Monthly Meetings
The Guitar Society of Southern Oregon meets on the second Thursday of each month from 6:00-8:30 pm in the beautiful tasting room of Paschal Winery in Talent. Paschal Winery is situated on top of a knoll near the southern Oregon town of Talent amidst rolling hills covered by vineyards and pear orchards. Large windows on three of the four walls take advantage of the exquisite views of the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountains as well as the southern reaches of the Rogue Valley.
The gatherings are open to the public and all are welcome. They start with a set of music by volunteer performers, followed by an intermission to socialize and to discuss Society business and upcoming guitar-related events. The evening concludes with a second set of music, sometimes performed by visiting or local featured artists.
Our players are young and old, amateurs and professionals, and skill levels range from beginner to advanced. Our emphasis is on creating a welcoming and supportive environment conducive to the enjoyment of music in an intimate, salon environment.
Performance Guidelines
At our music meetings, members of the public are welcome to perform or just come to listen. Please arrive and be seated by 6 PM. Musicians should be signed up (details below) by 6 PM as well.
The meeting program includes a wide variety of selections, performed mostly on guitar, some vocal, by amateurs, students and professionals. Anyone may announce upcoming events during the intermission as well.
We ask that audience members be respectful of the performers and not talk when people are playing. Also, please remember to silence or turn off cell phones while the meeting is in progress. This will make a more pleasant experience for everyone.
Please keep this in mind when performing:
- Check with the emcee to have your name and pieces put on the order-of-appearance list.
- Limit your performance – including introduction, comments, and stories – to 10 minutes or less (usually one to two pieces), featured guest performers excepted. Performers will be timed and given a heads-up as they approach their time limit.
- Performers and audience members are asked to keep their remarks brief to keep the meeting flowing and to give all performers the opportunity to play.
- If there is extra time at the end of the meeting, the last performer may play longer than then allotted 10 minutes.
- If there is a featured guest performer playing a 30-45 minute set, other performances will be limited to 5-7 minutes (usually one piece or two short ones).
- Current paid GSSO members will be selected to play first during busy meetings. Others will be selected as time allows.
We want our meetings to be beneficial to the winery so we can continue to meet at this ideal venue. Purchase of wine, a cheese plate, or desert is greatly appreciated. Please visit the tip jar on the counter even if you do not make a purchase.
Featured Artist Performances
Occasionally, GSSO may present a “featured artist” to perform a 30-45 minute set as the finale to a monthly open-mic meeting. The Featured Artist slot is designed for traveling and/or regional guitarists looking for opportunities to share their art and create connections in Southern Oregon. The guitarist will be provided a modest guaranteed fee with no contractual obligations. These opportunities are not meant to compete with concerts promoted by GSSO at local concert venues. If you are such a working guitarist and are interested in performing in the Featured Artist slot, please email GSSO using the Contact Us page. Access to the slot is at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors.
Directions to Paschal Winery
From I-5, take the Talent Exit (exit 21). If coming from the north (Medford), turn left at the stop sign onto West Valley View Road and go over the freeway. If coming from the south (Ashland), turn right at the stop sign onto West Valley View Road. Proceed on West Valley View road to the “T” intersection. At the “T” turn left onto Suncrest Road. Note the sign for Paschal Winery pointing to the left. Continue on Suncrest Road for 1.1 miles. Then you’ll see a sign for the winery on the left. The winery is at 1122 Suncrest Road. It sits in the midst of a vineyard, at the end of a long driveway.
