Monthly Meeting Recap – December 2023

/in , , /by

Dear Guitar Fans:

We had a lovely gathering at Paschal Winery Thursday night. The performers were joined by 8 of Arturo Ville’s students from his guitar class at Grants Pass High School, along with their families, so the house was full!


PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – Solstice Shuffle (original)

Bob Bath – Silent Night by Hans Gruber, Christmastime is Here by Vince Guaraldi 

Steve and Marge Bismarck – Christmas medley for bassoon and guitar: Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod; Silent Night by Gruber; Merry Christmas, Darling by Pooler/Carpenter

Francesco Palmer – Seasons of Transformation (original)

Arturo Ville – holiday medley: Silver Bells, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells

Grants Pass HS guitar class – holiday medley: God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; Silent Night; Deck The Halls (arranged by Louis Martinez and Aaron Stang)

~ Intermission ~

LaRui Duo – Carol of the Bells by Mykoka Leontovych (trad. Ukranian), Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Grant Ruiz – Villancicos de Gloria (trad. flamenco), Christmastime is Here by Guaraldi, El Noi de la Mare (arranged by Miguel Llobet)

Victor and the Misfits (Neil and Elizabeth Holland with Victor Mlotok) – Twelve Bars Blues, Little Bird by Tim Edey

Mark Turnbull – The Day After Christmas, To a Grecian Urn, There Shines a Star (originals)

Brian Parris – Return to Me by Carmen Lombardo and Danny DiMinno, Please Come Home For Christmas by Charles Brown



ANNOUNCEMENTS

We held elections for the Board of Directors, who will serve 2 year terms. All 4 nominees – Jennifer Babineaux (incumbent), Neil Holland, Kristi Schoenbachler, and Grant Ruiz (incumbent) – were voted in unanimously as a group by a show of hands of the paying members present. Peter Jespersen is in the middle of his term, having been elected to the board last year, so he is the fifth board member.

Grant will play solo guitar at Gallerie Karon for First Friday on January 5 from 5 to 8pm, and guitar duets with Dan Fellman at Belle Fiore on Saturday, January 6 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

Monthly Meeting Recap – October 2023

/in , , /by

Dear Guitar Fans:

Last night, October 12, we had a full, fun evening of guitar music at Paschal Winery.

PROGRAM

John Swinnerton – Untitled (original)
Milton & Laurel Bloombaum – I’m Sticking with the Union by Acie Cargill, Solidarity Forever by Ralph Chaplin
Brian Parris – Mexico by Toy Caldwell, Travelers by Tim O’Brien/Alessandro Massa Untu
Elizabeth & Neil Holland – Bluesy, Diamonds, John Prines Last Dance (originals)

~ Intermission ~

Francesco Palmer – Ode to Autumn (original), Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi
Grant Ruiz – ¿Dónde Estás Corazon? by Luis Serrano, Solamente una Vez by Agustín Lara
Grant and Mark Everson – La Feria de Granada by Enrique Montoya, Bulerías in A (trad. flamenco)
Mark Everson – Bulerías based on Hava Nagila
Mark Turnbull – Frame of Reference, Simple Trust, The Olde Fam’ly (originals)


ANNOUNCEMENTS

The GSSO, in conjunction with the Britt Education, is hosting Cuban-born guitarist René Izquierdo at the SOU Recital Hall on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available at guitarsocietyso.org. We’ll send out separate email reminders with more details about the concert. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Jackson County Cultural Coalition funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust, investing in Oregon’s arts, humanities and heritage.

Elections for the Board of Directors will be held during our December gathering. There will be 3 slots available to fill. We’ll send out more information in a future email, so please keep an eye out for that.

Mark Turnbull will play at Bloomsbury Blends Café in Ashland on First Friday, November 3 from 5-7pm.

Grant Ruiz will play duets with Dan Fellman at the Rogue Valley Manor on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7pm; at Belle Fiore Winery on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30pm; and at First Friday at Gallerie Karon in Ashland from 5-8pm (come see us after you hear Mark play!).

Grant will also play solo guitar at Paschal Winery’s happy hour on Sunday, Oct. 22 from 3:30 to 5:30pm. His music will also be featured in the Collaborative Theater Project’s children’s play Yo Recuerdo Abuelito (I Remember Grandpa), a Día de los Muertos story, on Sunday and Monday, Oct. 29 at 30. You can get more information at ctpmedford.org/ctp-kids-schedule/.

For anybody interested in the OLLI program, a meeting attendee mentioned that OLLI is staging a musical Nov. 1-5. See sou.edu/olli-abroad/ for more information.


Respectfully submitted,
Grant Ruiz
Flamenco and classical guitarist
Secretary, GSSO
flamencopacifico.com
duoflamenco.com
541-261-3811

GSSO Announces New Mission and Vision!

/in , , /by

Dear Guitar Fans:

At the August Paschal meeting, we announced that GSSO had expanded its mission to include outreach to our wonderful community in southern Oregon, with particular focus on youth and on community members who are underrepresented or disconnected from the transformative power of music.  See our new mission and vision here:  GSSO’s New Mission.

What does this look like in practice?  GSSO’s first community partnership is with the Ashland Senior Center, and on August 30th Grant Ruiz presented a free program of Flamenco songs, stories, and history to a large and appreciative crowd.  We received the following message from the director of the Senior Center:  

“Dear Grant and fellow members of GSSO,

Thank you so much for offering an amazing classical flamenco guitar concert at Ashland Senior Center yesterday!  Grant’s playing and singing was so beautiful and moving. It was so wonderful to bring such joy to everyone at the Senior Center yesterday.”

Grant Ruiz performing at Ashland Senior Center

We have also partnered with Britt Music & Arts Festival  to provide music education in local schools.  Our first joint artist in 2023 was Jâca, to be followed by Rene Izquierdo in November and Boyd Meets Girl next March. 
 
New in 2024, GSSO is exploring additional opportunities to assist with guitar education for at risk youth in Rogue Valley, as well discussing opportunities to play acoustic guitar for hospice patients and their families.  We also plan to provide a series of free guitar music performances at rural Jackson County Library branches.
 
In addition to our outreach efforts, we will continue to celebrate the acoustic guitar through our monthly open-mic meetings at Paschal Winery, as well as offer world-class guitar concerts in our region. 
 
Look for future announcements regarding adding new board member positions and collaboration with new partners in the region. We are actively pursuing grants to support our new mission, and we are excited to take this journey with you, our members and supporters.
 
Respectfully submitted,
The Board of the Guitar Society of Southern Oregon
     Matt Dorris, President
     Grant Ruiz, Secretary
     Jennifer Babineaux, Treasurer
     Peter Jespersen
     Ryan Alexander