Events Archive
The Music Emporium offer several interactive workshops, mini concerts and other events each year. Always informative, they provide a nice environment for players of various levels and experience to come together, meet, and exchange ideas, while learning from master players and teachers from around the country.
Over the past couple of years, we have held these and other events:
- Jerry Douglas Dobro Workshop / Fishman Electronics
- Bill Collings in-store presentation / Collings Gtrs
- Laurence Juber Interactive Concert / Martin Gtrs
- Ed Gerhard Fingerstyle Guitar Concert
- Vance Gilbert Performance Workshop
- Taylor Roadshow / Taylor Guitars
- Mark Hanson Fingerstyle Guitar Workshops / Collings Gtrs
- Peter Mulvey & David Goodrich Concert
Recent Events
The Martin Experience
Come experience exclusive Martin Customs. Meet Martin artist Ed Golden and Martin Representative Randy Singleton for a showcase of music, & fine Martin instruments to play & purchase. Giveaways!
The Music Emporium and C.F. Martin & Co. present an evening with Martin Artist and former Custom Shop Manager Ed Golden, along with Martin Factory Representative Randy Singleton. If you ever wanted to know how to design your dream Martin guitar, don't miss this event.
The Custom Shop's sole purpose for existence is to serve the fringe, the outliers, that small group of passionate artists and individuals who see the world differently and believe good enough isn't. Every day in the Custom Shop Martin's luthiers obsess over the details that matter to you and us, the fringe: rare and exceptional materials, traditional build techniques, hand workmanship, personal attention. They understand true passion exists on the edge of obsession. It is these obsessions with guitars that connect the Martin Custom Shop to those who share thier intense desire to create something unique and different from the world around us.
Martin Artist Ed Golden will be on hand to educate us on the finer points of acoustic guitar tone and how it is affected by body shape, wood choice and construction techniques. As always, our seating is limited so please RSVP below if you wish to attend.
Workshop: 7:00 - 9:00 PM - Free admission, but seating is limited.
Taylor Guitars - "Find Your Fit" Sales Event
Meet a Taylor Guitars factory expert for a personal guitar consultation!
The Taylor experts will be in the shop all day to help you find your perfect guitar, so feel free to drop in and say hello!
Event Time: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
this event is free of charge
Steve James Bottleneck Slide Guitar Workshop
This hands-on session will start with an explanation and demonstration of tunings, techniques and repertoire basic to the bottleneck slide guitar sound. The balance of the workshop will be devoted to detailing and learning a couple of classic slide themes along with techniques such as double handed muting, finger-picked rolls, tapping and harmonics. Participants should bring guitar, accessories and notebook Some hand-out material supplied. (Non hand held sound recording devices permitted).
Long known in the realm of contemporary roots music for his touted live performances and recordings, Steve James has also authored books and lessons for Acoustic Guitar, created instructional DVDs for Homespun and taught at many workshop programs and music camps worldwide.
Workshop Time 7:00pm-9:00pm
$50.00
Matt Flinner Mandolin Workshop
Nashville-based mandolin star Matt Flinner returns to The Emporium for an informative and inspiring workshop. Geared for developing players across a range of levels, Matt will offer some great mandolin insights, ideas, exercises and more to help your playing. If you are a beginner looking for a good foundation, or a more intermediate player looking to move past your current plateau, Matt will teach to your level and will help to elevate your playing and build confidence.
Workshop Time 7:00pm-9:00pm
$50.00
John Thomas "Kalamazoo Gals" Book Signing
One of the preeminent experts on early Gibsons, John Thomas will be in the store on March 16th to sign and discuss his new book Kalamazoo Gals. John is a field editor and frequent contributor to the Fretboard Journal, and a boundless resource of knowledge on these early Gibson treasures. His new book Kalamazoo Gals reveals the previously untold story of the nearly all female workforce that built Gibson guitars between 1942 and 1945, the "banner" period. Here's a description from the John's website:
It’s a haunting image. Some seventy women sit in four rows in front of the Gibson Guitar factory in the mid-1940s. Conventional wisdom and company lore had it that Gibson had ceased guitar production during World War II, with only “seasoned craftsmen” too old for war doing repairs and completing the few instruments already in progress. What were these women doing there? The image so bedeviled Thomas that he eventually set out to find at least one of the women in the photograph. He found a dozen. Along the way he would discover that despite denials that endured into the 1990s, Gibson employed a nearly all female workforce to build thousands of wartime guitars, each marked with a small, golden “banner” containing the slogan “Only a Gibson is Good Enough.” The banner appeared on the guitars at the moment those women entered the factory in January 1942 and disappeared when the war ended at the end of 1945.
On his personal journey Thomas tracks Orville Gibson from his birth in upstate New York to the founding of his namesake company in Michigan, and finally to his untimely death in a mental hospital. He takes us to meet these women in Kalamazoo and to time travel with them through the Great Depression and into World War II. He wanders the hallways of the abandoned Gibson factory in search of the ghost of its founder, Orville Gibson, steps into an imaging clinic to seek radiographic evidence of sublime quality of the Gals’ craft, and tracks the “Banner” Gibsons from Kalamazoo into the hands of their first owners. Along the way he leads us straight into the hearts of the Kalamazoo Gals.
