Hello friends and family!

This is Sue Buzzard.  I will be primarily using this new email,
suebuzzard@gmail.com, for business and whatnots.  Feel free to email me here
for any string or music or family related situations. I'm also still using
jazzstrings88@gmail.com for everything else.

Just an update!  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, American or
otherwise, and have a merry Christma-Hanna-Kwanzica!

Love Sue

Cross Country Tour

That's right, I'm planning one. I don't have anything else lined up for this fall, so I might as well get out there into the world and see friends and family while I figure out my next step - Graduate school!

I want to study the string culture. I want to find a way to make it a real thing. The music being created and the old music kept alive by performers of the craft needs to be documented, needs to be spread around the country. If more people could see how innovative our instrument can be, I think more people would be into playing it. Trying it, at least. And more people would understand the camaraderie and teamwork that comes from putting an orchestra together, or learning a tune from a master.

That means I need to look into Ethnomusicology or Sociomusicology. Something combining society and culture, and the feeling of one-ness that music creates, with the evolution of genres, styles and overall music on our instrument happening in this country in the past 100 years. Heck, even the past 40 years would be enough. Darol Anger. The Turtle Island String Quartet. Mark O'Connor's evolution from New Nashville Cat to Contemporary American Symphony Composer.

Stops I want to make along the way include:

Boston (DUH)

New York City

Portland ME (Jon Cooper's shop!)

Philly (to visit my brother!)

Indiana (University that is)

Nashville (Belmont U and Timmy Tim!)

Atlanta (To visit Mike)

Baton Rouge and New Orleans (with Ruth!)

Houston (My aunt Patty)

and Austin (Michele Alany, Berklee alum and player in many bands! I want to see the Live Music Capital of the World with my own eyes.)

Los Angeles and Riverside, CA (Kate and the next String Rev in November!)

Gearhart and Portland, Oregon (Fiddle Phil - scheming and wild fiddling will ensue)

Seattle (Connect with Ibba's crew and Julie Grebenau, the Berklee Alumni liason.)

Dun dun dun DUUUUUUNNNNN.... VICTORIA B.C.!

So time to start planning travel plans and dates and map where I need to be and by when.

This tour is for musical, educational, and emotional purposes - visiting friends and family. This tour is the beginning of the String Revolution network. I think of the places where string rev has happened as 'Chapters.' But what really makes it a chapter? Do people want a repeat performance? Do I have someone to connect with and organize things in those places? How can we keep it going, keep scheduling events? I hope to learn these things soon.

The spell of relaxation is hard to break...

My, that last post was interesting to read. I do remember those days, and now that our shows are halfway over, I have to say this is the most entertaining summer I've had in quite a while. The cast is still awesomely awesome, and so are my roommates, especially Amanda - we get along so well! I couldnt've asked for a better person to be paired with.

So. Just talked with Kate Alexander, who is working on some Grad work at UC Riverside in California. A stringer herself, we first met at MOC camp at San Diego in 07. Then she was part of Mark Wood's crew, sporting a viper and some tasty licks, as well as a stylin' crew cut. Not a bad looking babe!

At that camp, I got to know Mark Wood a bit through hanging out with David Mudre, also part of his crew and a good buddy of mine thanks to that week. I didn't really talk to her a lot there, but we kept in sort-of-contact over the years, and about a month ago we started chatting through facebook messages and txting. It was great to hear from her again, and to actually try for a conversation! We chatted on skype tonight for about an hour! It was great to reconnect.

Best part is, she was asking about The String Revolution. What's up with it, where is it now, that sort of thing. I told her it was kind of in limbo, but explained where the idea came from - the string community at large, and how it's evolving along with all forms of music for our generation. What started as a passionate and crazy idea turned into a concert in Victoria, B.C., and again in Boston, and is now trying to make the next move.

Kate suggested reaching out to everyone I know from camps, school, shows, Berklee, whatever, and letting them know what I'm doing and what I'm trying to do. Essentially, build a network of String Revolutionaries, so that what happened in Victoria - playing with locals, building something out of that community - can happen lots of other places. I love this girl! That was the original dream - a dream that seemed too unrealistic. Pick up and land anywhere fellow string revolutionaries are, and create something out of nothing, just like at camp.

