Blurb #1: Recording, performing, and beach volleyball gold medals?!

Hi all! 

So, just a short blurb.
One of the band/duos I'm in is headed to the studio this week to lay down a few demo tracks! Finally, right?! ;) We will be putting them up for your listening enjoyment once recording and posts are finished. 

Plus, I should have a few free and freeish ;) shows I'll be playing this month which I will keep you posted on.

And now for some sibling bragging. ;) My professional beach volleyball playing brother, Casey Patterson, along with teammate Jake Gibb just won gold in the FIVB Grand Slam in Shanghai, China! We are all so proud of him and excited for more great things to come! You can read about it Here.

That's all for now! 
Make sure to check back in soon and have a wonderful weekend! :)

-Erin :)

The Art of Jamming - for the new or experienced picker

Are you tired of not getting asked to jam? 

Do you want to play in a bluegrass band but aren't getting picked up? 

Even though you may be a good player and even have a knack for picking tunes up, there may be a few things you have overlooked that could solve all your problems!

Sorry, couldn't help it. ;)

Hi there! It's me again! 

Today I felt like bringing up a topic which tends to get overlooked or forgotten by many a musician. 

Back-up is the name of the game! 

And I'm not just talking about mandolin and guitar players. Though back-up can be a bit different on each instrument, they all play it (yes, even the fiddles). ;)  

The name 'back-up' sounds just like what it is. You are not playing the melody but instead are being a support to it. 

Musicians who play back-up at any given moment should act as a compliment to, not a distraction from the song or breaks (solos) within it.  

I could just get into the intricacies of bluegrass band arrangements and how to use a good sense for back-up as a tool of total awesomeness but I think that it is more important to talk about the Jam.

I say 'more important' because the jam is pretty much the sunday school and missionary field of great bluegrass picking and bowing. (I know, weird analogies but go with me on this.) ;)

The Jam. 

It's a place of learning, leading, following, and observing. It's a place to be creative and take risks but most of all it's a great place to listen.

   

If you want to be a good, and especially a great picker you not only need to learn to play but also how to listen, and I don't mean just listening to yourself.

The best bands out there know this and are tuned into the sound of the band as a whole. They understand each instrument's unique voicing and know how to best compliment and play off each other. It's a constant game of balance, juggle, and lock-in throughout a single tune. You could say that it is this ever changing and adapting of the musicians and their instruments that give a song it's breath or life pulse. And you can only do that with good listening ears.

Now, you could say there are these unwritten rules for jamming, and though these may be more heavily suggested at one jam then another it is always safe to go by it. ;)

Note: This can also be a good review for the non-beginner, as well! 

May I present...

The Patterson rules of the jam! 

(Well, they're more like guide lines..) ;)

1. Typically, whomever picks the song is in charge of starting, giving direction when needed, and ending it the song.  

(To signal a tune's end just simply lift a foot for everyone to see...or bust a jig! Your choice.)

2. Typically, a whole melody is played through once by the person kicking it off and then is passed down one person at a time around the circle, clock-wise or counter, what ever you like. If your turn is coming up and you don't want to take a break just signal to the person in line after you. They will either take it or pass as well and it will just keep moving down the line.

3. Everyone will have a chance to choose a song as it moves down the line so don't worry, you'll be up soon. And again if you don't have a tune you want to play just pass. 

4. One should pick a tune to play that most the people in the group know. If you pick a song that may be a little too obscure it may end up being a 'Jam Buster'. (Meaning, you might be the only one who knows the song well enough to play it or for it to be fun. No one wants a jam buster.) ;)

5. Always, when one person is taking a break everyone else playing back-up should adjust their volume to accommodate the instrument taking the break. For example, the banjo and fiddle are typically louder when taking a break than the mandolin or guitar are, therefore the back-up should adjust to this change in volume.

