibly talented musicians. It was an honor, and the audience took us seriously.

PLAYING MUSIC IS GOOD FOR OUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL. Music unites humanity in spite of our bitter political and cultural divides. Music is the great bridge between science and our souls. Our society is enriched every time one of us picks up an instrument. And the sound of a dozen or more electric guitars is magnificent.

It’s also incredibly fun! Won’t you please come join our band? Neither talent nor much time are required. We want everyone, young and old, and we have loaner guitars if you need one. You do NOT have to know how to read music. Even if you are a complete beginner, in 20 minutes we’ll have you plucking the easy parts to Verdi’s Grand March or Bach’s Air on the G String. There’s no commitment. Show up as often as you like. We rehearse weekly and usually perform about once a month.

What You Need:

• Electric guitar ($125-$150 at your local music store. We have loaners, and we are not turning you down if all you have is an acoustic.

• Small, battery-powered amp. $100-$200 • Tuner $35-$40 • Music Stand

Go see Andy at Pursell Lutherie (248-439-0700, 23430 Woodward) for a special EGO deal, and support our local music stores at the same time.

You will Be Provided With:

• A binder with all of the parts in easy-to-read tablature (photo above)

• MP3 recordings of all the parts separately and complete as a group.

• Coaching to help you get started.

Interested?

So glad to have you aboard! Drop me an email, and I will get you started. steffie@ferndalefriends.net. n

Check out the recordings at www.ferndalefriends.net/EGO

Let’s make some music, Ferndale!