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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
 Posted - 02/21/2012 : 5:20:09 PM
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(Well, it's officially an island. The similarities to any aspect of Hawaii end there...)
My name is Claudine, and I'm so happy I found the Taropatch. What a wonderful resource for sharing the love of this beautiful music!
In the past, I've been able to spend a total of 3 months in Hawaii. From the first step off the plane in May 1993 I was utterly transfixed, and have been under its spell ever since. I've only recently gotten the courage to try to learn to play the music I've loved for seemingly forever.
I've been playing guitar since age 10 or so, but at age 40-mumble-mumble, I certainly don't have 30-odd years of experience to support my playing. I've been stuck in a guitar rut since the early 90s. I too shelved my musical pursuits (also play cello and piano) when my sons were born (now 3 and 5), but am determined to bring making music back to the forefront of my life.
Only recently, I've been taking guitar lessons, hoping to fix old bad habits, learn important building blocks, and bring some forward motion to my playing. My teacher is wonderful. Although he is not a slack key player, he has been helping me as I grow more and more obsessed with this music. Currently, we are working on La Paloma from the Mark Hanson book. I'm daunted by the idea of even attempting to play a song done by the legendary Ray Kane, but I hope he's smiling down at me as I try my best to honor the music and do it justice.
Nice to meet you all, and I look forward to getting more involved in the taropatch.
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Claudia
Lokahi
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 5:48:21 PM
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Hi Claudine, my name is Claudia! I went to high school on Long Island (Northport) but I live in Manhattan now. Welcome to the Taropatch. Good for you taking up slack key guitar. Have you gotten Ozzie Kotaniʻs book: Guitar Playing Hawaiian Style:An Instructional Method for Slack Key Volume 1? If you havenʻt - order it right away and it will start you off on the right foot. Get yourself on the Halawai.org email list - there is a calendar of all Hawaiian-related events in the NY/NJ area listed there and when a slack key player performs here, you will be notified and you can come to the concert and be inspired! Which slack key artists have you been listening to? Who are your favorites?
Come to the annual Hawaiian picnic the first Sunday afternoon in June in Central Park and bring the kids. Potluck, hula and lots of Hawaiian music - slack key, ukuleles, and steel. |
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TerryLiberty
Lokahi
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2012 : 5:50:59 PM
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Aloha Claudine!
I've only been here since September but I can tell you this IS a great place to land. Nice folks, very helpful and encouraging and lots of good info as well.
I came with an interest in the catchy style called slack key but I'm discovering that this little stream is only one that feeds a great river of culture, wisdom and history. I hope you'll enjoy exploring all the tributaries!
Regards. |
Terry
Olympia, WA
Forever a haumana |
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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2012 : 08:31:40 AM
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Hi Claudia!
Thanks so much for the warm welcome. Sorry I didn't reply sooner--I've been away for work and haven't had a moment to myself in a week. Wow, Northport! I have many friends who live there, and my sons go to the Lutheran Day School at St. Paul's Church. I'm constantly in the Northport-Huntington-Cold Spring Harbor area, as I work in CSH.
Thank you for the recommendation of the Ozzie Katani book. I'm ordering it from Amazon tomorrow, as my payday treat. I only really have the Mark Hanson book and I've worked through a bunch of the Mark Nelson online lessons on JamPlay.com. So I'm seriously new to this. I just signed up for Halawai, as you recommended, and I'm excited about the picnic in Central Park. It sounds absolutely perfect.
As far as my favorites, when I was little my parents had two good record albums (amongst all sorts of awful "parent music": Gabby Pahinui Band volumes 1 and 2 (I can't tell you how I thought that his name was pronounced) that completely transfixed me and ignited my obsession with Hawaii. In pre-internet days, I didn't really know of any other music like that, so I was happy to just listen to Gabby. But then when I went to Hawaii for the first time in 1992, it was an explosion of music that I wasn't prepared for. But what a joy! Since then I've been listening to anyone whose music I could get my hands on--how can I narrow it down? I still haven't recovered from seeing a video of Sonny Chillingworth do the needle and thread thing for the first time! (though I do have a particular fondness for Keola Beamer and Jeff Peterson), but I guess I always come back to Gabby, from my childhood.
