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

We're a hit with the kids!

Last Friday at 10:15, Ivonne Hernandez, Jeff Madry, Hannah Read, Kimberly Fraser and myself changed some lives.

I had gotten in touch with Megan Winters, the string teacher at the Easton Public Schools, and asked to come in with some string players to represent The String Revolution. I wasn't able to get players from the show to come in, but Kimberly and the rest volunteered their time to rehearse a set and perform for students. We performed two sets of tunes and arrangements - one for elementary and middle school string players, another for the high school class who brought their instruments and joined us in an arrangement of Cluck Old Hen. It was fantastic! The kids were clapping along and cheering madly.

Everyone did a solo piece as well as the group songs:

Ivonne did Le Reel du Pendu and gave a quick lesson in seated stepdancing,

Kimberly Played a set of Cape Breton and Scottish tunes,

Hannah sang 'Why Do Fools Fall In Love' with backup,

Jeff played an original Bach+Irish style Menuet he composed,

I played Single Ladies for Strings in C.

It was a great success! I admit I got a little nervous playing for the high school kids, who weren't as responsive as the littler ones. Megan thought it was wonderful and thanked us profusely for coming in. I was just happy to be able to play for students! I saw some of them really enjoyed hearing all our different vibes.

The educational portion of String Revolution is about ADDING to the already established string programs, I have to remind myself. Melissa sent back my grant draft and edited that portion of it to sound friendlier. I can't afford to ruffle any feathers in the string education world, nor do I want to. I'm just not sure how to say it right. Now that I have a better draft I can send it out to folks. I heard back from Dr. Shewan in Williamsville, and they don't have the budget for a String Rev show at the moment. We're going to have to work something out.

Is String Revolution just the live performance of all these things? Is it more an intellectual movement? Is it a collection of styles and bands and players and people making their own way? In my mind it exists as a network between everyone who loves playing strings, and uses their instruments to branch out stylistically from what they imagine the 'norm' is. Melissa said it nicely in my rewrite -

"Educationally, we want to use our music to inspire young string players to play any music they love. Traditionally schools offer string players only classical music. We want to offer many more options to blossoming performers. The show is all about exposing the potential music-making abilities of dedicated, passionate string players, whether it's hits from the radio or historical folk from deep in the fiddle repertoire."

So, performance wise, it's adding new and different to the wonderful things already being done. Teaching wise, it's about encouraging those who love to play their instruments to play way they love - no matter what it is! Yes, play your Mendelssohn quartets! Yes, play baroque table music! And yes, if you want to, you can take apart Billie Jean and put it back together in string orchestra

Days till The Revolution: 3. AHHH!!!!! IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME!!!

Can't Sleep...

I can't sleep.  I have to be awake in 3 hours anyway.  So I should be productive, right?  Or just try to go to bed?  Is my brain even working right?

One task I need to force myself to complete is to send a postcard poster to every department head at Berklee, including the President.  That's a long list.  I was able to get a post on Campus Cruiser, so I hope that goes through.  

Today I got a few more responses from performers about their rehearsal availability - looks like this weekend is rehearsal free (not many people can come, and I don't blame them.  I forgot weekends were for NOT practicing and taking time off.)  so I'm going to use it to drill the tunes so far into my head they'll never come out as long as I live.  Yay!!  I keep reminding myself - it's a fun show.  It's not the be all end all of your career.  Make it good, make it enjoyable, make it a performance people are going to want to come to, time and again.

Tasks left:

Notify major news stations about show via email, link them to Youtube news clip.  Hopefully we can get an interview or some coverage.  DOG THEM (within reason).

Post flyers ALL OVER BERKLEE.  Still need to get posters up!

Deliver postcards to Berklee department chairs.  Where's that list??

Lea has a cello for the show!  Yay thanks Eden!!!  And I just sent her the latest recording of one of Phil's tunes.  That guy sure can write awesome happy fiddle music.

Peace y'all, gonna get more work done! Yeah life!!!!

Sue

--
SueBuzz

Violinist, Musician, Educator, Arranger
Warrior of the String Revolution
Birdsinthewoods.com

CRAZY

Gah. Planning this thing is driving me nuts...not only do I micromanage every detail, but I can't let myself trust people to learn parts themselves. I don't need to hold everyone's hand when they practice!

Last weekend saw the first rehearsals for SR Boston. Lots of people couldn't make it. It was...ok, I guess. But it revealed to me how underprepared I was, personally. So many things I wanted to have at my fingertips - extra charts, cds of the tunes, videos on data discsk ready to hand out in nice neat little goody bags - weren't there. It takes a lot more to put this together than telling everyone to be in one place at one time. It takes mental discipline like no other. Good thing I'm in training by doing this show...

This weekend will be more rehearsals. I intend on being fully prepared. Hopefully I can look past the frustration of things not being the way I want them when I want them, and I can remember that I'm playing this show because the music freakin' rocks. It's gorgeous.

I gotta remember to pick up tickets at Passim tonight... Call me for tickets to the show!! hehehe...

Peace out

Sue

Viva La Revolution

SO.

The String Revolution.

Fifteen performers. Over a dozen songs and medleys. A packed house, and audience members turned away at the door. Media coverage. Film coverage. Photos. A standing ovation, praise, fawning, awe and love from dozens of spectators.