John will be in shop to sign his book from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Read more about Kalamazoo Gals here
Tim Sparks Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop
We are thrilled to have fingerstyle guitar wizard Tim Sparks back for a workshop. Tim is an ultra-accomplished guitar player who has shared cd space with Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot and has released a number of excellent cds for John Zorn's Tzadik label under his own name. More recently he has focused on recordings highlighting his inventive blues and roots playing.
For this workshop basic Country Blues scales will be taught in the keys of G-E-D-C and A, beginning with first position and then transposed up the guitar neck. By the end of the course students will have the a grasp of some tasty guitar riffs and where to find them from the 1rst to the 14th fret. If you are interested in improvisation and jamming this course will definitely improve your skills!
Tim will also play selections from his arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite as well as new originals and standards like Mr. Bojangles and Joni Mitchell's Clouds.
Workshop Time 7:00pm
$30.00
Pierre Bensusan Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop - SOLD OUT
We are delighted to welcome back Pierre Bensusan for a rare guitar workshop. Described by the L.A. Times as "one of the most unique and brilliant acoustic guitar veterans in the world music scene today", Pierre Bensusan was voted "Best World Music Guitar Player in 2008" by Guitar Player Magazine Readers Choice. His name became synonymous with contemporary acoutsic guitar genius, long before the terms New Age, New Acoustic Music or World Music were invented. He has the ability to make a single guitar sound like an entire band as he brings the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey.
Pierre will present an interactive workshop on his guitar style. Attendees are asked to bring their own guitars with them.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT - Put your name on the waiting list here
Workshop Time 7:00pm
$50.00
The player below has some nice examples of Pierre's music:
Meet Your Maker: Bill Collings
As part of our ongoing Meet Your Maker series, The Music Emporium is proud to host Bill Collings for an intimate evening of spirited conversation. This will be Bill’s fifth visit to our store in the last ten years and if past events are any indication, the evening will be quite entertaining, very informative, and indeed inspirational. Come meet Bill and his team leader for acoustic guitar production since the inception of Collings Guitars, master craftsman Bruce VanWart.
Join us for an in depth glimpse of the evolving culture & articulate prowess that Team Collings has developed – From their legendary acoustic guitars, to mandolins, electric guitars, and more recently ukuleles… Stealthy transitions that are the envy of production builders, all within a mere quarter century.
The hallmark of their success?.. Combining old school, bench-built tradition with modern day technology to create their signature voicing in every instrument they build.
Together, Bill and Bruce will talk about the life journey to building world class instruments, and walk us through their present-day facility with a detailed photo montage of the Collings workshop in Austin, Texas. They will discuss & demonstrate their technique, from selecting master grade tone woods, to voicing tops, and more. The night will conclude with open forum Q&A session, a rare opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Bill and Bruce will also be in the shop on Saturday, November 8th from 1pm to 4pm.
Seating is limited – So make plans to attend, RSVP today
The event will be Friday, December 7th at 8PM. Doors will open at 7:45PM. You may RSVP here.
Taylor Road Show 2012
Back by popular demand, the Taylor Road Show returns to The Music Emporium. Come and meet some of the Taylor Factory Staff, test-drive new models, listen to cool and informative Taylor demos, and register to win Taylor Gear giveaways. There will be special deals on in-stock models as well as some unique one-off models. These events are hugely popular, seating is limited, so reserve your space today. Also, Taylor representatives will be in-store on Saturday for more one-on one-consultation.
Please contact us to reserve your seat.
THURSDAY November 8th - ROAD SHOW
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event is free
RSVP
SATURDAY November 10th - Taylor representatives in-store for consultation
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Event is free
Stacy Phillips Dobro Workshop
Stacy Phillips is an internationally acclaimed resonator guitarist. Author of the popular book "Mel Bay's Complete Dobro Player" among countless others, Stacy is one of the foremost Dobro teachers on the scene today. He'll present a workshop discussing the styles and techinques he uses, giving insight and perspective the players of all levels.
Participants will have a big say in what is taught, so please send Stacy an email with suggestions of what you'd like covered - archduke(at)stacyphillips.com
Among other topics Stacy will be prepared to discuss
- 1. position playing: how to solo over any chord progression out of one position, thereby greatly reducing the amount of jumping around the fingerboard ie. building solos out of scalar patterns.
- 2. getting the sound of a 6th tuning out of a G tuned instrument
- 3. the new way of playing full minor chords: no bar slants or string pulls necessary! how to solo over minor chords
- 4. and, of course: incorporating melody into rolls, slants, "faking" solos on tunes you don't know, some cool licks, playing in all keys without a capo, technique issues, and maybe a new tune with harmony!
He has performed with the top acoustic musicians over the world. He has three solo albums and is featured artist on the Grammy award-winning album The Great Dobro Sessions. Stacy is the author of over 25 books and DVD's on various aspects of his chosen instruments.
"Stacy Phillips, his resonator and a slide that just blaze against an already brilliant backdrop. You'd swear the man articulates his own self through that instrument for how he makes it talk and sing. Even when it's joyful it's nearly wrenching for how deeply it moves."
- - - Touring the Indies web site - http://indietour.blogspot.com
Workshop: 7:00 - 9:30 PM Cost: $50
Mark Hanson Fingerstyle Guitar Workshop
Grammy Award-winning guitarist and author Mark Hanson returns to Music Emporium for an interactive guitar workshop/concert on Tuesday evening, October 2 at 7:30 p.m. Mark is well known for many guitar related activities: his several dozen guitar instruction books and DVDs; his many recordings and magazine articles, including his contributions to the Grammy-winning Henry Mancini-Pink Guitar CD; and his annual guitar seminar in Portland, Oregon; and his workshops at Music Emporium!
