Where are you?

  1. AnneFlies
    AnneFlies
    I've been a member of this group for awhile now, and haven't met any other Michigan members in person. Where are you? What kind of music do you play? Do you play another instrument (besides mandolin)?

    Here's my info: I live in Saline (just south of Ann Arbor), and play Irish traditional music. I belong to the Detroit Irish Music Association, and often go to Conor O'Neill's on Sunday evenings for a beer and a live music fix. I also have an Irish tenor banjo and just got a fiddle.

    Anne.
  2. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Hi Anne,
    Ok, I'll bite. We seem to be a quiet bunch here in the Wolverine State. I split my time between Traverse City and Gaylord. I play mandolin, octave mandolin, and guitar (none that well). Musical genres include ITM, fiddle tunes, bluegrass, blues, and gypsy jazz. I've taken lessons from Don Julin and participated in 4 sessions of his "88 Strings" plucked string ensemble.

    These days, I'm mostly in Gaylord and find I'm needing to try to find some other pickers. It seems Boyne City is the closest spot to find 'em.

    I'd love to hear from other folk out there in our winter water wonderland.

    -Steve
  3. Paul Merlo
    Paul Merlo
    I live near Rochester. I come from guitar and also played piano as a child. My musical tastes lean toward what is labeled as the "jamband" genre, but that basically means I'd rather go see a good live show with some improvisation than memorize an album note for note. Anyway, I don't have a regular gig or project, but occasionally sit in with my friend's band (The Square Boys) for a couple songs during their set. Hopefully we can change 'occasionally' to 'regularly' in the coming year. But until then I'll be practicing at home and thinking about making some videos to share via youtube to see what you all think.

    Paul
  4. Bill Van Liere
    Bill Van Liere
    Hey All- I live in Grand Rapids and play mostly Bluegrass, Irish and general fiddle tune stuff on mandolin but also guitar & octave mandolin. I have performed in West Michigan since the late 70's with many bands and have played quite a few of the major folk festivals in our state. I am currently playing Bluegrass mando with two different bands; Jonas Ridge and recently Uncle Betty in GR in addition to playing guitar/mando in local band Kinfyre. I still perform some with Tanglemere which I formed about ten years back.

    I would like to hear from you if passing through GR.

    Bill
  5. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Hey Bill and Paul, good to hear from you. Bill, I am still wanting to catch one of your performances, so please let us know if you have any gigs up north. Likewise, I'll PM you if I can make it down to GR.

    Paul, where do the Square Boys play? Love your avatar.
  6. Bill Van Liere
    Bill Van Liere
    Howdy Steve - If you can break away from that fast paced life-style in Gaylord I will be playing WMBMA Mayfest this year with Jonas Ridge. We play Friday nite & Sat. some time. It would be nice to put a face to name and I think you would enjoy meeting some of the good folks in the GR area. A little bit of something for everyone. So far not many bookings in Northern MI, just a dance with the Bayside Travelers with an unconfirmed date.
  7. Paul Merlo
    Paul Merlo
    Hey Steve, thanks! The Square Boys play around metro Detroit infrequently. Look them up on Facebook or at http://www.thesquareboys.com/. Their guitar player also hosts a weekly open jam at the bar B1 on Wednesdays in Keego Harbor. It's an electric rock jam primarily, but I took my mando last night anyway and jammed several songs like Big River and Friend of The Devil. Next time I'm bringing my amp tho, so I can hear myself better.
  8. Jim Daniels
    Jim Daniels
    Hi All,
    My name's Jim and I live in Holland. I picked up a cheap mando ($90) in August and got the bug. My wife laughs because I have gone through a succession of instruments since then. Got a Godin, Epiphone MM70, traded them both in and bought a new Kentucky 805 two weeks ago. Love it!

    Primarily I play backup for my church on Sundays. It's been great, and every once in a while a friend of mine who is learning banjo joins in. Mostly chords, but I'm starting to get some picking in there, too.

    Our church is going to be getting a building and we are thinking of having a jam on a somewhat regular basis. We don't know anything about hosting such a thing, but it sounds like a lot of fun. I don't know of any other mando players in my town, (except my teacher - Lance Riedsma), but...they've got to be out there.

    Hoping to make it up to a gig in GR sometime. Sounds like a blast!
  9. AnneFlies
    AnneFlies
    Wow - there's quite a few of us around the mitten. Too scattered, I suppose to get together?
  10. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Anne - Not in my book. It would be fun to have a Michigan mando-gathering, but I suppose it would take one of us with a big house or a festival that we travel to. And someone to take the initiative to pull it together. Alas, 'tis not me at this time in life, but I would sure try to attend such a gathering.

    That's one feature of this Social Group. When folks travel or head to a festival, they could post here and offer a social mixer.
  11. Bill Clements
    Bill Clements
    Hello fello Michiganders!
    I live in the Lansing area and am relatively new to the mandolin.
    I got bit by the mando bug after reading an article in Reader's Digest of all places.
    I enjoy classical music and trying to figure out which finger goes where!

