- New Lullaby Project, Recordings
- 1 Comment
New Lullaby CD Review- Spirit of Change, Sep. 2010
| Latest New Lullaby Review by Jason Victor Serinus • Published in Spirit of Change, Sep. 2010
Aaron Larget-Caplan Sometimes a CD sounds so unpretentious, so simple, and so lovely that you just want to reach out and cradle someone in your arms. That’s what I did with our pooch, Daisy Mae Doven, as guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan wove his spell. A faculty member at the New School of Music in Cambridge and co-founder of the monthly 3rd Wednesday Concert Series, Larget-Caplan began his Lullaby Project in 2006. The call for new lullabies of all sorts received an enthusiastic response. Soon after the first lullaby arrived from composers young and old, his house burned down. Two months later, his wife, who teaches body physics and sacred geometry, sustained major injuries in an accident. If anyone needed lullabies, it was Larget-Caplan. Thankfully, lullabies kept coming. All 14 lullabies on the CD were first premiered at Harvard, the New School of Music, St. Paul’s Church in Brookline, or the Ogunquit Museum of American Art in Maine. All composers provide short introductions to their babies in the liner notes. In short, some of these non-stereotypical songs are one giant crib away from your usual innocuous cradlesong. Happy or sad, placid or perilous, I find them universally engrossing. And thanks to Larget-Caplan’s discernment and sensitive playing, even the most provocative is pretty much lovable. Move over, Daisy Mae. There’s room on the couch for two. Jason Victor Serinus is a holistic author, bodyworker, whistling virtuoso and music critic (http://www.jasonserinus.com) who resides in Oakland, CA. Please send music review copies to Jason at 2749 E. 17th Street, Oakland, CA 94601 or emailjserinus@planeteria.net. |
- Concerts, New Lullaby Project, Recordings
- No Comments
Latest Newsletter – August 2010
|
- Concerts, General, New Lullaby Project, Recordings
- No Comments
Summer Updates, 2010
Hello All!
In May I recorded two solo works for two separate Albany Records releases. The first, “Mi Tango” is an eight-minute homage to Piazzolla and Buenos Aires by Lexington based composer Hayg Boyadjian. It will be released in mid-September on Albany Records. I’ll be giving the public premiere of the 2010 version of “Mi Tango” on Oct. 2 in Wellfleet. www.haygboyadjian.com
The second is a new lullaby by David Patterson called “Counting Sheep”. It will be part of an album of his works due out in 2011. www.NoteScape.net
In July I joined forces with baritone Donald Wilkinson for his album Classic American Songs. The album features a number of wonderful songs from Stephan Foster to Broadway. I arranged Eden Abba’s “Nature Boy”, and two Stephan Foster songs, “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” and “Beautiful Dreamer”. For the Foster we were joined by Orlando Cela, who, it turns out, did the whistling on “Berceuse” by David Vayo on my New Lullaby CD. www.donaldwilkinson.com
In August I met with composer Frank E. Warren to work on his new lullaby, and received a new lullaby from Michael Veloso, as well as a second lullaby from David Patterson. I also submitted scores to Italian publisher Berben for a possible anthology of New Lullabies, which would be edited by yours truly.
On August 13th I and performed a couple of solos and was interviewed on Fernando’s Hideaway (BNN) by guest host Leonard Caplan (no relation). The interview and performances can be found on my YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAE-heHMPcY&feature=search.
Regarding performances, a great thanks goes out to Carolyn Frost for her kind recommendation, for I had the honor of performing a solo recital at North Hill. A great audience! I had to stay for an extra 45 minutes to answer questions about composers and the history of the guitar. A concert of Contemporary Music at the Lily Pad in Cambridge started my August.
I’ll be performing my final concert of the season on Saturday, August 28 at 7pm at the Cataumet United Methodist Church. Cataumet is on Cape Cod, just 1hr south of Boston. The church is across the street from luthier Steve Connor’s shop, so for guitarists it is a great opportunity to piggyback two wonderful guitar events. Note: I play a Steve Connor guitar.
- General, New Lullaby Project
- No Comments
Happy Listener – New Lullaby
This was sent to me via email from a fan of my latest CD, New Lullaby. Hopefully the last line is taken care of in the near future!
“Aaron Larget-Caplan, whose recordings were, in the past, glorious, has reached the level of the sublime with “New Lullaby”. He places the passion of his very soul in his music. It’s a pity that more people do not know about this extremely talented guitarist.” – Sam, CT
New Lullaby is available to sample and purchase at: CDBaby.com, Amazon, BandCamp (download only).
A free track download to all who write a “New Lullaby” review for Amazon and/or CDBaby. Send me a link to your posted review and I’ll send you the download code.
play on!