And here lie possibly the two most common and aggravating 'Jam Busters'. The 'I-would-love-to-hear-your-break-but-I-enjoy-the-sound-of-my-own-chords/back-up-far-too-much-to-tune-it-down-a-little' syndrome which can then be followed by the 'No-one-can-really-hear-this-guy's-break-so-I'll-just-play-the-melody-with-him' counter by another. These are two risky moves that may luckily result only in a death glare. ;) 

And us mandolinists are not always completely innocent, mind you. Mandolinist love their 'chop' chords and think it sounds cool to play the melody on top of the fiddle sometimes. ;) 

There you have the basics for making a good jam and being a great band mate. Hope this helps! 

And if the jams you go to tend to sound more like this...

...then it might be a good time to share some of these tips with your friends. :)

Happy Jammin'! 

-E :)

"Get Hot or Go Home!"

Hello Again!

So I'm back and excited to talk about one of my favorite things: Performing!

When I was about 11 years old I started playing the fiddle and whenever my family would drive to my grandparents house in L.A. I would bring my fiddle with me to play for my Grandpa.
My Grandpa was a fiddle player all his life but I only remember seeing him play when I was much younger and he was able to move about.

I still have a hazy but very happy memory of our church hoedown/party he played at. I remember running around along with the other kids 'panning for gold', getting our pictures taken in our fun cowboy outfits, and watching out for the sheriff all while the happy tunes of an old-time fiddle sang in the air. I remember looking up now and then from the activities to watch him. What joy came from his playing! He was able to completely fill the air and somehow transform that church parking lot into the old west! It really was magical to me.

That, my friends, is what it's all about. It is the art of creating an almost tangible feeling or ambiance in the room. It should be almost as if the room or air you breath has changed itself and that the audience, not just you the performer, are now inside the music.
Now, I know this may sound like romantic or imaginative thinking but I cannot emphasize this one thing enough:

We perform WAY below our abilities.

We, as humans, do what we are comfortable with. Plain and simple. We tend to perform near the bottom of our abilities, sometimes reaching 70 or 80%, but not often enough do we feel what it is to be at this 'other' level.

Now I am not saying that I play at this level all the time, or that I don't find it hard to in many circumstances. Of course, some environments can be a kill-joy and quite negative.
But when the music and environment is right there are two things that will take you to that next level.

They are Humility and Love.

"Humility and What?!"

Okay, so stay with me here. I will explain my reasoning to you and hopefully won't get too philosophical. ;)

Much within our lives have a lot to do with relationships. From spouses, to parents and children, to friends, and to neighbors, and so on. (I won't get all 'circle of life' on you, don't worry.) ;) But pretty much within every interaction or communication between two or more people some type of 'relationship' is formed.

So now you step on the stage. You are now entering a new 'relationship'.
And you start playing a song. What is this? Yes, the communication.

If you have discussed 'the arts' with enough people you will have most likely heard the opinion that it is all created for a similar purpose. To communicate something. (I'm sure you could get many a more thoughts on the subject but in truth communication is the fundamental on which everything is born.)

Okay, almost done. I promise. ;)

I have learned that the most important things I need to have in order to grow relationships in my life are humility and love. Another word that I like to use for them is Sincerity.

The audience is there, wanting to hear what I have to share with them. They are willing to hear me out with an open mind. They wouldn't be there otherwise. I feel that sincerity from them and want to reply similarly.

No more am I showing off. I'm not stressed out about having them find out that I'm really not as good as I would like them to believe I am, but I am truly just wanting to give back what they have given me.

Coming upon this understanding I really didn't have much of a problem with stage fright anymore. Sure, I might worry about playing those hard parts without messing up but the actual fear of messing up isn't a problem anymore.

Fear has no place in a great performer. How can we ever learn to trust and care for others if we fill our hearts with fear and doubt in ourselves and others? So, in all honesty skill really has nothing to do with it.

Now I understand. Maybe like Yoda and Skywalker, near every time I would play a tune for my Grandpa back then he would tell me to either "Get hot or go home" with a loving chuckle. Fear has no place in greatness.