    Bill Clements
  12. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Welcome Bill. That's an amusing anecdote - you are the first to report catching the mando bug from Reader's Digest. What was the month/year of the article? You are fortunate to live near Elderly Instruments with perhaps the best inventory in the country. Classical, eh? Have you checked out the Classical Mandolin Society of America? I'm sure you've seen the classical section of the forum here. Let us know where your journey takes you.
  13. Mcowie
    Mcowie
    Hello everyone,

    I live in Ypsilanti (think of it as a lower-class suburb of Ann Arbor).
    I have played, rather poorly, the gutiar, trumpet, baritone, dulcimer, and native American flute. I liked making noise with all of them, but I LOVE trying to make music with the mandolin. Every day during my practice it is more apparent how much more I need to learn and practice, but it's so much FUN!

    I enjoy a variety of music, but really like the way fiddle tunes fly off the mandolin.

    Matt Cowie
  14. AnneFlies
    AnneFlies
    Hi Matt, I'm in Saline, and have joined the Detroit Irish Music Association. Lessons and an informal beginner's session are held on Thursdays at Greenwood/First United Methodist Church, at 7:30pm. Conor O'Neill's (Main Street, downtown Ann Arbor) hosts a more formal (but still fun) session on Sundays. No mandos at Conor's, but welcome on Thursday (that's when I join the group).

    Come join us, and you're guaranteed to have a lot of fun while learning to play better.

    (unless the fiddle tunes you're referring to are bluegrass - I don't have any info on that).

    Anne.
  15. Tom Sanderson
    Tom Sanderson
    Originally from Traverse City, now living in St Augustine, Florida
  16. wrestlingspaniel
    wrestlingspaniel
    Hey there. I am just getting started with my 1917ish Gibson A. Fingers are toughening up, and I am making very miniscule progress. I am located at the base of the thumb 1/2 hour west of Port Huron. Would be fun to connect with somene to take a lesson or two. Best regards.
  17. Highlander
    Highlander
    Hello all, I live in Plymouth. Got the bug when I picked up an old Harmony 'Marquis' mandolin for $50. Been a guitar player for over 40 years, my Mom is from SE Kentucky so I had to get my Bluegrass on! I now have 3 Mandolins, the Harmony, a new Ibenez Electric, and a rare 1910 Sutz Mandolin that I got for only $140!! Would love to find other players so we could exchange ideas & tunes and just jam.
  18. sarai
    sarai
    Jackson area....
  19. rb3868
    rb3868
    I'm in Hamtramck, picked up one of those inexpensive Ibanez A-style mandos to see if I would like it, just upgraded to an Eastman 805D, which I love playing. i've always had eclectic taste in music and have taught myself a few reels, a very little Vivaldi (Concerto in D Major). Realized I was beginning to understand my instrument a couple of weeks ago when I was able to pick out a little Maple Leaf Rag (which was always my favorite thing to play on piano) without any sheet music.
  20. Biotos
    Biotos
    Hi guys,
    I have just arrived in Michigan and I have settled in Grand Rapids. I have played Classical Mandolin for several years in a french orchestra and in some smaller groups. I have starting to play some World Music and I have been amazed by the number of countries that have a mandolin in their traditional Music. Nevertheless, with my classical background, playing Music on parts, I have had some hard time to be able to improvise. Let's see if I can find some Michiganders to practice and have some good time.
    Let me know if you are interested or if you know some places that I could be joining.

    Filipe
  21. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Welcome to Michigan and our social group, Filipe. Kalamazoo is not too far from you. You might want to check out the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra.
  22. Biotos
    Biotos
    Thank for the link. I will contact them to see what they are up to. If there are some jams around GR let me know. I will be definitively glad to meet some of you, guys.
    Filipe
  23. Rick Jones
    Rick Jones
    Rochester Hills area, here. Mostly into jazz/swing/Gypsy jazz. Long time guitar player; not so long (10 years or so) on Mandolin. Part-time builder, about to start ramping up that area of my life.
  24. Harrison Withers
    Harrison Withers
    Muskegon. I don't even own a mandolin, but I do own a mandocello and two bouzoukis. I am a builder of sorts I suppose. Begginer level player.
  25. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Rick, sorry I didn't see your post earlier. That jazz mando you built and posted on the cafe a few years back sure had a nice vibe. Looks to be your avatar now. Do you perform locally? I have family in the northwest burbs and make it down there from time to time. I especially enjoy jazz and Gypsy jazz, but only rarely get to see it live.

    hcw3, Wow, 2 zouks and a mandocello! Did you build all of them? What genres do you play? ITM? If you don't build a mando next, consider picking up an old vintage Gibson project and bring it back to life.
  26. Harrison Withers
    Harrison Withers
    I just posted kind of a tour of my paired instruments in the CBOM group here.

    http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...paired-strings

    I didn't build all of them. I do have an electric Mandocello in process right now. I'm eclectic in musical tastes from punk to reggae. David Lindley and his work on paired string instruments kind of brought me here. I dig the celtic thing, but i have no skills yet in that regard.

    I'm shopping for my first mandolin, generally I'm big in instrument mechanics so I would like to have a decent reference example before I build or restore. I'm self taught so everything takes me a while to figure out.
  27. RDRussell
    RDRussell
    Born in Ypsilanti, established in Windsor Ontario I am starting mandolin in St Augustine Florida at Grampa's music. (I do have 3 grandchildren). I have been playing piano for years but am looking forward to just sitting in a circle with other players and singers and making some old time fresh music. Went to the Second Saturday Jam session at Gamble Rogers State Park in Flagler Beach Florida and had fun just singing along. Hope to take my mando to the next jam. In Florida until after Easter then will back in the Detroit Windsor area. The resources on this website are terrific for a beginner.
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