On October 2, Mark will perform for you, discuss how to develop your skills as a guitarist and musician, get you playing as an ensemble, answer any and all questions, and provide tablature for a number of his tunes. This is a hands-on event - bring your guitars!
After spending time with Mark you will walk away with a deeper understanding of music and guitar, and have some new tunes to play!
Workshop: 7:00 - 9:30 PM Cost: $40
David Grier Workshop
The Music Emporium is proud to welcome pioneering bluegrass guitarist, David Grier, to our show room for an intensive workshop geared towards improvisation in the flatpicking and contemporary fiddle tune styles. This is a rare opportunity for players of all modern acoustic styles to pick the brain of a master regarding technique, tone, phrasing and composition. David will provide invaluable insights into the intricacies of his personal style and answer any questions attendees offer up. While players of all levels are welcome, many of the techniques David employs are geared towards intermediate-to-advanced students. Audio recording is allowed (and encouraged!), but please refrain from recording video at this event.
Workshop: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Cost: $50
Please bring your guitar.
Taylor Guitars - "Find Your Fit" Sales Event
Meet a Taylor Guitars factory expert for a personal guitar consultation!
The Taylor experts will be in the shop all day to help you find your perfect guitar, so feel free to drop in and say hello!
Event Time: 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
this event is free of charge
Ed Gerhard In Concert
From Tokyo to Rome and venues across the US, Ed Gerhard's music has touched concert audiences all over the world. Gerhard captivates audiences with a combination of virtuosity, generosity and humor. Known for his gorgeous tone and compositional depth, Gerhard can move a listener with a single note.
Gerhard returns to The Music Emporium celebrating the highly anticipated release of his new CD "There and Gone." It is a collection of original compositions and covers including a stunning arrangement of "Imagine/Across the Universe," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and a concert favorite on Weissenborn, "Killing the Blues."
Gerhard will share an evening of exquisite guitar music- performing material from his new CD as well as concert favorites. Performing on 6-string, slide guitar and Hawaiian lap steel, Gerhard combines rare compositional depth with inspired virtuosity. Fans of guitar music won’t want to miss this opportunity to see and hear one of the country’s finest players.
His CD "Luna" is featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine's 20th Anniversary list of the "240 Essential Albums." “This soulful album of original compositions rich in melody, chordal complexity and stylistic variety proves why Gerhard is considered to have the most exquisite acoustic guitar tone on the planet.” - Acoustic Guitar Magazine He was awarded a GRAMMY Award for his inclusion in the CD Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar. His music is featured in the Ken Burns documentary “Mark Twain” and "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."
Concert: 7:30 - 9:30 PM Cost: $25
RSVP Here
Martin Custom Shop Event with Ed Golden
The Music Emporium and C.F. Martin & Co. present an evening with Martin Custom Shop Manager Ed Golden and Martin Factory Representative Randy Singleton. If you ever wanted to know how to design your dream Martin guitar, don't miss this event.
The Custom Shop's sole purpose for existence is to serve the fringe, the outliers, that small group of passionate artists and individuals who see the world differently and believe good enough isn't. Every day in the Custom Shop Martin's luthiers obsess over the details that matter to you and us, the fringe: rare and exceptional materials, traditional build techniques, hand workmanship, personal attention. They understand true passion exists on the edge of obsession. It is these obsessions with guitars that connect the Martin Custom Shop to those who share thier intense desire to create something unique and different from the world around us.
Martin Custom Shop Manager Ed Golden will be on hand to educate us on the finer points of acoustic guitar tone and how it is affected by body shape, wood choice and construction techniques. As always, our seating is limited so please RSVP below if you wish to attend.
Workshop: 6:30 - 9:00 PM - Free admission, but seating is limited.
Flatpicking Improvisation for Guitar and Mandolin with Dan Miller and Tim May
An Approach to Improvisation on Guitar and Mandolin
Tim May and Dan Miller (co-authors of the popular eight volume Flatpicking Essentials Guitar Course and the new instructional DVD "An Approach to Improvisation"), will conduct a hands-on, all-level Guitar and Mandolin Improvisation Workshop.
The idea of learning how to improvise can be overwhelming. Tim May and Dan Miller's workshop will prove to you that it is much easier to improvise than you think, and now is the time to start learning, even if you are a beginner to guitar or mandolin! In the workshop Tim and Dan teach an approach to improvisation that will put you on the road to improvising a solo on a song in a very short amount of time. In fact, no matter what your current ability level, you will be improvising by the end of this workshop, even on a song that you have never heard before! Each student will have the opportunity to spend individual time with, and get direct feedback from, one of the instructors.
About the Instructors:
Tim May is the kind of guy everyone likes. He's humorous, humble, easy-going, and fun to be around. He's also a very accomplished guitar player, singer, and songwriter—and one of Nashville's acoustic guitar "go-to guys". For fifteen years Tim focused on his job as the guitar player for the Nashville-based bluegrass band Crucial Smith. When that band broke up in 2002 the job offers started pouring in. Recent highlights include touring with Patty Loveless, touring with Eddie Rabbit, touring Japan with John Cowan, playing on the all-star Rounder project Moody Bluegrass (and performing with the Moody Blues band at the Ryman Auditorium), performing on the Grand Ole Opry dozens of times with Mike Snider, and recording a bluegrass gospel project with Charlie Daniels. Additionally, FGM Records has released Tim''s solo CD "Find My Way Back" and Tim is also featured in a new FGM Records concert DVD, "Live in Kansas City," with Brad Davis and Cody Kilby. While there are plenty of great guitar pickers in Nashville, Tim May adds great songwriting and singing to his list of many talents, which include being equally adept at resonator guitar, banjo, and mandolin. When he is not on the road or in the recording studio Tim works building and repairing stringed instruments. He is also the co-author of the eight-volume Flatpicking Essentials book/CD series and co-instructor on three instructional DVDs for guitar.
