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 About AMGuSS
AMGuSS was founded in 1986 to promote the art of ensemble playing for the guitar and mandolin family. All instruction is hands-on, and instructors work to develop students' musicianship and artistic interpretation. Classical study is combined with an exploration of folk and world music. From Baroque ornamentation to Brazilian choro, AMGuSS is guaranteed to broaden your musical horizons. AMGuSS is held on the beautiful waterfront campus of Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island. Students range in age from 18 to 85, and in ability from beginner to professional. If you're looking for an exciting week of non-stop music-making and fun, come join us for AMGuSS in 2004!  AMGuSS 2006 RecapFor the past 21 years, the last week in June has been a time for mandolinists and guitarists from across the country to gather in New England for the annual week of music-making known as the American Mandolin & Guitar Summer School, or "AMGuSS". Part instruction, part performance, and a total immersion in the world of plucked strings, AMGuSS is directed each year by mandolinist, Marilynn Mair, with faculty members Ralph Costanza, Robert Paul Sullivan, Adam Larrabee, and Bob Martel, and a variety of special guest artists who join us to teach and perform each year.  AMGuSS 2006 ran from June 26th to July 2nd, leaking into July for the first time ever. Classes and concerts were held, as they nearly always are, on the waterfront campus of Roger Williams University, in Bristol, Rhode Island. Our Guest Artist for 2006 was virtuoso solo mandolinist Radim Zenkl, from California now, originally Czechoslovakia, who performed his unique solo repertoire, gave workshops on improvisation and picking techniques, coached chamber ensembles, and performed as a soloist with the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra. On Monday evening, after unloading gear, greeting friends, and checking in, students met with conductor Bob Sullivan for the first rehearsal of the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra, starting AMGuSS off on the right note. AMGO includes all of the school's students and faculty, and, in 2006, numbered over 50, with members coming from all parts of the United States and Canada, and ranging in age from 17 to 70's. Before arriving in Bristol, students had already begun work on their orchestra music that included a wide variety of material. Featured for the 2006 orchestra were works by Mozart, Konrad Wolki, and, for the first time ever, Luis Gianneo's "Suite Argentina," a 5-movement piece for orchestra & solo mandolin. The thrill of the first rehearsal, even to previous participants, is always a great joy, as the quality and depth of sound in the group becomes evident to all who have been practicing their parts solo for the past month. The 2006 orchestra developed during the week into a fine ensemble that headlined a Saturday night performance held in conjunction with a lighting of Providence's famed "WaterFire" — an exciting night for all.
Morning sessions, Tuesday through Friday, follow roughly the same schedule each year, with technique classes at 9:00, section rehearsals for AMGO at 10:00, and coaching sessions for the small ensembles at 11:00. Classes for 2006 covered a range of topics, including: Bach's Goldberg Variations for mandolin ensemble; Improving note reading for beginners; Inner Voices — the artistic potential of 2nd & mandola parts; Chords for jamming & accompaniment; working on your tremolo; and new old-time music for mandolin: the music of Sam Bush & Matt Flinner. Section rehearsals for the orchestra, each led by a faculty member, follow, and these focus on problematic measures and phrases in the music, one of the reasons AMGO is able to make quick progress from one rehearsal to the next, and bring a diverse program to concert level in just a week. Because of Marilynn's long career as a chamber musician, small ensembles are an important focus of the AMGuSS week, giving all students a chance to work closely with 3 or 4 other musicians playing a style of music they have requested with daily coaching by AMGuSS faculty. Each AMGuSS student is placed in a small ensemble by Marilynn personally, with music she has chosen to suit their ability and musical interests, and the parts are handed out at registration. Students who come to AMGuSS without previous one-to-a-part ensemble experience generally join a first-timers group, led by Ralph Costanza. Music for this year's ensembles ranged from Corelli to Beethoven, Brazilian, and jazz, and levels ranged from first-timers to experienced professional-level ensembles. Instruction continues after lunch, with students choosing workshops from a changing roster of world music/folk/jazz topics. In 2006, these were taught by Radim Zenkl, and the musicians of the New England Mandolin Ensemble — August Waters, Jim Dalton, and Mitch Nelin —, in addition to the AMGuSS faculty. Topics for 2006 included African guitar styles; a Brazilian roda da choro; accompaniment techniques for mandocello; improvisation for melodic instruments; samba and bossa nova accompaniment for guitar; and mandolin chords: an approach to 3- and 4-part voicings. To finish off the afternoon, the whole school — students and faculty — gathers for the daily 2-hour rehearsal of AMGO. In the evenings students are treated to performances of the "American Mandolin & Guitar Concert Series" that runs concurrently with AMGuSS. The Series brings a variety of music to the Performing Arts Center at Roger Williams University, attracting audiences from throughout