Community Archives - Amateur Music Network

Meet Ash Walker, Choral Director and Community Musician

January 11, 2021

In November 2019, when Ash Walker applied to become the music director of Pacific Edge Voices, he was full of ideas for taking the acclaimed Berkeley choral group—originally called Pacific Mozart Ensemble—beyond its 40th anniversary and into an exciting and creative future. By the time his appointment was officially announced, in August 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had upended his—and the world’s—plans. Ash has risen to the unprecedented challenge in this new job and in his other roles: as professor of…

Goodbye, 2020

December 29, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community

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This post is by AMN founder Lolly Lewis. How quaint it sounds now, although it was only a year ago when I wrote a New Year’s greeting that celebrated upcoming workshops and our Orchestra Fantasy Camp project: “Our 2020 vision: a musical year for all. We at AMN hope that you find even more joy in playing and singing in the new decade.” We managed to host two in-person workshops before the world shut down. Looking back, they are such…

It’s Just Not the Holidays Without Singing!

December 12, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Vocal and Choral Music

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This post is by AMN founder Lolly Lewis. This year is ending in such a weirdly quiet way. It makes me think, with some surprise, how much even the mundane and irritating signs of the season – like the incessant carols on the radio – end up reminding me how much December is all about singing and how I’m a little bit lost without hearing our voices together. How can we celebrate the turn of the year and all the…

Thanks to You!

November 24, 2020

amnadmin

Community

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Donate to Amateur Music Network It’s the grateful time of year. Despite how hard we musicians have been hit by the pandemic, Amateur Music Network has a lot to be grateful for. We’ve moved into online workshops, and we’re grateful that we can provide a path for the music community to come together, stay musically active, and share our love of music-making. Before the world shut down, we hosted inspiring in-person workshops with John Engelkes, Nick Platoff, and Matt Young. Since…

Meet Choral Singer Abigail Millikan-States

October 26, 2020

amnadmin

Community, Vocal and Choral Music, Workshops

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We have a treat in store for amateur choral singers: On six Saturdays beginning November, Amateur Music Network will host Singing Saturdays with Ragnar Bohlin, featuring music by Mozart, Bach, Brahms, and Handel, as well as holiday favorites. One singer who’ll be eagerly participating is soprano Abigail Millikan-States of Corte Madera, California, who told us: “Choral singing is my greatest passion, and it’s truly an honor as an amateur singer to have the opportunity to work with Ragnar.” We asked…

SF Classical Voice Profiles AMN Workshops

October 8, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Talking about Music, Workshops

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AMN early music workshops featured in SF Classical Voice! We were pleased to see this in-depth coverage of our Early Music for Modern Instruments series. SFCV’s article conveyed the adventure we hoped our community of musicians could travel, learning how to incorporate stylistic elements of “historically informed performance” into their playing for repertoire of the Baroque and Classical periods. Read more on the SFCV website!

Fall in Love with Music

September 28, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Talking about Music

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At Amateur Music Network we wear the “amateur” label with pride. The word comes from Latin—remember amo, amas, amat?—and it originally meant “someone who has a love of something.” For us, it still has that meaning. Love of music is what we’re all about.Think about your own love of music. Perhaps you played with a toy xylophone or took Suzuki violin lessons or were offered a free clarinet from the school orchestra. Did you sing in the church choir? Play drums in…

Meet Ken Smith, Guitarist, Guitar-builder, and Singer-songwriter

September 3, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Jazz and Beyond - Non-Classical Music, Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Talking about Music

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This is a guest post by Nancy Friedman, an AMN volunteer, who writes: “I’ve known Ken Smith as a friend and a photographer for many years, and I’ve enjoyed his Instagram posts and music videos. When I learned that he’d posted a listing on the AMN website, I saw an opportunity to learn more about his musical life and to share our converstion with the AMN community.” Your listing says you’re a singer-songwriter and rhythm guitar and fingerstyle player. What…

Meet Garrett Fischbach, Violin and Viola Teacher

June 24, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Talking about Music

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This is a guest post by Nancy Friedman, an AMN volunteer. We were thrilled when Garrett Fischbach posted his teaching services to our online Listings. Not only does Garrett have 25 years’ experience with three of the most prestigious orchestras in the United States, but he also has a true passion for teaching adult amateurs. Furloughed along with the entire Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus since March 31, he spoke to us from his home in New York about his teaching…

Amateur Music Network AT HOME

May 17, 2020

Lolly Lewis

Community, Workshops

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What a crazy time. Even while some segments of our society are able to restore their equilibrium and restart their activities, music is really taking it on the chin. How can we even imagine concerts in a world where people can’t gather? It’s going to be a long time before we get back to normal. We have to create our own normal, a musical world we can inhabit in the meantime. Hooray for the new tools that allow us…