Dan Miller has been the publisher and editor of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine since 1996. He has also co-authored a number of flatpicking books, including: "The Bluegrass Guitar Style of Charles Sawtelle" with Charles Sawtelle, "Flatpicking the Blues" with Brad Davis, "The Guitar Player's Guide to Developing Speed, Accuracy and Tone" with Brad Davis, and the Eight Volume flatpicking course "Flatpicking Essentials" with Tim May. Dan Miller and Tim May have also produced three instructional DVDs for guitar players: "Improving Speed, Accuracy, and Tone," "Creating Solos," and "An Approach to Improvisation." Tim May and Dan Miller also have been performing in a trio with their good friend Brad Davis (Davis Miller May) since 2005 and have been performing together as a duo since 2007.
Workshop: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM Cost: $50
Meet Your Maker: Dana Bourgeois / EVENT FULL
EVENT FULL
We will be closing at 5:00pm on 5/8 in preparation for this workshop. We will reopen for reserved attendees at 7:30pm.
"Meet Your Maker" - A Hands-On Guitar Top Voicing Demonstation by Master Luthier Dana Bourgeois.
Is the wood flexible or stiff? How does it sound when you tap it ? Is it musical? How quick is the response? How is the grain running? What does it look like? These are the some of the questions Dana will attempt to address in a hands-on demonstration where he actually voices an Adirondack Top that will eventually be used on a Bourgeois Guitar.
We here at Bourgeois Guitars have been busy building some wonderful and unique guitars for The Music Emporium in Lexington Mass. in preparation for the a "Meet Your Maker" visit by Dana Bourgeois of Bourgeois Guitars. Dana will talk about how he picks the wood he chooses and why. Using an unfinished Adirondack top, he will give the attendees a chance to tap and listen for themselves before and after he carves, braces and voices the top. The top will then be made available to a lucky customer wishing to build the guitar of thier dreams. After the clinic, folks are welcome to hang around, play some of the great Bourgeois guitars that The Music Emporium has and ask Dana and Bonni Lloyd all of the hard questions they can think of!
Dana Bourgeois has been designing and building acoustic guitars since 1974. He has often lectured on the subject, and has also written several influential articles on various aspects of the guitar building art, most notably about tonewoods, and about the voicing and bracing of acoustic guitars. He now heads a small group of dedicated craftsmen and women building eight guitars a week in an old 1860's mill in Lewiston Maine. Following a time-honored artisinal process that has them all striving daily to build the perfect guitar.
As an interesting historical note, this has been a long-overdue return, as Dana Bourgeois was the first builder featured in The Music Emporium's "Meet Your Maker" Series in the Lexington shop way back in 1994. We look forward to meeting seeing you there!
May 8th
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Laurence Juber Workshop - Up Close with LJ
Workshop: 8:30 AM
THIS EVENT IS SOLD-OUT.
Meet Your Maker: Jim Merrill
As part of our “Meet your Maker” series, we are pleased to welcome master luthier and Martin historian, Jim Merrill, to The Music Emporium showroom. Jim’s encyclopedic knowledge of Martin guitars combined with a highly skilled hand has resulted in some of the most sought-after guitars in the industry. There are few luthiers today who have approached with greater accuracy the pre-War Martin build and sound.
Join us on December 2 @ 8PM for an evening of guitars, refreshments, and insightful discussion about Jim’s craft and the myths and misunderstandings surrounding vintage Martin guitars. We’ll also have on hand a half dozen Merrill guitars. If you’re familiar with Jim’s wait time, you’ll realize how amazing it is to have more than one of his guitars to handle, let alone 6.
Seating will be limited so we encourage you to RSVP soon. We hope to see you on December 2nd for this very special night.
Please contact us to reserve your seat.
December 2nd
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Event is free
RSVP
Jim will also be here in the shop during the day of Saturday, December 3rd.
Taylor Road Show
Back by popular demand, the Taylor Road Show returns to The Music Emporium. Come and meet some of the Taylor Factory Staff, test-drive new models, listen to cool and informative Taylor demos, and register to win Taylor Gear giveaways. There will be special deals on in-stock models as well as some unique one-off models. These events are hugely popular, seating is limited, so reserve your space today.
Please contact us to reserve your seat.
November 10th
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event is free
RSVP
Meet Your Maker: Yusuke Kawakami
The Music Emporium will host an evening with Japanese ukulele builder Yusuke Kawakami on Tuesday, Sept 20th. Yusuke is the renowned builder of High River ukuleles that currently grace the Emporium showroom. In Japan, High River ukuleles are distributed by Yamaha, and marketed with the guitarist in mind. With a scale length that hovers between concert and tenor size, and a dreadnought design and appointments, these instruments are perfect for those who can't decide between the guitar and the ukulele. In addition to giving a small talk about his building process and taking questions from the audience, Yusuke will also be showing off his '45' style uke.
