33 new of 256 responses total.
That's good to hear. So the problem is likely the playback software I'm using (standard Windows products).
What's your sound source? I'd expect that sound-card MIDI voices wouldn't be smart enough to respond to controller events.
After more curiosity-inspired research I've demonstrated that my trusty Yamaha QY70 does indeed follow the sustain pedal. John is rather sparing of sustain, so I had to edit out the "sustain off" events to even hear much of a difference. Next I'm going to move it back into the PC domain to see how my sound card handles it.
On Tuesday, July 10 and Thursday, July 12, Nan Bostick will be presenting two ragtime-related lectures at the Detroit Opera House, as part of the Learning at the Opera House summer program. Tickets are $10 at the door. Tuesday, July 10, 7 to 9 p.m. - Seminar on Jerome H Remick (major music publisher during the ragtime era, based in Detroit), followed by a sing-along of Remick hits led by Mike Montgomery. Thursday, July 12, 7 to 9 p.m. - Seminar on Harry P. Guy and the Detroit ragtime scene with Arthur LaBrew. (Detroit composer and bandleader Harry Guy was a major figure during the ragtime era. He wrote "Pearl of the Harem", which you can hear at http://jremmers.org/midi/prlharem.mid ) Nan is from California and is one of today's leading researchers on ragtime. Detroit ragtime is one of her specialities. She's also a very entertaining speaker and a fine piano player. Her lectures are always illustrated with plenty of music, played by herself and/or friends. If you have any interest at all in ragtime music, you'll probably find these presentations entertaining and enlightening.
I've added another piece to my ragtime MIDI page, Charles Johnson's "Golden Spider Rag" (1910). Listen to it at http://jremmers.org/midi/gspider.mid Also, I've written brief "liner notes" for the selections on the http://jremmers.org/midi/ page.
And another: James Scott's "Prosperity Rag" (1916). Hardly anybody seems to play this piece, but I've loved it ever since I sight-read it for the first time a few years ago. Recently I decided to work it up for public performance. The first strain has much in common with the composer's better-known "Grace and Beauty".
The URL for "Prosperity Rag" is http://jremmers.org/midi/prsprity.mid
I received an updated flier in the mail today for the Sutter
Creek Ragtime Festival, in which I'll be performing in a
couple of weeks. It appears there's an event billed as
"The Piano Duel of the Century" in which I'm to be involved.
Quoting from the flier:
The Festival will end on Sunday afternoon with a
rip-roaring "piano cutting" contest at the Sutter
Creek Auditorium starting at 1:30 p.m. The
special "Granny Nanny" (Bostick) vs. "Hot Rod"
Tommy (Brier) Piano Dueling Concert is a new
addition to the festivities and promies to
include great ragtime and lots of shtick.
The incomparable Elliot Adams, pianist with the
Porcupine Ragtime Ensemble, has agreed to assist
"Granny Nanny" in Sunday's affair. "Hot Rod"
Tommy ramains undaunted by her call for
reinforcements. But John Remmers, guest
performer from Ann Arbor, Michigan, feels Brier
is being "put upon" and will be lining up on
Brier's side to equalize the odds. Carmichael's
Alan Ashby, Azalia, Oregon's Keith Taylor, and
other surprise guests are expected to join this
not-to-be-missed Festival finale.
Guess I'll find out when I get there just how the "script"
is supposed to go. But I must say I'm glad I'm on Tom
Brier's team rather than the opposing side. He is a
*fantastic* pianist.
The festival kicks off at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 10
and goes through Sunday. The performers will play at
various free venues around town; admission is charged
for the Saturday evening concert and Sunday's "duel".
If you're going to be in that part of the world on that
weekend and feel like dropping in, I'd be delighted to
see you. Details are on the festival's website:
http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/
A schedule for the Sutter Creek festival is now online at
http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/schedule.htm
It's all subject to last-minute change, but as of now I'm
scheduled to perform at the opening jam session at the
Ice Cream Emporium at 4pm on Friday August 10, at Susan's
Place Restaurant during the dinner hour on Friday, at
various times and places (as yet unknown to me) around
town on Saturday, and at the closing concert at 1:30 p.m.
on Sunday. Not the Saturday evening concert, which it's
been decided to reserve for the headliners.