Kate follows my idea of the amazing sense of camaraderie created at music camps, and string camps are close to both our hearts. She thinks playing in a String Revolution show, perhaps with her bluegrass band and fellow Gamelan players, would be awesome! I'd love to bring String Rev to California, and this may be how I can start...

Riverside, San Diego, and LA, look out for a String Revolution comin' your way! Of course, so long as Kate's ok...

I have that list still to get through, but may I be so bold as to add - start expanding the network. Show people the sites, show them the videos, show them the potential! We can build a network of String Revolutionaries across the globe if we try.

Hershey!

It's filled with free chocolate!

Ok, not really. But rehearsing for and performing the Frontier Frenzy show has consumed most of my time here. the rest is relaxation and hanging with the awesomely awesome cast we got here.

In the beginning, days were filled with orientation interrupted by the Berklee World Strings' tour from NYC to DC to Jersey. Then it was back to the grind for 10am to 9pm rehearsals in the Dungeon of the Hershey Arena. Who can forget lunches at the Coaster Cafe? I sure can't...

Those blissful days were also filled with the bedroom all to myself. I remember arriving home every day and tentatively pushing my bedroom door open to peer through the crack at the other bed, hoping it was still sheetless and uninhabited by my then-unreachable-by-phone-or-email roommate. It was two weeks before we heard she didn't have to arrive until the last Wednesday in May, putting an end to my private evenings laying in bed all night.

Now that the intense rehearsals are over and the shows have begun, I have roughly 19 hours a day ALL TO MYSELF. This time should really be used for some String Rev cleanup, and I plan on getting on that. First step: listen to the audio CD of the Passim show, edit it, distribute it to all performers, and post it.

Second step: update all sheet music in folder for String Rev and note what needs to be done for upgrades.

Third step: Expand library! And work on organizing more shows. Ivonne is still willing to do a String Rev/FAQ show together, but booking is the challenge. Who will hire us to perform and where? Buffalo contacts are a bust...

Ok break! Gotta sleep but will get on this shit soon...

Post Graduation

I'm sitting at the kitchen table in my Hershey PA condo where I'll be residing for the next four months as I perform in the Frontier Frenzy show at Hershey Park. I graduated from the Berklee College of Music yesterday, and man does that sound good to say. I'm ready to move forward, whether I'm ready or not. The world is scary, and I know I'll be afraid for my life a lot of the time, but there's really nothing to be afraid of, I know. I have love from my family and friends, and support for The String Revolution.

Speaking of which - brief overview. The performance was, I'd say, an %85 out of %100. Mostly due to starting late and not being able to run through songs as completely as I'd like. Also, staging became an interesting situation, since there's only one way on and off the stage at Club Passim. So, we ran out of time for all our songs, and performers onstage were a little shaky, myself included. No more than 20 people showed up (bad timing with finals and sunday afternoon-ness), and I had paid for 40 tickets and never got money back, so that's lame. Oh well. I've learned a valuable lesson about pre-sale tickets.

However, everyone had a blast, fans and fiddlers alike, so I'd say it was a huge success! I should focus on the great performance and how everyone enjoyed themselves. And now I've learned a LOT more for all the future String Revolutions.

Ideally, as per my original vision, I'd like to amass a huge selection of tunes to choose from so each Revolution can be a little different. So that means cleaning up the arrangements I already have, including each and every part. Then, perfecting a collection of new tunes to play in the show, with people or without. What does the show have potential to be? What can it become? What can I make it into? Those are my questions now.

Ok. We have a plan! Now we just need another String Revolution date...gotta get myself up to Canada! Join us, Twisted String?

Sue B

After the party...

It's been a whirlwind couple of days. But let me just say, the show is over, and it was a success. Not a huge success (several unforeseen things went wrong, and several possibly foreseen things went wrong), but a success. We came, we played, we conquered!

Tomorrow is the last day in town for the Canadians. Ever since the show they've been out seeing the sights, and I've been frantically catching up on assignments that The String Revolution forced to the back burner.