The event will be Tuesday, September 20th at 7:30pm and is free of charge. Please RSVP as seating will be limited
Taylor Guitars - "Find Your Fit" Sales Event
Meet a Taylor Guitars factory expert for a personal guitar consultation!
Is there anything more inspiring than discovering a Taylor that sings in your hands? The good news: You have more guitar options than ever before. The bad news: You have more guitar options than ever before. Taylor's guitar experts can help.
On August 6th, Taylor's friendly factory experts will visit The Music Emporium for the sole purpose of helping you find the Taylor that's the right fit for you. They'll identify your player profile and tell you which guitar body shape and wood pairings best match your playing style. They'll answer any questions you have. And if you’re not sure where to begin, they'll help you understand the basics.
Event Time: 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
this event is free of charge
Meet Your Maker: Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitars
Richard Hoover launched the Santa Cruz Guitar Company in 1976, and has never strayed from his original objective of using traditional luthiery methods in an intimate team setting. The idea of building his acoustic guitars by hand and working exclusively with independently owned guitar shops was a breakthrough idea at that time. He has traveled all over the world to procure responsibly harvested woods and is known internationally as a forefather of the boutique acoustic guitar industry. His workshops cover everything from internet myth busting acoustic science and engineering, tone woods, the cowboy way and hot sauce. Join him at The Music Emporium for an entertaining evening of all things acoustic, and learn how to design a custom guitar to fit your specific playing style, sound requirements and personal aesthetic values.
The event will be Thursday July 28th at 6:30pm. Please RSVP as seating will be limited
Mark Hanson: Becoming a Better Fingerpicker
Become a Better Fingerpicker! Grammy-Award winner, prolific author, and long-time Music Emporium guest instructor Mark Hanson will coach you on becoming a more proficient fingerpicker, no matter what technical level you are.
Next is an overview of the fretting hand and the fingerboard. This will emphasize: 1) smooth, relaxed chord changes; 2) independent finger movement and timing required to play multi-voiced pieces smoothly and successfully; and 3) where to play the same chords in different positions to enhance your sound.
Finally, Mark teaches two beautiful fingerstyle solo arrangements from his "Love Songs" CD: Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy."
Lots of info from a long-time master! Mark Hanson has authored over two dozen books and videos on acoustic guitar. He regularly presents concerts and master classes across the country, and has shared the stage with such luminaries as John Renbourn, Alex de Grassi, and the late Jerry Garcia.
Workshop: 8:30 - 10:30 AM Cost: $40
You can also attend both workshops for a discounted total of $70
Mark Hanson: Vintage Leo Kottke
Mark Hanson is the author of two Leo Kottke volumes and numerous other guitar books. Mark will teach three of Leo Kottke's vintage fingerstyle masterpieces: "Brain of the Purple Mountain", "Watermelon" and "Driving of the Year Nail" from 1969's classic 6- & 12-String Guitar album. Bring your guitar (6- or 12-string) in standard tuning.
Lots of info from a long-time master! Mark Hanson has authored over two dozen books and videos on acoustic guitar. He regularly presents concerts and master classes across the country, and has shared the stage with such luminaries as John Renbourn, Alex de Grassi, and the late Jerry Garcia.
Workshop: 11:30 - 1:30 PM Cost: $40
You can also attend both workshops for a discounted total of $70
Free Taylor Restring Clinic
Bring in your Taylor guitar and we'll check it out, clean it up and throw on a new set of Elixir strings, all for free! Limit one restring per customer.
Event Time: 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Free of charge
R. Taylor Private Showcase Event
Join us for an intimate gathering to experience the musical craftsmanship of R. Taylor Guitars. Michael Lille from R. Taylor with share the shop's design philosophy, and personally guide you through the refined details that transform each guitar into a unique masterwork. Come play a sampling of models and discover why the R. Taylor line is unlike any other.
Event Time: 7:00 PM
Free of charge, please RSVP as seating will be limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
Laurence Juber Interactive Mini-Concert EVENT FULL
The Music Emporium and C.F. Martin proudly welcome Laurence Juber for an evening of exceptional fingerstyle music. Laurence's playing spans several genres, and this evening he will discuss tone, technique & musicianship, along with undoubtedly wowing us with his own original pieces & arrangements of popular tunes.
Concert: 7:00 PM
Free of charge, please RSVP as seating will be limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
WORKSHOP IS FULL. RSVP FOR WAITING LIST ONLY RSVP Here
Vance Gilbert’s Collision Course: Performance and Songwriting Workshop
There are great songs out there that you’ll never hear because they are “under-performed” by the artists. And there are great artists out there that have all the chops in the world but short shelf lives in the eyes of the listener because they perform songs that need “tweaking”. And there are some situations where a little stagework on both can bring a performance to life! Vance’s Collision Course Workshop offers you the opportunity to take an instructive, simultaneous look at your performance skills and your songwriting in an “open mike” stage setting. That’s where it all finally happens, right?
Vance believes that your performance and your songwriting are inseparably intertwined.In this revolutionary workshop your whole presentation - from adjusting the microphone, stage patter, eye contact, song arrangement, lyric tweak, and approach to the instrument - all will be reviewed, gently critiqued, and adjusted in real time by Vance in the supportive stage setting of other singer-songwriter students, one of who will be “next” to take the stage. It’s all entertaining and great fun (remember, this is Vance Gilbert offering this …)
It doesn’t matter your level - Vance has worked with everyone from rote beginners to David Wilcox. So why not come and give yourself and your music the gift of being heard at your best!! Show up with your instrument, a song you know needs a good looking' at to be stage ready, and let's get to work!
