The boy standing next to me told me he had a guitar and that he had learned C, G, and Em. I told him that was a great start! ... and that he should get his friends to play guitar too so they could have fun playing together. He also asked me if my guitar was hand made and he said he could tell it wasn't from a music store or Walmart.
I loved answering a thousand questions. I could do it all day.
Today, I met with the Franklin Co. tax assessors. I went to challenge my tax appraisal which is $261,700. They denied my appeal and said that I would have to go to the state level to appeal, which I will. I have a property appraisal for $190,000. They said my property is like 'ocean front' and needs to be assessed accordingly. But, come on ... at $92,000 an acre? That is ridiculous!
I admitted, "ok, yea, I do have sort of a view, but...."
I will make a better case to the state at the Tullahoma courthouse in a few months.
It exceeded all expectations. 28 competitors of the highest quality. An awesome performance by Dr. Silviu Ciulei, and by our guest artists Carlos Castilla, Ben Bolt, and Richard Todd. The competition judges had their hands full.
What keeps this festival growing is 'the hang' ... the parties and the celebration of our culture and music. This year was really spectacular. I think classical guitarists spend so much time alone refining their art, when it comes time to party, it is a particularly fun celebration. Some of these guys that I've seen year after year and especially former students and colleagues like Jerry, Howard, Ben, and Silviu, feel like family to me. We'll do it again next year and at GFA in a few weeks.
The competition was as high a caliber as any. There were some exceptionally fine players who didn't make the semis, and all 12 semifinalists were superb. The Finalists were truly some of the best guitarists in America, world-class.
Photos:
1) Paella!! We filled the big dish twice. 10lbs of seafood.
2) Our competition winners, the 'usual suspects' - Jeremy, Chad, and Joseph.
3) The awards presentation with our judges and prize winners
4) A brief clip from the flamenco portion of Silviu's recital. Just listen to the first 5 seconds, wow.
Beauty, Nature, Adventure, Fitness, Art, Music, History, Science, Travel, Food and all things GOOD
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“The true miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth. ... The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”
