May 9 Student Guitar Show at MSC Southeast in Red Wing showcases the sights and sounds of newly-built instruments
STUDENT GUITAR SHOW
Minnesota State College Southeast, Red Wing campus
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
308 Pioneer Road, Red Wing, MN
Guitars, guitars, guitars in all directions. And the occasional mandolin. That's what it's like at the annual Student Guitar Show at Minnesota State College Southeast every spring. A bumper crop of beautiful woods and intricate inlay. Flat top acoustic guitars, archtop guitars, electric guitars, as far as the eye can see!
The Student Guitar Show is an exhilarating experience for anyone who loves handcrafted musical instruments, but most of all, it's a thrill for the students who race right up until the last day to finish their instruments on time. The event takes place at MSC Southeast (308 Pioneer Road, Red Wing, MN) on Tuesday, May 9 from 11 am to 1 pm.
The Guitar Repair & Building (first year) and Guitar Development & Production (second year) diplomas at MSC Southeast are unique full year accredited college-level programs that draw students from all over the United States.
"We expect to see about 50 instruments at the Student Guitar Show this year," says long-time instructor David Vincent, an avid luthier himself. "But we won't just see them -- we will find out if they sound as good as they look. The students will get to hear their acoustic guitars and mandolins played in concert by Chris Silver, Mike Cramer, and Phil Heywood."
Ann Iijima is in the first-year program this year. She has a B.A. from Carleton and a law degree from the U of MN, but it was "back to school" for her last fall. Ann says, "I came to MSCS as a recent retiree, having spent most of my career in law and education (and legal education). The guitar program is the most interesting, challenging, and FUN thing I've ever undertaken. Wonderful instructors, students, and staff!"
Ann is building a small bodied (Single 0) 12-fret guitar with Indian rosewood back, sides, and fingerboard, Engelmann spruce top, herringbone rosette, and her signature "Silver Cranes" logo inlaid on the headstock.
Michael Heimdinger came all the way from Austin, TX to learn guitar building in Red Wing. Now in his second year, he putting the finishing touches two instruments: an archtop guitar and a small bodied guitar based on a Gibson L-1. Second year students learn advanced finishing techniques, such as the sunburst. Michael applied a small sunburst to his flat top in the old Gibson style.
"I came to Southeast because it was the most in-depth program for guitar building. No other school offers two years of training. Plus it's a public college, so it was the most affordable option for me," Michael says.
Come see and hear Ann's and Michael's instruments -- and dozens of others -- on Tuesday, May 9 at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing!
About the Musicians
Mike Cramer
Guitarist Mike Cramer is a music major from the University of Northern Iowa. His award-winning flatpicking technique has earned him championship titles in both the Minnesota State Fair Flatpicking Competition and Wisconsin's Upper-Midwest Flatpicking Contest. A fluid and powerful guitarist, Mike is as comfortable playing jazz standards as he is playing Bill Monroe instrumentals. He currently plays guitar in The Good Intentions with Chris Silver.
Phil Heywood
Fingerstyle guitarist Phil Heywood has been based in Minneapolis-St. Paul since the mid-1980s, performing locally and regionally while also establishing himself in the greater guitar and acoustic music world. In 1986 he won the National Fingerpicking Championship, and followed up in 1987 by winning the American Fingerstyle Guitar Festival Competition. He plays with a bluesy swing and tone, lyricism, and groove.
Chris Silver
A veteran of top bluegrass bands including Stoney Lonesome, Tangled Roots, and the Kate Mackenzie Band, Chris Silver now plays with The Good Intentions. He is an award-winning flatpicking guitarist and an accomplished fiddle and mandolin player. Chris is featured on many recordings that showcase his ability as a guitarist, stretching beyond the boundaries of traditional bluegrass into jazz, blues, roots, and global music.