2011 CMSA Convention

[margora]

"Is this possible?"

Friday night is the MO orchestra event with the Providence and Pittsburgh groups. Some members of the PMO are going to the convention just for this and therefore are staying only on Friday night; I imagine that is true of Pittsburgh as well. This may account for the hotel being full on Friday.

[Jim Garber]

Ah... an explanation. Lou said they would check and, if necessary, make arrangements with other hotels. I am waiting to see.

[Plamen Ivanov]

I sent an E-mail to the hotel in the morning. I want to book the four nights - from Wednesday till Sunday. I asked how to proceed, so that i can pay the preferential price of USD 119 per double room. No answer so far. If Friday night is sold out at the Sheraton hotel, then i'm also waiting for the information about an alternative hotel. Still looking for another CMSA Convention attendee to share the accomodation costs.

Plamen

[Jim Garber]

Plamen: I will let you know as soon as I know something. Ideally it would be better to be at the hotel. Unless there is one within walking distance it will be a pain to be elsewhere.

[JeffD]

Google maps shows a couple of hotels within a couple of thousand feet, and more a bit further.

[Plamen Ivanov]

Hi Jim,

Thank you very much! Of course, the best option would be to stay at the Sheraton hotel with the other mando friends, but if there are no more free rooms left, then i will have to find something else.

Best,
Plamen

[Jim Garber]

it would also be good if CMSA can have an arrangement/discount with the other hotels as well. I checked out regular rate for the Sheraton and it is somewhere around $300 per night otherwise.

[John Goodin]

The latest word from President Lou follows:

"1) It appears that we will have record attendance at the 2011 Baltimore CMSA convention.

2) The Sheraton North hotel is sold out for Friday and Saturday nights.

3) We are working on an alternative hotel and will let you know the new arrangements as soon as we can."

I'm sure that Jim or one of us in the loop will provide follow-up info on alternate hotel arrangements as it becomes known.

With the stellar lineup and the large number of registrants this promises to be one of the best conventions ever!

John G.

[Jim Garber]

Google maps shows a couple of hotels within a couple of thousand feet, and more a bit further.

While we are waiting... for your amusement. Nearest on google maps:

Americas Best Value Inn Towson: (comment: "This was one of the creepest place I've ever been to")

The other choice: Towson Veterinary Hospital and Dog & Cat Hotel

Hmmmmmmmm....

[jblanchard]

Some CMSA convention news:

Hotel issues are being worked on furiously. We hope to have some resolution by Friday or Monday.

We have heard that some CMSA Convention registrants have not received the music for the En Masse Orchestra. If you registered as a “player” for the convention, you should have received your music by now. Here’s the list of orchestra selections:
• Czardas D’Amour
• Ben Hur Overture
• Hues of Dusk
• Swimming Down the Stars
• Lied ohne Worte
• Ceilidh - 5 movements (Note: The music for this piece had to be ordered from Germany and may have been delayed. And another note: For mandola players – our transcriber is still working on the C-clef and “transposed” music for you – this should be in your hands by the end of next week. You should have all the other selections.)

If you haven’t gotten the orchestra music you expected, please contact Vicki Chouinard right away: l_chouinard@visi.com or call 612-724-6009.

For all convention attendees, here’s a note about the convention concerts:

If you know of anyone who may want to attend our En Masse Concert at 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 15, here is some information that may be useful. The location is the Kraushaar Auditorium on the Goucher College campus, just a short walk or drive from the Sheraton hotel. Since the college ordinarily offers concerts to the public at no charge, CMSA is honoring this policy. While donations will, of course, be welcome, people are also welcome to attend without contributing anything but enthusiastic applause.

Seating is first-come, first-served, so there are no tickets to buy. Friends and family can just show up. Besides the En Masse orchestra, the evening line-up will include a 30-minute set by professional classical mandolinist Chris Acquavella, a set by the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra, and a warm up set by members of the BMO's youth program, Mando for Kids, as we settle into the auditorium.

This year all concerts and playing exhibitions at the hotel will also be free. The MandoKids will be appearing before the Friday evening concert as well as the—previously mentioned—Saturday concert.

[Jim Garber]

Hotel issues are being worked on furiously. We hope to have some resolution by Friday or Monday.

Thanks for the update, Jim. It is good to know what is going on. Keep us posted on further developments.

[JeffD]

I have stayed at an Americas Best Value Inn - and its definitely not a Sheraton. Creepy? Hmmm. Low end, yea. But when the plan is to have so much fun you are exhausted and need just a bed to scuttle your body, they work fine. The one's I have stayed at anyway.

[Jim Garber]

Thanks, Jeff. I started looking in the area for other possibilities and there seem to be some tho I am not sure which ones have available rooms. There seem to be a few that have reasonable rates. I may just reserve if there is a cancellation policy. It would prob be better to be in a place with other convention goers so that we can get rides back and forth.

[jblanchard]

Today's (15 Sep) update on the Sheraton hotel in Baltimore (from Lou Chouinard):

1) We have identified the problem with the Sheraton hotel and are pursuing a number of solutions.

2) If you have a reservation at the Sheraton for Tuesday – Thursday or Wednesday – Thursday and want to get a reservation at the Sheraton for Friday and Saturday, please send your reservation number and room type to Lou Chouinard at l_chouinard@visi.com.

3) If you have not made reservations at the Sheraton waiting for a solution to the weekend issue, please make a reservation for the days you can and send the reservation information to Lou.

We'll keep you posted as we find out any additional news.

Jim Blanchard

[Jim Garber]

When I last called (last weekend) there was a room available for Saturday but not Friday. I did not want to book it since it would be a pain to have to stay at two different hotels for two nights or i wasn't sure about cancelling one (if I would lose money that way).