southern New England. For 2006, the Series played to packed houses, beginning on Tuesday with a CD release concert for Marilynn's new CD, "Leave Something Unexplained," featuring Marilynn, Radim, Adam, and Enigmatica. On Wednesday, AMGuSS Faculty & Friends presented an eclectic and wonderful program featuring short sets by Bob Sullivan, Adam Larrabee, Ralph Costanza, and Bob Martel, with musical friends, and an appearance by the Faculty Quintet. The Thursday concert featured Radim and the New England Mandolin Ensemble — a Boston-based jazz mandolin quartet. Saturday's final concert was held at the RISD Auditorium as part of WaterFire Providence, as AMGuSS took its show on the road. The first set featured the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra, with Radim and Marilynn as soloists on "Suite Argentina". The second set — "Marilynn & Friends" included the highlights of the week's concerts, bringing the Bristol series to Providence, including the "big band" from "Leave something Unexplained," and some of Radim's stellar solos. As always, the joy of musicmaking at AMGuSS spilled over into the late-night hours, as sessions in sight-reading, folk jams, choro sessions, and on-the-spot instruction stretched through the night and into the early morning. All too soon the week was over and participants dispersed throughout North America, taking the lessons learned at AMGuSS home with them. But for many of the 2006 participants, and many newcomers as well, AMGuSS is an eagerly-awaited summer tradition, and they are already marking their calendars for the next AMGuSS, June 25 to July 1, 2007. AMGuSS 2006 Photo Gallery
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AMGuSS 2006 ScheduleYou can download last year's AMGuSS schedule to give you an idea of how you'll spend each day. AMGuSS Winter Weekend 2008AMGuSS 2008 - Winter Weekend Weekend schedule: Friday night 2/29 Saturday 3/1 Sunday 3/2 "The Complete Mandolinist" workshop (note: This event is an addition to the Winter Weekend, and there is a separate tuition charge for it.) Friday, February 29 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM - session #1 Tuition: Rooms are being held for the group at: Please call and reserve your own room. To receive the special rate of $95/night and have your room in our block, please request a room for the "Roger Williams University Mandolin Weekend". Rooms must be reserved before February 15. Faculty for the Winter Weekend: AMGuSS 2007Marilynn Mair & Uncommon Strings present 2007 Guest Artist AMGuSS CurriculumTechnique Classes American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra Small Ensembles World of Music Late-night Sessions: Informal jam The American Mandolin & Guitar Concert Series Faculty MusiciansMarilynn Mair (mandolin | AMGuSS Director) Ralph Costanza (mandolin | AMGuSS Registrar & Director) Robert Paul Sullivan (mandola & guitar | AMGO Conductor) Robert N. Martel (guitar) Bob Asprinio (mandocello) AccomodationsAMGuSS is held on the beautiful waterfront campus of Roger Williams University in scenic Bristol, Rhode Island. Housing is in dorm units, and meals are served cafeteria-style in the dining hall. Special requests for a first-floor room or dietary-restriction meals may be made before May 15th. Classes and rehearsals take place in buildings all across campus, so bring walking shoes, or a car. Check-in is Monday, June 25th, from 1:00 to 3:00. Follow the signs for registration when you arrive on campus. Application and FeesRegistration Fee Tuition Room & Board $785 for a single air-conditioned room in a 2-or-3 bedroom apartment (with sheets & towels, and all meals from dinner 6/25 through breakfast 7/1, including banquet 6/29). $495 per person in a double occupancy air-conditioned room in a 2-or-3 bedroom apartment (with sheets & towels, and all meals from dinner 6/25 through breakfast 7/1, including banquet 6/29). Application Send AMGuSS applications and other correspondence to: Perry Memorial Scholarship FundHibbard Perry (1906-1993) was a guitarist, mandolinist, and music teacher who worked in Providence, Rhode Island, for half a century to establish and nurture a supportive environment for the study and performance of guitar and mandolin. In 1993, Plucked String Editions and the friends of Mr. Perry established a memorial scholarship in his name, to award AMGuSS tuition scholarships to talented students aged 18 to 29. Scholarships are awarded to a mandolinist and a guitarist annually. To apply, send a letter of application outlining your musical background and a cassette or CD demonstrating your performing ability. Write or email for information and application guidelines. Applications should be mailed to the address below by May 1st. The Norman Levine Teacher's ScholarshipCreated 2006 to honor the lifelong achievements of Norman Levine in the field of mandolin education, this AMGuSS tuition scholarship will be awarded to a deserving mandolin teacher annually. Contact AMGuSSRalph Costanza, Registrar You can also reach Ralph by phone (802) 864-7940 or email. |
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At AMGuSS playing music comes first! Our event-packed week features personal instruction from experienced faculty; daily rehearsals with the American Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra; chamber music sessions with musicians from across the country; concerts and workshops by internationally renown artists; lively jam sessions every night; and your own performances in the week's final concerts. All of this, plus the legendary student-faculty camaraderie, make AMGuSS an eagerly awaited annual event.