Workshop: 3:00 - 6:00 PM Cost: $25
Meet Your Maker: Bill Collings
As part of our ongoing Meet Your Maker series, The Music Emporium is proud to host Bill Collings for an intimate evening of spirited conversation. This will be Bill’s fourth visit to our store in the last eight years and if past events are any indication, the evening will be quite entertaining, very informative, and indeed inspirational.
There have been plenty of new developments at Collings since his last visit. The electric line has taken off and is garnering high praise in the solid-body guitar world. The ukuleles have set the bar for quality and tone in the high-end ukes. There have also been big changes in the guitar market as a whole. We’ll explore the future of guitar building and some the challenges facing the industry.
Lots of things to talk about and lots of very cool guitars to sample. Please join us on Friday night at 8PM. RSVP’s strongly encouraged. If you can’t make it on Friday, Bill will be in the shop on Saturday from 12 to 5 for questions and guitar consults. We look forward to seeing you there.
The event will be Friday, December 3rd at 8PM. Doors will open at 7:45PM. You may RSVP here.
Taylor Road Show
Back by popular demand, the Taylor Road Show returns to The Music Emporium. Come and meet some of the Taylor Factory Staff, test-drive new models, listen to cool and informative Taylor demos, and register to win Taylor Gear giveaways. There will be special deals on in-stock models as well as some unique one-off models. These events are hugely popular, seating is limited, so reserve your space today.
Also, from 12-4 that afternoon we'll have a free Taylor restring clinic. Bring in your Taylor guitar and we'll check it out, clean it up and throw on a new set of strings of your choice. You cover the strings, the work is on the house. Limit one restring per customer.
Please contact us to reserve your seat.
October 13th
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event is free
RSVP
Meet Your Maker: Rudolph Blazer of Blazer & Henkes
Rudy Blazer and Willi Henkes are Europe's premiere guitar builder's specializing in the resoration and the historically accurate reproduction of pre-War American flat top guitars. Having handled hundreds of the finest instruments, they bring a wealth of knowledge to their workbench. Each and every guitar is a stunning homage to the great flattops of yesteryear. We are pleased to be one of only two dealers in the country offering a selection of their guitars.
Rudolph Blazer started his career as a luthier in 1971 as an apprentice with one of the well-established guitar manufacturers of Germany. After gaining experience through years of repair work he opened his own shop in Stuttgart. In 1980 he moved to the town of Tuebingen, concentrating on the serial production of traditional steel string guitars.
We are pleased to offer the rare opportunity to meet Rudolph Blazer. As part of our "Meet Your Maker" series he will make a presentation of his building process and there will be a small representation of Blazer and Henkes guitars on hand for demonstration.
The event will be Tuesday October 5th at 7PM. You may RSVP here.
Fingerpicking Ragtime Guitar with Mary Flower
This two hour workshop is appropriate for the advanced beginner to intermediate player who has some fingerpicking experience. Mary will explore the Piedmont or East Coast style of blues by presenting a few tunes and many tips on how to approach this music . Students will explore how to balance melodies, alternating bass and moveable chords, all necessary components that work together to strengthen solo Piedmont style playing.
Fingerpicks are optional, reading tablature is necessary and taping the class is encouraged!
Portland Oregon's Mary Flower is a Blues Music Award nominee and Yellow Dog Records recording artist who tours and teaches internationally. She is renowned for a
uniquely personal vision of roots music that blends ragtime, acoustic blues,
and folk - technically dazzling yet grounded in the down-to-earth simplicity
of early 20th century American music.
With eight albums under her belt, Flower has earned rave reviews from
critics and audiences alike for her unassuming vocals, but it's her
instrumental skill - a mastery of the difficult Piedmont blues guitar that
takes most players a lifetime to hone - for which Flower is most celebrated.
Her fingerpicking forms the basis of a heavily syncopated, ragtime-based
style wherein the thumb plucks a strong rhythmic base as the fingers etch
out the melody. Mary also excels at lap slide guitar, allowing her to infuse
songs with a supremely delicate, plaintive sound that's hers alone while
recalling the blues giants of the past.
Flower performs and teaches internationally, and has released several
instructional DVDs, including a few for highly regarded Homespun Tapes.
Workshop: 7:00 - 9:00 PM Cost: $30
Tim Sparks Workshop and Concert
The Music Emporium is thrilled to offer a workshop and concert by the extraordinary guitarist Tim Sparks. Despite his busy schedule teaching, recording, writing and filming educational materials, and touring the globe, Tim has offered to spend some quality time at the Music Emporium in his only Boston area appearance.
Tim Sparks won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championships in 1993 and has since gone on to record an amazing body of work. He has shared cd space with some of the most respected guitarists working today, notably Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell. Tim has carved out a unique niche for himself by reinterpreting Jewish music for solo guitar and chamber ensembles on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Tim’s compositions are unlike anything else in the guitar repertoire and are fascinating examples of the limitless possibilities of the instrument. Darkly romantic and technically brilliant, his songs are models of gifted arrangement and inspired improvisation.
