Harmony Newsletter - April 2013

APRIL 2013

HARM NY

A Newsletter for Museum of Making Music Volunteers IN THIS ISSUE: Harp Exhibit Opens March 27 Volunteer Meeting Guest Reporter: Françoise Dahod Volunteer Bios: Gary Sage & Kathy Merchant

New Harp Exhibit Opens at MoMM Just standing in the museum store one can sense the excitement! When Mike, Jillian or Carolyn walk through and into the museum, our eyes can’t help but follow them in hopes of an extra look into the exhibit area. The long anticipated Harp Exhibit has arrived! Clandestine “peeks” are no longer necessary. We can actually walk in and feast our eyes on these incredibly beautiful instruments.

Executive Director Carolyn Grant states, “I have never researched an instrument that has surprised me so completely as the harp.”

With the help of guest curator Nancy Hurrell, “The Harp: A Global Story of Man, Music and Medicine” (March 23, 2013 – September 30, 2013) explores the evolution of the harp from hunter’s bow to the tool of priests to the prize possessions of queens. The exhibit features intricate artifacts, sound samples of harps used in a variety of musical styles, and hands-on harps for visitors to experience. It illustrates the harp’s place in treating pain, autism, and dementia, and offers insight into how the harp traveled with ancient civilizations across every continent on the planet.”

Held in conjunction with the Harp Exhibit will be a series of six concerts, the first being the inaugural concert which was

presented on Saturday, March 23 by the renowned classical harpist YOLANDA KONDONASSIS (pictured above).

Subsequent concerts are: Isabelle Moretti on Saturday, June 22; Deborah Henson-Conant on Wednesday, June 26; Two Sides of Celtic on Saturday, July 27; Alfredo Rolando Ortiz – South American Harp on Saturday, August 17, and Dr. James Makubuya – The Harps of Africa on Saturday, September 14.

In addition to the Exhibit and Concert Series, the museum has developed a community-outreach program, “Harps in The City,” that will place hand-painted “Harpsicles (light and portable variations of the harp) in different locations throughout Carlsbad. Illustrated by local artists, these instruments will be on display as objects of delight and curiosity to residents, and will serve as an enticement to visit the Harp Exhibit.

Guest Performer for Volunteer Meeting The March Volunteer Meeting on Wednesday, March 27 features professional harpist LEAH CECIL. Miss Cecil, a Garden Grove native and the current Miss California, is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton and aspires to teach music at a college level.

It’s Almost Time... for brunch Please make sure you have signed your name on the RSVP List to attend our annual Museum Volunteer Brunch to be held on MONDAY, APRIL 29 at 9:00 AM at MIMI’S RESTAURANT IN OCEANSIDE. The RSVP list is located on the volunteer desk in the museum offices. The brunch takes the place of the April monthly volunteer meeting.

The museum staff treats all volunteers to a delicious brunch, but it is imperative reservations be finalized before the day of the luncheon.

Please be considerate of our hosts, and don’t wait until the “eleventh hour” to RSVP.

Announcing... an Upcoming Event

“Access to Music” A Museum of Making Music Fundraiser with vocalist Greg Walker of “Santana” fame August 23, 2013 More information to follow from Alisa Arkinzadeh

Gallery Update Mike Hendrickson, our esteemed manager of artifact collections, has been “beyond busy” this month preparing the opening of the Harp Exhibit or, to use Mike’s words, his time has been spent “procuring, preparing and installing” the Harp Exhibit. Mike offers these two Gallery changes: GALLERY 2 A Vega Banjolin from the 1920s has been added to the center retail case. Strung and tuned like a mandolin, the Vega Banjolin has the body of a small banjo.

GALLERY 4 The installation of the Fender Strat serial #0002 is completed and on display.

Mike, thank you for all efforts to make the Harp Exhibit a memorable one!

MoMM Volunteers Invited!

Joli Ann Leichtag School Assembly As a volunteer, do you know the outreach programs MoMM offers? Are you able to tell the story of MoMM in our community?

Many of you have asked to see firsthand the students to whom we offer music lessons at Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary School.

You will have just that opportunity to see the music assembly in action on TUESDAY, APRIL 23. We plan to meet at the museum at 8:30 AM and carpool to the school. If you prefer, you are welcome to drive to the school yourself and meet us in front of the school building promptly at 8:50 AM. The school address is: 653 Poinsettia Avenue, Vista, CA 92081 In either case, please RSVP to Alisa via e-mail at AlisaA@museumofmakingmusic.org.

This is the perfect opportunity to see how our museum serves the community!

Françoise’s Excellent Adventure You don’t have to be a guitar prodigy to explore this awesome venue! Taylor Guitars, the most prestigious manufacturer in the world of acoustic guitars, has a factory right in El Cajon!

Factory tours are offered Monday through Friday at 1:00 PM and last about 1 ½ hours. The tours are narrated by knowledgeable staff members, and tour participants wear headphones in order to hear over any extraneous noise. It’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and be aware that some areas are covered with sawdust.