- General
- No Comments
Planet Wave’s Pro-winder
Planet Wave’s Pro-Winder w/ Clipper
Planet Wave’s Pro-Winder w/ Clipper is a must for professionals, amateurs, and student guitarists. Though it does not tie the strings for the guitarist, wouldn’t that be great, it streamlines the tedious process of manually turning the tuning head with one’s fingers by adding a 360-degree ergonomic winder between hand and tuner. No more nail snags on neighboring tuning heads and goodbye wrist fatigue. Because of this tool, and good tying abilities, I am able to change all of my strings and get to pitch completely in about 15 minutes. Staying in pitch takes a bit longer!
As I have destroyed a number of nail clippers and dinged older guitars with wire cutters trying to cut strings, I am very happy about the built in string cutting tool. It works perfectly well on nylon and steel string. I have not had the opportunity to use it with gut strings, but it would probably be just fine.
The Pro-Winder is small and light, so I am able to carry it in a small pack with other music making tools for all of my teaching and travels. As it is made of plastic one need not worry about breaking it if dropped. A somewhat common occurrence for it and my metronome.
For beginners, the Pro-Winder makes time consuming event easy, allowing for more practice and fun!
Try it out for yourself.
Planet Wave's Pro-winder
For purchasing try your local music store, if it still exists, or try Guitar Salon International: www.GuitarSalon.com
- General
- No Comments
New Lullaby, the CD – 14 Enchanting ways to fall asleep
New Lullaby Cover
The first CD of 14 New Lullabies by 13 Composers is now available for purchase and download. The release will be done throughout the year with it being spread to itunes, bandcamp, amazon, etc as it gets passed around. As you are all early supporters you can preview and purchase/download the CD at: www.cdbaby.com/cd/AaronLargetCaplan.
This is SO new that it is not even up on the website yet (www.NewLullabyProject.com).
I have heard it works as a sleep tool, as well as a very satisfying musical experience.
Buy it, listen, review, pass the word!
On another note, I premiered #’s 18 and 19 by Kota Nakamura and David Patterson on May 8th on a New Music Hartford Concert and performed them again that night in Jamaica Plain, MA and this past Wednesday night in Cambridge. Other works included the haunting “Berceuse” of David Vayo (with David whistling in Hartford), Jonathan Feist’s “No Time”, Nolan Stolz’s “Lullaby For Sam” and Francine Trester’s “My Darling’s Slumber”.
Listen Well,
Aaron Larget-Caplan, ZZZzzzuitar
- Meet the Luthier
- 1 Comment
Meet the Luthier – My interview with Franco Marino of Sicily
This interview is the first in a series called, Meet the luthier. Originally intended for the Boston Classical Guitar Society Newsletter, I decided to make them available on my blog. When possible I will include photos and videos of the luthier and his/her instruments.
Carmen and Franco Marino at Café Graffiti, North End, Boston
Background: Franco Marino is a Sicilian luthier, whose mastery of wood is as impressive as the few years he has been constructing guitars. His instruments are quickly becoming known in Italy and New England. I have played four of his guitar (2-spruce, 1-cedar, 1-pear – see video) and found myself amazed at the lyricism and playability, as well as its distinct voice. With only a few years with guitars his instruments possess great character. I look forward to playing more! Visit Franco’s site: www.francomarinoliutaio.it
Interview conducted over espresso, guitars, and walking around Boston’s North End (Little Italy) in April 2010.
Aaron Larget-Caplan: Thank you so much for sitting down with me, Franco.
Franco Marino: I have very much enjoyed meeting with the members of the BCGS, so it is my pleasure.
ALC: Did you apprentice or have any teachers or mentors in the development of your guitar building?
FM: No. I have worked with wood all of my life, so the construction aspect was more technical. For study I investigated the construction of Spanish guitars. I decided to work with the old [traditional] Spanish Method of Torres. I find this method allows for the most beautiful of tones and singing quality to come forth from the instrument.
ALC: Is there a certain sound you look for in a guitar you build?
FM: I am from Sicily, so the guitars I build have the traditional character of a Sicilian guitar: lyricism with sweet dolce sounds.
ALC: I noticed that your spruce guitars have a wonderful singing quality. Is there a reason?
FM: Well, I aim for that. I only use older wood in the construction. I also find that the species of spruce I use is quite special, it is the same species Stradivari used with his violins, though not that old.
ALC: What do you look for in a guitar?
FM: Sound and playability. A musician can be lifted or pulled down by an instrument, so it must be responsive and easy to play. Regarding sound, a guitar needs to do more than just sing, it needs to have its own voice that the player can use in bringing life to the interpretation. I find many guitarist slow down their tempi on my guitars, for the sounds want more space, though it is not difficult to play fast.
ALC: You told me earlier that you have always worked with wood. Why?
FM: Since I was a child I could always communicate with trees. I could, in essence, see what the tree could become, be it a boat, a chair, a fishing pole or even a guitar. So as I grew older I learned to recognize certain characteristic that distinguished one tree from another, and how to work the wood.
ALC: Your son plays guitar, yes?
FM: Yes, he is a student at the Conservatory in Messina. It is because of him that I started building. We went looking for a guitar and we could not find any that were of quality. I came home and decided that I could build a good and respectable guitar, so I did.