[Jim Garber]

I checked on the Sheraton site and when I plugged in Friday and Saturday a msg came up and said the hotel was full.

[jblanchard]

This just in from Lou Chouinard, CMSA President:

Quote. Today we were notified by the Sheraton Baltimore North that they were able to make reservations for everyone who had been identified as needing rooms for Friday and Saturday. Our thanks go to the staff of the Sheraton Baltimore North for working with us to make this all possible.

The Sheraton Baltimore North is full for Friday and Saturday nights and the CMSA reserved block of 100 rooms is also sold out.

If you wish to attend the Baltimore convention and need a hotel reservation, please contact Lou Chouinard at CMSAPresident@ClassicalMandolinSociety.org for information on the over-flow hotel. Plenty of rooms are still available there. Unquote.

My personal advice for future CMSA conventions: book your hotel room early!

Jim Blanchard
Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra

[joebrent]

Just a few quick announcements -- in addition to the regularly scheduled CMSA activities, I'm doing some extra credit work. If you'd like to start your morning on Wednesday Oct. 12th with an espresso shot of mandolin, I'm playing with Jewel on Live With Regis and Kelly at 9am, then hopping a train to Baltimore, hopefully in time for the 3pm orchestra rehearsal! Then Thursday, Chris Acquavella and I are playing a full program of solo and duo mandolin music at An Die Musik, a recital hall in downtown Baltimore. This will be a longer program than our CMSA recitals and will feature a lot of music we won't be playing there, including the world premiere of a new mandolin duo by Mannes composition professor David Loeb. An Die Musik is a really beautiful venue, hope to see lots of you there!

[jblanchard]

List of workshop topics and presenters at CMSA 2011 (timetable still being worked out):

First of all, FYI, we have about 140 people signed up to play in the en masse orchestra this year!!

Baroque & Classical Repertoire: Solo, Duet and Trio - Chris Acquavella
Romantic & Contemporary Repteroire: Solo, Duet and Trio - Chris Acquavella
Parking Lot Exercises - Carlo Aonzo
American Classical Solo Mandolin - Carlo Aonzo
Taking Your Orchestra to the Next Level: Ideas for Players and Conductors - Jim Bates
Rhythm From All Angles - Jim Bates
How to Learn Jazz Improvisation - Joe Brent
Tremolo Technique - Joe Brent
Fun With Mandocellos - Chaim Caron
Mandolin for Kids Curriculum - Children's Education Committee
Lutherie Myths and a Few Facts - Dave Cohen
Small Ensemble Music of Victor Kioulaphides - Mark Davis
Arrangers' Roundtable - Jonathan Jensen
Chord Melody: What, Why and How - Aaron Weinstein

Plus, there will be some after-hours sight reading and possibly a couple of other late-night surprises.

Jim Blanchard
BMO

[jblanchard]

Tentative list of vendors at CMSA 2011:

1. Emory Knode from Appalachian Bluegrass (the biggest mandolin dealer in the Baltimore area) and Tim Finch of Eastman mandolins are going to combine forces and timeshare a table
2. Walt Kuhlman of Gypsy's music (builder)
3. Mark Bluett of Bluett Brothers (builder)
4. Dave Cohen of Cohen Musical Instruments (builder)
5. We (the BMO) will have a couple of tables with a bunch of music and CDs (and maybe an instrument or two) from folks who can't come but want to display and sell.

We're still working on getting other vendors.

Jim Blanchard
BMO

[jblanchard]

LATE NEWS REGARDING THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF ROOMS AT THE SHERATON HOTEL, FROM THE CMSA PRESIDENT, OCT 4th.

CMSA has negotiated a $79.00 per night rate with the Best Western Plus - Towson / Baltimore North Hotel & Suites.

The address is 1100 Cromwell Bridge Road, Towson, MD 21286. This is 1.6 miles from the Sheraton hotel.

This rate includes free parking, free breakfast, and complimentary wireless internet.

To make reservations, call 410-823-4410 and identify yourself as a CMSA convention attendee.

For those of you who are still hoping to get into the Sheraton, we are still working on that request and will notify you as soon as we get any additional information from the Sheraton.

Jim Blanchard, for Lou Chouinard

[John Goodin]

Does anyone have advice on how best to travel from BWI to the Sheraton? The hotel gives an estimated taxi fare of $42 but the BWI Airport Taxi page estimates the fare at $73. I see there is a light rail option but I'm not sure what would be the best station to stop at. I seem to remember someone saying that the hotel shuttle will pick people up at the light rail station but I can't find that info anymore. What to do?

John G.

[Plamen Ivanov]

I'm the last person to give you an idea how to reach the Sheraton from BWI, but as far as i was researching the travel options from Washington to Baltimore, i found out that the nearest public station to the hotel is the Penn Station. You can reach it by the light rail and it is also the cheapest option. There is also a free shuttle to the BWI train station. With the train you can reach the Penn Station for few dollars. The distance from Penn Station to the Sheraton North is about six miles. I think taking a taxi from Penn Station should be a good option or at least this is what i'm going to do unless there is a better option.

See you soon, John!

Best,
Plamen

[jblanchard]

Does anyone have advice on how best to travel from BWI to the Sheraton? The hotel gives an estimated taxi fare of $42 but the BWI Airport Taxi page estimates the fare at $73. I see there is a light rail option but I'm not sure what would be the best station to stop at. I seem to remember someone saying that the hotel shuttle will pick people up at the light rail station but I can't find that info anymore. What to do?

John G.

John,

I put travel tips on how to get to the hotel in the August issue of the Mandolin Journal.

Jim Blanchard
BMO

[John Goodin]

Jim, thanks for reminding me. I knew I had seen this somewhere. Plamen, you might contact Jim privately for the info on how to get there from Penn Station.

John G.