The tour covers the entire guitar building process, from the wood delivery to the completion of the final product.

The craftsmen are creating works of art with unusual and interesting woods or other medium from far-away places.

The various woods produce different distinctive sounds.

At the end of the “line” is the area where four or five associates test the guitars for quality. Testing is considered to be the most desirable job.

After the tour, visitors have an opportunity to browse or shop in the Taylor store. Naturally you’re tempted to walk out with the best “souvenir” ever... a Taylor guitar! Personally, I had my eye on the most beautifully crafted one. I loved the grain of the wood and intended to acquire this masterpiece to display in my home!

Overall, the tour is informative, easy to understand, and not geared only to professional musicians. No reservations are required for the tour, though it’s wise to call to verify specifics. Be sure to take the tour, and you’ll want to recommend it to your friends and visitors as well.

- by Françoise Dahod

volunteer bio: Gary Sage Gary Sage describes himself as a “snowbird” who hails from Douglaston, New York. He and Deborah, his wife of 46 years (congratulations!), have been coming to Laguna Woods, CA for the past seven years to escape the rough winters on the east coast, and “more importantly,” Gary says, “to visit my son and daughter-in-law who reside in Yorba Linda.”

By education and profession, Gary is an Industrial Engineer in Management and Production. He worked in the garment industry and then for the Department of Environmental Protection’s waste water treatment plants.

Gary states, “Giving my time and energies to organizations comes naturally to me.” As his sons Robert and Jonathan were growing up, Gary served as a referee and coach and then as president of the Little Neck Douglaston Youth Club, and finally as a life member of its board of directors.

Gary’s younger son, though now a healthy adult, was born with immature lungs, which required him to stay in the neo-natal intensive care unit for two weeks after his birth.

Gary and Deborah were so grateful to the doctors for the

hospital’s technology that they founded “Survival of Newborns, Inc.” an organization dedicated to funding research for sick newborns. After many fundraising ventures, the Sages donated a substantial sum to Long Island Jewish Hospital and became founders of its new Children’s Hospital.

Gary’s home has always been filled with “the sound of music” … records, radio, cassettes and CDs as well as the music made by his two sons. His family loves and appreciates the museums, concerts, shows, sporting events, and ballet that New York has to offer, but they also love the beautiful weather and casual California life style.

Gary states he is “a real people person, so volunteering as a greeter at the museum is right up my alley!”

volunteer bio: Kathy Merchant If Kathy Merchant was asked to name a song that would describe her life-style, she might say “The Wayward Wind.”

Born on the family farm, this Michigan native lived in Tucson, Arizona through elementary and early high school and then returned to the farm and graduated from Michigan State University.

After graduating from college, Kathy followed and sampled many pathways/”careers” including teaching Spanish and ESL (English as a Second Language), being a flight attendant, doing secretarial work, serving as a receptionist, working as a real estate agent, and conducting a children’s choir! Enveloping all of this are her 47 years of marriage (congratulations, Kathy!) to her husband Mike Merchant, a now retired US. Navy career officer. Kathy and Mike have one daughter, Misty, who is a dancer.

The Merchants have had 13 “permanent” homes during Mike’s Naval career, and they found each new home to be “just fine” with only one exception (in Pennsylvania). The

music loving Merchant family has always moved their piano to each new location. Kathy’s mother was a musician—a vocalist, pianist, and organist— who instilled a love of music in her daughter. Kathy admits she was not her mother’s star pupil, but she did spend many years as a soloist and choir member eventually conducting children’s choral groups.

In 1996, Mike “retired again” and the family relocated from Santa Maria to Carlsbad since Misty was attending UCSD. The family likes to call Carlsbad “home.” Kathy says she appreciates the opportunity to connect with the museum.

She has completed her MoMM 101 training and has jumped head first into becoming both a greeter and store associate. We volunteers can truly say we appreciate Kathy’s “connection” to the museum!

Congratulations!

Footnote

At the February Volunteer Meeting CLIFF LANGE was awarded a pin recognizing his 400 hours of volunteer service.

Thank you, Cliff for all you do to help the Museum.

NAMM Historian Dan Del Fiorentino, who presented the program at the February Museum Volunteer Meeting, has been quoted in the San Diego Union Tribune and subsequently in the New York Times about the passing of Dr. Paul Tanner at the age of 95.

Sing Happy Birthday To...

Carolyn Grant (March 3); Sandy Guendert (March 7); Terry Chaffee (March 11); Bill Demmers (March 13); Nora Klynjan (March 15); Chris Yeomans (March 17); Bunny Kacher (March 25); Arnold Tubis (March 28); Gary Sage (March 29); John Lewis (March 30); Ruth Kadison (March 31).

Dr. Tanner spoke at several museum events during its first five years, providing presentations on such topics as the Theramin and the Glenn Miller Band.

Congratulations on your work, Dan!

Quote of the Month

“Every hidden cell is throbbing with music and life, every fiber thrilling like harp strings.”

— John Muir, The Wilderness World of John Muir