ALC: Does your son get to play your guitars?
FM: Yes, he is quite happy with them. One of the proudest moments of my life was when my son auditioned for the conservatory on my guitar. It was like we were both being judged. The Conservatory adjudicators were happy with both of us!
ALC: Favorite music on the guitar?
FM: Anything played well and with heart. I love beautiful music.
ALC: Best espresso in Boston?
FM: Café Graffiti in the North End.
ALC: Favorite places in Boston/Cambridge?
FM: Along the Charles River seeing the English Architectural influences; Jordan Hall, and any BCGS event! The BCGS events were great to attend. All the players were very kind and had a good time playing my guitars.
ALC: Well Franco, it was wonderful getting together and talking guitars. Thank you for your time, and please visit us often!
FM: Yes, and I do hope to see you and the many good people of the Boston Classical Guitar Society in Sicily!
For more information visit Franco Marion’s website: www.FrancoMarinoLiutaio.it
Aaron Larget-Caplan, is a Boston-based guitarist. He has released two solo CDs, “Tracing a wheel on water” and “New Lullaby”, he enjoys music, food and sunshine. www.AaronLC.com
- General
- 2 Comments
Festival 21 – Boston
I just returned from Festival 21 a day of “new music” directed by Frank Wallace and hosted by the Boston Classical Guitar Society, for which I am a member. Due in part to a health appointment, I attended only one event during the day, the member’s concert. When I performed on this event, as a donation, for the first Festival 21 a few years back, it was a free admission, today’s was not. It is the choice of the director but had it been clear it was going to cost $12 I would have skipped it and just gone to tonight’s concert which I will now bypass. Also, I find paying for a concert with amateurs insulting, especially when the concerts by professionals are the same price!
Venue: Gordon Chapel in Boston is a beautiful place to look at but I find its acoustic very muddy for more than one guitar and/or weak players.
That aside, my biggest complaint falls to programing. Why call it a festival of 21st century music and allow music that was written as far back as 1960 & 70’s, and why program an electric guitar!? Is there not enough real new music?! Piazzolla in any form is really not new and Tippett (programmed but not played) might write good music but why program someone who has been dead for more than five years? Cuban Landscape with Rain by Leo Brouwer is a neat piece and I have played it a couple of times in the quartet form, but it was greatly underrehearsed and it became more of a humorous farce than an actual beautiful piece of sound. On a professional note, I find it laughable how conductors and performers expect the audience to spend money and listen but can’t take the time to tuck in their shirts. The guitar gets shorted for being a tavern instrument when in reality the performers lack class.
Regarding the electric guitar, it should not be part of the program, as it is the Boston CLASSICAL Guitar Society! I did not join the society to hear solo electric guitar. There are more than enough venues and open-mics that can handle an electric guitar, yet so few that allow for an un-amplified classical guitar that it made no sense to include it. This is not a dig on the performer, his LH tapping technique was neat. It seems to be a very popular technique now, though I for one find it as a nice effect for a moment, not something I would base a piece on. Also, if people are going to play new music, say a word or two about the piece and composer. Though you have probably practiced it for months, it’s our first and probably last time hearing the piece!
Two, Audience members! The mother of two kids who sat behind me did not understand what a concert is for: LISTENING! I do think someone from the society could have said something to the woman prior as well as during the concert, as the kids consistent noise was not fun. The mother finally stepped out with her daughter though her noisy son stayed for another couple of pieces. Mr. Wallace did not say anything about the children but did mention that the chairs make noise so we shouldn’t move. I think that a venue with noisy chairs probably is not a good venue for a classical guitar concert where the dynamic range is ppp to p.
Three, Boston on a Saturday is the most uninviting place for anyone who has a car. After the number of parking tickets I have received trying to get to unprofessional and unsatisfying concerts I will not renew my membership.
I have not heard of Gyan Riley except that he is the son of Terry Riley. After visiting his website I realize he is the son of Terry Riley. Best of luck to his concert.
- General
- No Comments
Waltham Symphony Orchestra Article
Article for Waltham Symphony Orchestra's Sounds of Spain
Concierto de Aranjuez: My Orchestral Debut
About a year ago I began working on the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo. Through medical appointments for my wife, legal proceedings with a bad landlord, insurance companies, a major move, two smaller moves, no heat and heat, new friends and not, recording a CD for my New Lullaby Project, and premiering 2 New Lullabies, I have continued onwards. As the ant kept on marching and the little train did, I kept on.
My work with the amazing pianist Sarah Takagi is done. I am grateful for continuous support, and demonstrating that music is so much more than notes, and so much better when it comes with the love of others. Beethoven would call it brotherhood.
Tomorrow is rehearsal #1 with the Waltham Symphony Orchestra. Patrick Botti will be conducting, and I will be solo-ing. #’s 2 & 3 will follow and Saturday will be another concert; another beautiful day for creating music. Will you listen?
When we accept that the power of sound is stronger than the sound of power we will be at peace.
Enjoy.
Waltham Symphony Orchestra - Spring 2010