So much to learn! Anyway, thanks again for the welcome, and I look forward to seeing you around here, and definitely at the picnic in June. |
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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2012 : 08:35:01 AM
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Thank you for the welcome and the (much needed!) encouragement, Terry. It seems overwhelming at times when I consider how much I don't know, but then I have to remember that enjoying the ride down the stream that counts.
Take care!! |
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2012 : 09:14:12 AM
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Hi Claudine,
Welcome! Also, you might want to look up my friend Ben Diamond at www.lihsa.org. BTW, I am in NJ. |
Andy |
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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2012 : 11:08:57 AM
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Thank you, Andy! I will definitely look Ben up. Who knew there was a LI Slack Key Association? The website looks like a great resource. Actually, now that I think of it, I had seen Ben on the website for the LI Fingerstyle Guitar Club. There's a workshop and concert coming up in April that I was hoping to attend.
Thank again!! All the best... |
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Claudia
Lokahi
USA
152 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 4:23:30 PM
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| Hey Claudine, did you get the Ozzie Kotani book and get started? We want to know! We should get together sometime, with the guitars. I was just in Northport and Huntington today, and thought of you. |
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Konabob
`Olu`olu
USA
928 Posts |
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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2012 : 08:28:48 AM
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Hi Claudia, thanks for the email message. Sorry I keep missing messages here. I guess I'm used to the setup where alerts come to your regular email if someone posts in a thread you've posted in. Probably a savvier person than me could make that happen--probably just a setting I don't have checked.
I DID get the Ozzie Katani book. It's wonderful! I sort of knew the first exercise, Kani Ki Ho'alu, from the Mark Nelson video lessons that I'd done--he'd taught a variation of it. So that helped me start off pretty well. I've got the second one, Manuela Boy, soooo pretty, memorized and I'm trying to make it sound more like music than it currently does. And I've started working on the third one, Molehu (might be spelling that wrong). Thank you for the recommendation. The book I was previously working in was way too advanced, and there wasn't enough explanation for my level of playing.
May I ask for some advice about memorization? Do you memorize all the songs? I like to memorize everything I play so (a) I can focus on technique and dynamics and expression, etc., and (b) so if I'm somewhere other than my own house and someone has a guitar, I can actually play something. However, I'm really not a good memorizer at all. I never was, even when I was younger. And I find the Hawaiian pieces especially hard to commmit to memory (as opposed to folky stuff, Beatles tunes, etc). Are there any hints or tricks that people use?
quote:
Originally posted by Claudia
Hey Claudine, did you get the Ozzie Kotani book and get started? We want to know! We should get together sometime, with the guitars. I was just in Northport and Huntington today, and thought of you.
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claud1019
Aloha
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2012 : 08:40:57 AM
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Hi Konabob! Thank you for the lovely message. I didn't realize it was here until Claudia just alerted me. It's so nice to feel like there's someone around who I can share my love of this music with--previously I was fumbling my way through kind of blindly, and felt isolated. Now I'm still fumbling, but with some company!
Trust me, I've whiled away many a wistful hour looking at the Aloha Music Camp website, dreaming of being there. Unfortunately, I have two small boys, 3 and 6, whose daycare and schooling eat up all of my money! (so I can work full time, then send more money to daycare and school, etc, etc, etc). I spent a lot of time in Hawaii in my 20s, but haven't been there since 1996 (so sad!). But as soon as my youngest is a bit more mature, and can handle the plane ride, we'll be there somehow. Don't stop doing the camp, please!
:o)
All the best,
--C
quote:
Originally posted by Konabob
Hi Claudine,
I live in Kona and help Keola Beamer organize his Aloha Music Camp. I am so glad will get a chance to get together with others who feel the same way as you about Hawaiian music there in New York. Claudia and Andy are both great resources for you! Some day I hope you will get a chance to play Hawaiian music here in Hawaii. Truly, this music can be life changing!
Aloha,
-Konabob
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Aloha from Long Island
