Marilynn on Mandolin #38 ~ Mar/Ap 2010

By Marilynn | Published: April 8, 2010

I’M IN RIO ~ no, not still, but again. But I am still playing choro and working on a book with Paulo Sa. We’re recording the CD tracks for our bandolim method (due out on Mel Bay in August). I’m also teaching my RWU courses online for a month, as I did a couple of years ago, so I can be away from my academic year for the start of the one down here.

Please check out my blog, CELEBRATING A YEAR for pictures and reflections on my time here so far @ http://mairmusic.wordpress.com/

MEU BANDOLIM MAKES ME SO HAPPY! ~ My new all-Brazilian CD is getting the thumbs-up from Brasileiros and classical aficionados alike. Particular favorites seem to be two of my own compositions, “Isso, “ (That’s It!) and “Siga Em Frente,” (Go Straight Ahead). And my Brazilian friends and colleagues are saying such nice things about my interpretation of their music. Paulo Sa called the CD “audacious,” and said he really hadn’t expected me to be so adventurous and original so soon. One particular thrill I had here in Rio a couple of weeks ago was to arrive at a roda to sit in, and a few tunes in have them start to play my “Por Que Não,” (Why Not?) that’s part of their regular repertoire. They proudly announced me as the composer when we finished and the whole bar clapped. Muito legal!

Please take a minute to order your copy from my webpage, / Truly you won’t regret it! Or you can hear the two songs above by going to my MySpace page @ http://www.myspace.com/marilynnmair Visit, listen, make a comment, be my friend there!

AMGuSS IN FEBRUARY~ was a dream! We converged on the campus of RWU through snowstorms north and south, and rehearsed and performed, giving the world premiere performances of two 2009 Australian compositions for mandolin orchestra,“Rag for Razz,” by Ann Carr-Boyd, and “A Day at the Circus,” a four-movement suite by Richard Charlton. Truly exciting!

And when will AMGuSS meet again? That remains a question to be answered, but when we know you will read it in this newsletter. Until then, check out my week @ Summerkeys, June 28 to July 2, 2010 @ http://www.summerkeys.com/mandolin.html

BRAZILIAN MUSIC WARMS THE WINTER ~ I had such a good time performing Brazilian music in the US this February and March. It was such a treat to bring choro to New England to share with my friends and audiences. The Alive! Arts concert at Roger Williams University on February 8, featuring my duo w/ Luiz Simas, piano, and the Boston-based regional, Choro Democrático was a huge success! My RWU students were blown away—a high compliment.

And my beloved series, “Live/Whirled,” ended on March 7, with “Rio-Whirled,” featuring Monique da Cavaco, direct from Rio—who happened to be in town visiting family—as well as many of my favorite folks to play Brazilian music with. Sad to lose Live/Whirled, but getting a crowd to downtown Providence for live non-rock music was a battle I just couldn’t win. But the concert and roda that followed were truly a wonderful send-off. And the best part is that I’m still playing with Monique here in Rio—we’ve got a big roda planned for Saturday.

I WON’T BE ~ performing for a bit when I return home, not until next fall. I have been running on fumes for the past year or so and I am taking some time now to finish my book, my academic year, and move on to some creative work.

But in the meantime please visit the virtual me!

IN MUSIC—Meu Bandolim /

IN WORDS & PHOTOS—Celebrating a Year http://mairmusic.wordpress.com/

FOR MANDOLIN INSTRUCTION—Summerkeys http://www.summerkeys.com/mandolin.html

Or drop me a comment @ http://www.myspace.com/marilynnmair

The next issue of “MARILYNN ON MANDOLIN” will be out in May or June. Enjoy spring, and we’ll just see what the summer brings—shall we?

Posted April 8th, 2010. Bookmark the permalink. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

  • “Marilynn Mair acquits herself very well indeed, a most accomplished player, able to deal with the many intricacies the repertoire demands of her.”

    – Chris Kilvington, Classical Guitar (England)

    “Mair is unstoppable… capable of evoking any landscape, past or present, you’d care to conjure.”

    – Mike Caito, Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair performs Brazilian mandolin music… she plays the mandolin as an instrument for all occasions.”
    – Vaughn Watson, The Providence Journal (USA)

    “Mair displays an exceptionally gifted approach to this music, using her formidable mandolin technique with grace and sensitivity… It’s the next best thing to a trip to Rio.”

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “A brilliant concert from beginning to end…The performance was extraordinary.”
    – La Rioja (Spain)

    “She’s a fabulous player with a wonderfully clear and lyrical sound.”

    – The Ottawa Citizen (Canada)

    “Mair travels by mandolin to Brazil and brilliance… her commitment to the music shines through.”

    – Rick Massimo, The Providence Journal

    Marilynn Mair on mandolin…touches the deepest and most engaging reaches of the ancient and passionate ‘Latin soul’.

    – Carlos Agudelo, Billboard Magazine

    “A sparkling concert… absolutely brilliant!”

    – Guitar Magazine (England)

    “Marilynn Mair lives up to her reputation as an excellent mandolinist, with clear tone, a beautiful tremolo, and creative expressiveness.”

    – Zupfmusik Magazin (Germany)

    “The final repeat of the melody transmitted a strong feeling of peace and tenderness that escaped no one in the audience. It is this sensitivity and subtleness that characterized the overall performance.”

    – Brian Hodel, Guitar Review (USA)

    “A lovely concert! We estimate your spell-bound and enthusiastic audience at close to 1800 people…”

    – Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair has always had the keen ability to balance classical mandolin traditions and repertoire, while constantly breaking new musical ground…a superb and versatile mandolinist and composer.”

    – – Butch Baldassari, Mandolin Magazine (USA)

    “Marilynn Mair é uma bandolinista americana de formação erudita”

    — Paulo Eduardo Neves, Agenda do Samba Choro (Brasil)

    “Smudging the lines between folk and classical is an intrepid endeavor… Mair’s a superb mandolin player who has brought the instrument to unexpected places…”

    – Jim Macnie, The Providence Phoenix (USA)

    “Stepping back to the 18th-century masterworks gave her the opportunity to highlight her technique with a fresh light… her playing is thoughtful, vibrant and a delight to listen to.”

    — Terence Pender, Mandolin Quarterly (USA)

    Bring a talented ensemble of gifted musicians together playing some of the great concertos and chamber music pieces of the 1700s, present the extraordinary classical mandolinist Marilynn Mair front and center, and you have a rare combination of the right musicians performing the right music at the right time.

    – David McCarty, Mandolin Magazine (USA)