I can't give a will blow by blow recap, but let's just say we've still got some work to do on this show. The first one was a great success due to many cosmic alliances, this one felt more like a forced homework assignment (which, admittedly, was my doing when I assigned it as my graduation project for Professional Music.). If I want it to work, I've got to make some changes.

Like hiring someone for advertising...and marketing...and promotion...and everything else that I suck at. I just want to be the creative one who seeks out new music to play and spread around the world, the one who figures out what would be fun to play for school children and brings it to them, bringing a wonder for strings along the way.

Anyway...details on the show day to follow! Peace out!

The Canadians Have Arrived!

I have been up since 7am this morning. But it's nothing compared to what Lea, Jeff and Reenie hae gone through in the past 33 hours.

33 hours ago I was talking to Lea on the phone before she headed off to the Victoria airport to fly to Seattle. The 10pm flight from SeaTac arrived at Boston Logan at 7:45 am East Coast time. I considered making a sign that said "Canadian Rock Stars," but then I'd have to carry it around with me on and off the T from home. At baggage claim, I stood watching all the passengers mill around to get their bags, keeping an eye out for three musicians with a viola, guitar and sax between them. I couldn't help how excited I felt. I remembered getting off the plane in Vancouver and wandering around outside the terminal waiting for Lea and Chelsea to pick me up, only to discover that they were at the wrong terminal. Hilarity ensued. The anticipation only made my happiness at seeing them grow. It was the same now in Boston - any minute they'd come walking down that hallway to begin the next chapter in The String Revolution!

Bags. Shuttle. Standing on the T. Drop things off at the apartment, then it was off to Trident for breakfast. Then...a nap. Everyone was tired and needed showers. Thank goodness I have two extra beds here in my room...for no apparent reason. Lea provided some appropriate Oli tunes for sleepytime music. It made me think of hymns and psalms and the fluidity of a master fiddler's bow.

Mom had sent more posters and postcards, so we plastered the Berklee campus with them before our slew of rehearsals at 4. After sitting in on a chamber recital (Yeah Eric Law!) and picking up the spare cello from Eden (and falling into a gaggle friends in the 150 lobby in the process) we were off to George's house to rehearse Fiddle Phil tunes. Lea picked them up in no time, and thanks to George's complete lack of sleep the previous night, we all had a ridiculously good time.

Then - BAM - to pavement for free coffee handouts. Ahh....sitting down in a booth with friends and some excellent expresso. Truly a moment to be treasured.

Up next, Ron Burgundy rehearsal with Emilio. Lea performed some show-don't-tell teaching magic and he picked up the chopping pattern in no time. Patrick M'Gonigle arrived just in time for dinner (which Reenie and Jeff whipped up - swirly pasta with alfredo sauce, onions, mushrooms, red peppers, and cooked tofu. Living with vegetarians is something I could get used to...) and to run through Nutwist, with Lea's added big bottom cello harmonies!! Amazing...it's just what we've been missing. Thank's to Emilio's multi-talented iPhone, we recorded Lea and me dueling over Nutwist and sent the recording to everyone so they could hear the cello part.

Then, an intense rehearsal over Spain. I wasn't going to let it sound as sloppy as last time. We drilled the phrasing of the melody, the timing, the chord changes in the introduction, the solos, all transitions...I think it's going to sound exponentially better this time around. Such a beautiful tune!!

Patrick stuck around a bit to jam on Doxy and gush over the new Chris Howes/Bily Contreras album, which he says has had more influence over his playing than any other album in his life. Dude. I gotta get me some of this. He was late to the hockey game with Trent...I hope the Canucks won.

BREAK TIME!!!

Then, Remember Blake rehearsal..a very sleepy and ethereal Remember Blake rehearsal, where everything felt like it was slowly coming together, like the threads of a cloth being pulled tight, closing up holes and loose parts, creating a whole seamless unit, securely and effortlessly. Yeah...the way rehearsals should be.

And now we're tired and I'm going to bed. Jeff has put his book away on the top bunk. Lea and Reenie are snuggling on the pull out bed. I'm going to put on my pjs and collapse in a bit. But damn, do we feel good. Things are coming together...the threads of our String Revolution tapestry are tightening...into something grand, I expect!

All's I know is, I still owe these guys some Pho. Oh yeah baby.

Peace

Sue