Both the workshop and the concert will be an opportunity to revel in Tim’s vast musical vocabulary. The workshop will focus on 2 tunes each from Tim's last two albums, the blues focuesd "Sidewalk Blues" and the Jewish themed "Little Princess." This is also a time to get Tim’s advice on any musical questions you may have on arranging, improvising, or performing.
The concert is a chance to hear Tim at his best. He will perform a repertoire that focuses on his Jewish and Balkan themed music for the for the Tzadik label, which includes the compilation of recordings for Masada Guitars as well as his four subsequent solo albums. Tim hasn't performed some of these pieces since their original recording dates and this will be a comprehensive look at his impressive back catalog. If it is anything like his last appearance here it promises to be a show that is quite simply not to be missed and is guaranteed to leave your jaw on the floor.
Don’t just take our word for it. Leo Kottke had the following to say about Tim Sparks, “I'm Tim Sparks' biggest fan. His stuff is very difficult to play but it doesn't sound difficult. I think that's real musicianship. He's really one of the best musicians I know.” Bill Frisell said of Spark’s album Neshamah, “Tim Sparks is incredible, a complete original. Every guitarist on the planet has got to hear this.”
The concert will be held after the workshop and is free to all workshop attendees.
When: Sunday June 13th
Workshop: 4:00 - 6:00 PM Cost: $30
Concert: 7:00 - 8:30 PM Cost: $10 (free to workshop attendees)
RSVP Here
Tony Trischka Banjo Workshop
Tony Trischka spearheaded the movement to change the course of banjo music in the early 1970s and continues to do so to this day. What had previously been a primarily straight-ahead bluegrass and old-time instrument became, in his hands, a vehicle for greater melodic and harmonic sophistication. Through Tony, the banjo found its way into many different musical forms from Jazz to Rock to Classical. His technical and conceptual advances allowed for much greater freedom and opened the way for such players as Bela Fleck and Alison Brown. He has recorded 16 solo albums for Rounder Records and has performed and recorded with such folks as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, John Denver, members of REM, William S. Burroughs, Steve Martin, and Charles Osgood.
The Tony Trischka banjo workshop is geared to all levels, from beginner to advanced. It focuses primarily on the variety of bluegrass styles, Scruggs Style in particular, as well as melodic and single-string styles. Tony addresses such topics as developing one’s own solos by “playing the syllables”, back-up, playing up the neck, and the Sally Gooding position. He also covers improvisation and composition and, time permitting, the history of the banjo. There is always room for questions and requests for topics. Tablature will be provided, and Tony recommends that participants bring with them audio or video recording devices.
When: Thursday June 3rd
Time: 6:30 -9:30 PM
Fee: $50
RSVP Here
Jim Hurst - New Date!!
The Boston Bluegrass Union and The Music Emporium are pleased to present a workshop with two-time IBMA guitar player of the year, Jim Hurst. The workshop is titled ”Theory of Musical Relativity,” and focuses on how to improve your ability and enjoyment in playing the instrument through a better understanding of the fretboard, your accomplishments on the instrument, and your influences and musical tastes. Jim will provide many tips, exercises and techniques designed to help you improve your playing. He covers many facets of musical abilities, understandings, fundamentals, practice and performance tips, the importance of melody, right hand exercises and techniques for single and multi-string improvement, Left hand challenges and exercises, chord positions, and scale importance. While the workshop will have a bluegrass flavor, Jim welcomes acoustic instrumentalists of all styles.
Two-time IBMA guitarist of the year, multi-award winning guitarist in Bluegrass, as well as country, and other acoustic music genres, Jim is known throughout the Nashville TN area as one of the best in the business. His talents of singing, multi-intrumentalist abilities and well-rounded stylings have garnered him support positions and recording sessions with some of the best artists in Country and Bluegrass music. Trisha Yearwood, Sara Evans, Holly Dunn, Claire Lynch, Travis Tritt, John Cowan, Mark Schatz, Tim O'Brien and more. You can learn more about Jim’s work and concert schedule by visiting his website www.jimhurst.com .
Workshop is open to players
of all instruments and abilities but is targeted to guitar players of
intermediate or advanced ability. Attendees are welcome to make an audio recording of the workshop, but please no video.
Fee is $50 for general
public / $45 for BBU members.
Time 7:00-9:30
Advance reservations are highly recommended. RSVP Here
Fingerstyle Workshop with Pete Huttlinger
Cost per entry: $35.00
The Music Emporium welcomes Pete for a fingerstyle guitar workshop
and intimate concert. Everyone LOVES this guy's playing (including our
staff) and with good reason. A National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion,
Pete has done it all: won the prestigious Winfield Guitar championship,
toured with John Denver, authored several immensely popular
instructional DVDs, played Carnegie Hall (who hasn't?!) and even
recorded and played with LeAnn Rimes on Dancing with the Stars (I am
not kidding about this. Check out his website...) We are thrilled to
host him, and look forward to a great night of music and learning.
More about Pete at: www.petehuttlinger.com
Matt Flinner Mandolin Workshop
Nashville-based mandolin star Matt Flinner returns to The Emporium for an informative and inspiring workshop. Geared for developing players across a range of levels, Matt will offer some great mandolin insights, ideas, exercises and more to help your playing. If you are a beginner looking for a good foundation, or a more intermediate player looking to move past your current plateau, Matt will teach to your level and will help to elevate your playing and build confidence.