(The above is an interview I did in the summer of 2011 in eastern Europe. Enjoy!)

Jumping into classical!

So I decided to write a little bit about the classical mandolin. I know that in the U.S. the classical mandolin has been growing, though still quite small compared to bluegrass.

I got hooked on playing classical music on the mandolin around when I started taking lessons with Evan Marshall in 2006. I studied with him for about two years before I moved out of state for school. 

If you know about Evan you know that he is thee classical mandolin man in the states, specializing in Italian duo-style. What is duo-style you ask? 

Here is a video to demonstrate:

As you may have noticed by watching, or by trying it out yourself, executing a clean, fast, and dynamic duo-style is really tough. I believe I practiced around two hours a day everyday to 'be in shape' to just play very simple arrangements.

Then while learning Italian style I ran into the German style of Caterina Lichtenberg. 

Example:

You notice that with the Italian mandolin there is lots of tremolo. This is the technique created to extend to life of a note, because a single plucked note on the mandolin has very little volume and the decay of that note is quite rapid. Also, the pick/plectrum used for this style is typically thin, imitating the ostrich feather/quill used back in the day.

For the German styled mandolin you depend on 'rest strokes' (a very sharp angle of attach going through both strings in the set and resting on the string below) for volume and note sustain. Plus, the picks used in the German style are typically very thick, like the ones popular in bluegrass playing today, imitating the tortes shell picks (which you can't buy today).

There you have some rough basics of classical mandolin and if any of you are interested I have written down a few classical mandolin resources and links that you might enjoy.

• There is a really nice book and cd out there by Butch Baldassari for intermediate and even beginning mandolin players. You can find "Cantable" here or on Amazon and iTunes (mp3s). I really love this book because it has just really beautiful music written out for mandolin and guitar. Plus, the cd is one that can stand alone making it not just useful but a stand-alone as well.

• Caterina Lichtenberg Mandolinist

• The Emerald City Mandolin Quartet My favorite mandolin quartet!

• Evan Marshall Mandolinist. And here you can find his great instructional and solo sheet music.

• The Classical Mandolin Society

• Avi Avital Mandolinist

• Carlo Aonzo Mandolinist

Speaking of Carlo Aonzo I would like to rap this up by sharing with you one of my favorite mandolin albums out there. Sorry, no youtube videos of this anymore but HERE you can listen to it. Enjoy!

Peace out!

Greetings! Play me some of that Bandolim!

Hey, Erin here! I want to welcome you to my blog!

Even though I now live in Utah County I am originally from Southern California. That said you will be glad to know that as I write about all things music, especially concerning the mandolin, that I will be able to delete all, or most, of the "like"s, "totally"s, and "dude"s out of my posts for your own benefit.
(Dude! Like aren't you totally stoked about that?!) ;)

For each post I will choose a topic to talk about, from strings, picks, and picking techniques to song arrangements, performing, and general deep philosophy.

Make sure to leave your comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics and if you have any ideas or have found some sweet post-yeeha north african bluegrass band please send me a line and I will check it out!

Now onto the main event!

Hamilton De Holanda

I meet this guy in 2006 at the Mandolin Symposium in Santa Cruz. (This is a great mandolin camp, by the way but that's another post.)

Born in Brazil, Hamilton started playing at the age of 5. He grew up playing the Portuguese mandolin, called a bandolim, in Choro bands. He later added on two more strings (low C's) to his bandolim giving him a larger range and the added blessing of having to tune 10 strings. Yay! ;)
When I got to see and hear him play I was throughly blown away! Not only was his technique and jazz chops out of this world but as I sat there watching him I was throughly transported.
He doesn't just have the capability to play but he has the spirit to play! Dude! He plays music with his SOUL! :) He is one of my musical inspirations just because of his soulful performances alone!

Okay, enough said. :) I would like to present to you Hamilton De Holanda!

Don't forget to leave your comments! :)