...Needless to say, it was a huge success.

I'd like to say that due to the explosive popularity of the show, we've now been booked for gigs around the world. I'd like to say that our time has been comprised of madly writing new arrangements, practicing solos and transcriptions like mad, mingling with the press, going to photo shoots, and sitting for TV interviews. I'd like to say that thanks to this idea, this fantastical dream hatched by two mad fiddle chicks, I never have to work a day in my life again. Not on anything not-music-related, anyway.

Sadly this is not reality, and I'm back in Boston getting ready to graduate from the Berklee College of Music. No agent has swooped down from heaven to whisk us away into stardom. No record labels have come banging on our doors to immortalize our insanity on vinyl.

BUT.

The show will go on, as I am planning phase two as we speak - String Revolution Boston! April 25th, Sunday afternoon, 4:30 - 6:00, Club Passim in Cambridge - THE hub for acoustic folk fiddle music in Boston. WOOHOO!! I couldn't hope for a better location!! Well...maybe the Orpheus Theater, or the Wang, or the BPC...BUT NO!! Those places don't cherish String Power like Passim does.

String Revolution Boston is underway. The set will be bigger, badder, and even MORE eclectic than before. Before this goes any further, I think I should start trying to describe just exactly WHAT the show is about...I mean, it was Lea's idea to play awesome tunes, and before I knew it we were zipping sound files back and forth across the internets and concocting wild plans for tribute medleys to Berklee professors... What is String Revolution all about, anyway?

I think it's about showing the public that behind the classical stereotype, beyond The Irish Washerwoman, and besides Turkey in the Straw, the violin can play a LOT more. There are sounds strings can create that they don't teach you in your average middle school orchestra class. There are ways of combining old tunes with new styles to make a sound you've only heard in the farthest corners of your dream factories.

I wanted to create a concert that would show people the types of music I'VE seen and heard in my life - at the Berklee College of Music (and all the apartments surrounding it where fiddle jams and tuneswaps take place) and at Mark O'Connor's fiddle camps (hodgepodges of dozens of musical genres, ALL with the violin as a central instrument).

Even in the melting pot of my hometown, Buffalo NY, the youth music scene breeds creativity and an absolute passion for crossover. Enter the high school jazz ensemble, Buffalo Youth Orchestra, and my Suzuki school string quartet, where I met Sinatra, Sibelius, and David Stone in less than three years.

In one sense, this show is about me, and what I want a kick-ass string power concert to be. But there's so much I don't know about this ever-expanding, ever-unfurling world of string music, that it's impossible for it to be just MY show. It's not. It belongs to everyone playing in the show, and what THEY like about string power. It belongs to all the artists writing the tunes that we so graciously and thankfully perform.

And most of all, it belongs to (yep, I'm gonna say it): The Fans. Those who hunger and thirst for MORE STRING MUSIC, but don't know where to go or how to find it. The people who love chamber music, but wish there was more improvisation, or love fiddling, but wish there was more jazz modality. Those who like hearing those hit songs on the radio, get tired of hearing them played the same way over and over again.

Those who desire more than the average four-string sound...will usually flip their lids to see a five-string onstage.

This show is for you, wild music enthusiasts. We tip our hats to you and your incompatible style. Our passion will be your passion, our joy your joy. Please come and enjoy yourselves on April 25th, 4:30, at Club Passim!

The Revolution is upon us, my friends...

Peace out.

I've been kidnapped by Canadians!

I write to you now from the bowels of Victoria, B.C. I am being held hostage by a lovable canadian couple and a bunch of crazy fiddlers! They have been feeding me delicious meals, letting me sleep in warm beds, and entertaining me with stories of the Canadian countryside.

Now that I think about it, it's not that bad...

I'm here in Victoria for the first ever String Revolution concert - this wednesday, Jan. 6th, at Hermann's Jazz Club, 8pm! My journey began at 4:am yesterday morning in Sarasota, FL, where I leapt out of bed and was driven two hours to the Orlando airport. Three hours on a plane to Toronto, four hours sitting around reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice, five hours watching In The Loop and Funny People on a plane to Victoria, and one fiddle-infested ferry ride later, here I am at a beautiful farmhouse home with Nellie Quinn, Chelsea Sleep, and the incomparable Lea Kirstein.

I'm sitting at the kitchen counter of Nellie Quinn, one of the hottest young fiddlers in town, and one of the performers in the Revolution show. I met her at Mark O'Connor camp in New York (MOC NYC 09) along with the three other fiddle chicks who plan on kidnapping me here in Canadia and never letting me leave... Last night we ate a tasty tasty meal of Lamb Stew and went right to sleep (after some goofing off and emailing and trifle). One of the best sleeps of my life... and now I'm up, and Nellie's mother Jan is making oatmeal pancakes!

Nellie was out until 4AM and doesn't want to get up. Lea is Gmailing with out sound guy down the hall. It's all good. Lea has made a huge to do list for the week, and I'm going to make notes on it in accordance with MY to-do list.... outline arrangements, finish transcriptions, drill through tunes and make sure I can play them... you know how it is.

We're feasting on pancakes now and will be leaving for the world's best coffee soon, so I'm gonna sign off!

Fiddlefiddlefiddle...

Love Sue