Workshop Time 7:00pm-10:00pm
$50.00
Jerry Douglas - Sold Out
We have reached maximum capacity due to overwhelming response for this event
Fishman presents an intimate and rare solo appearance with dobro virtuoso, Jerry Douglas. 12-time Grammy Award winner and National Heritage Fellowship awardee, Jerry has recorded 11 solo projects and has played on close to 1600 albums with such artists as Alison Krauss, J.D. Crowe, Eric Clapton and Robert Plant. Jerry will be in the store to present and demonstrate Fishman's Aura Technology, display his dazzling vocabulary of dobro licks on his signature model Beard resonator guitar, and take questions from the audience Seating for this one-time event is limited to 50 attendees, and is currently at capacity
December 9th
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event is free but at capacity
Taylor Road Show
Back by popular demand, the Taylor Road Show returns to The Music Emporium. Come and meet some of the Taylor Factory Staff, test-drive new models, listen to cool and informative Taylor demos, and register to win Taylor Gear giveaways. There will be special deals on in-stock models as well as some unique one-off models. These events are hugely popular, seating is limited, so reserve your space today.
Please contact us to reserve your seat.
November 18
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Event is free
Fingerstyle Workshop with Pete Huttlinger
Cost per entry: $25.00 CLOSED, Waiting List Only
The Music Emporium welcomes Pete for a fingerstyle guitar workshop
and intimate concert. Everyone LOVES this guy's playing (including our
staff) and with good reason. A National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion,
Pete has done it all: won the prestigious Winfield Guitar championship,
toured with John Denver, authored several immensely popular
instructional DVDs, played Carnegie Hall (who hasn't?!) and even
recorded and played with LeAnn Rimes on Dancing with the Stars (I am
not kidding about this. Check out his website...) We are thrilled to
host him, and look forward to a great night of music and learning.
More about Pete at: www.petehuttlinger.com
An Evening with Luthier and Guitar Visionary Bill Collings
As part of our ongoing Meet Your Maker series, The Music Emporium is proud to host Bill Collings for an intimate evening of food, drink, music and spirited conversation. This will be Bill’s third visit to our store in the last six years and if past events are any indication, the evening will be quite entertaining, very informative, and indeed inspirational. There have been plenty of new developments at Collings since his last visit. The electric line has taken off and is garnering high praise in the solid-body guitar world. There have been advancements in their mandolin design, in particular their new oval-hole A Models, which has been hugely successful. Just another example of Bill’s ongoing efforts to re-envision and reinvogorate Old World designs. There have also been big changes in the guitar market as a whole. We’ll explore the future of guitar building and some the challenges facing the industry--scarce resources, cheap imports, a struggling US economy, and the aging baby boomer generation.
This visit also comes on the heels of The Music Emporium’s 40th year in
business. It’s been a long exciting road since Stu Cohen first opened
up his shop in Pittsburgh, PA. The rise, fall, and rise again of the
vintage market; the stratospheric growth in the single luthier market;
and of course, Collings’ sharp ascension to the forefront of American
luthiery and the many dealers who have shared and celebrated in the
unbridled growth and expansion of the high-end guitar market.
Lots of things to talk about and lots of very cool guitars to sample,
including some of our very rare 40th Anniversary Models. Please join us
on Friday night at 8PM. RSVP’s strongly encouraged. If you can’t make
it on Friday, Bill will be in the shop all day Saturday for questions
and guitar consults. We look forward to seeing you there.
An Evening With Ed Gerhard
The Music Emporium is proud to present an evening with GRAMMY® Award-Winning Guitarist, Ed Gerhard.
Join us as Ed Gerhard shares an evening of exquisite guitar music- performing songs from his CD "Sunnyland," and new material from his upcoming CD as well as concert favorites. Performing on 6-string, slide guitar and Hawaiian lap steel, Gerhard combines rare compositional depth with inspired virtuosity. Fans of guitar music won't want to miss this opportunity to see and hear one of the country's finest players.
In addition, TME will be hosting a pre-concert workshop where Ed will offer insights into his playing style, performance techniques, and unique approach to composition. Seating for the workshop is limited so register early.
Saturday October 11th, 2008
Workshop 6-7:30: $40
Concert 8:15: $20
Sign up for both: $50
About Ed
From sold out tours of Japan, to festivals in Italy and venues across the US, Ed Gerhard’s music has touched concert audiences all over the world. Gerhard stands out among instrumental performers for his ability to captivate audiences with a combination of virtuosity, generosity and humor distinctly his own. Known for his gorgeous tone and compositional depth, Gerhard can move a listener with a single note.
Performing on 6-string, 12-string, slide guitar or Hawaiian Lap Steel, Gerhard’s musical intensity comes with a sly sense of humor. His distinctive touch is unmistakable. Whether performing a lush, sensual ballad or a haunting, bitter lap steel melody Gerhard will mesmerize an audience, crack them up with an improvised joke then carry them into the depths of the next piece before they know it.
Each of Gerhard’s eight releases have received high praise from critics and guitar fans worldwide. His recordings are renowned both for the beauty of the music and for superb, audiophile quality. The Sounding Board says of his latest release “Sunnyland,” “ This highly anticipated new release delivers with flying colors. Each track resonates beautifully with crystal clear perfection.”
Gerhard was awarded a GRAMMY® for his inclusion on the compilation CD “Henry Mancini; Pink Guitar.” It won Best Pop Instrumental Album of the Year. He arranged and performed Moon River. His music is featured in the Ken Burn’s film Mark Twain.
He tours extensively in the USA, Europe, Japan and Korea.