I'm back from Sutter Creek. The festival was great fun, although I must say that the sheer amount I was performing plus the central California heat tested my endurance somewhat. More details when I have time to write them down. And there will be pictures on the web. Tomorrow I'm off to a closer venue, the first Lapeer Ragtime Festival in Lapeer, Michigan. As an attendee, not a scheduled performer. Appearing will be Bob Milne, Sue Keller, and the Bo Grumpus group.
A few notes on the Sutter Creek Festival. I arrived in California a few days early, in order to have time to visit with my sister in Stockton and travel to the San Francisco area to see my nephew, try to hook up with a couple of Grexers (scg and munkey), and shop for some vintage clothes to wear in the festival's finale concert. Visits with sister and nephew went fine, Grexer rendevous didn't happen (phone tag failure), and the clothes shopping was unnecessary as I was able to find just what I needed right in Sutter Creek. Somewhat surprising since Sutter Creek is a just a little tourist town tucked away in the hills of the Mother Lode region of California, forty miles or so southeast of Sacramento, with a downtown section that's only three blocks long. But thanks to a tip from a friend about a Sutter Creek store called Romancing the Range devoted to vintage western wear, I was able to find an 1800s style vest, shirt, and puff tie that gave me just the "ragtime professor" look that was wanted. The festival itself went from Friday to Sunday, at various venues around town. Festival headquarters was the Ice Cream Emporium, an combination ice cream/sandwich/gift shop with a vintage look. It's owned by Stevens Price, festival organizer and himself a ragtime piano player. From around 4pm on Friday - when the festival got underway - to about 3:30pm on Sunday, I was a pretty busy guy. On Friday I played a half hour gig at the Ice Cream Emporium, then an hour-long set at Susan's Place, a restaurant across the street. Then back to the Ice Cream Emporium for an more jamming. I think I worked dinner for myself in there somewhere, but I don't remember for sure. Saturday was the killer: I ended up doing FIVE gigs: half an hour at the local hotel, then another half hour at the theater, then 45 minutes in an open courtyard, then another 45 minutes at the theater, then finally another half hour at Susan's Place. Breaks between most (not all) of the sets. The other performers were similarly put through their paces. Oh, did I mention that all this running around town getting from one place to another took place in 90+ degree heat? I think I drank as much water on Saturday as a usually consume in three days. The festival headliners (Virginia Tichenor, Bo Grumpus, Keith Taylor, Tom Brier) had it even worse, since they also had to perform in the Saturday evening concert. By the time my Susan's Place stint was over, I felt quite wiped out and grateful that I could simply relax and enjoy listening to the concert. Which was excellent; a special highlight for me was a to-die-for performance by Virginia Tichenor of David Guion's "Texas Fox Trot", accompanied on string bass by her husband Marty Eggers. I play the piece myself and have mentioned it elsewhere in this item; it's one of my favorites in all of ragtime literature. On Sunday morning I did some more playing during open piano at the Emporium, but my only scheduled gig was the Sunday afternoon "Piano Duel of the Century" concert, billed as a contest between twenty-nine-year-old keyboard whiz Tom Brier and Nan "Granny Nanny" Bostick. The "duel" turned out to be a friendly two- and three-piano play-along involving Tom (who can play anything, usually at sight) playing with various other performers, interspersed by various humorous sketches having to do with the "duel" aspect. In my bit, I played a "ragtime professor from out east" who had come to Tom's aid out of outrage at his shabby treatment by Granny Nanny. Following my improvised dialog on this point, the three of us played Harry Guy's "Pearl of the Harem" and Charles Daniels' "Louisiana" on three pianos. (Unrehearsed, I might add. Who needs rehearsals?) The concert ended with ALL the performers banging away on Charles Johnson's "Dill Pickles". Doing this festival was great experience, and I got to meet and hear some fine performers I hadn't encountered before. Such as Keith Taylor and Elliott Adams. A couple of composers showed up too, both to listen and do a little unbilled performing -- Gil Lieby from Nebraska, whom I hadn't heard of before but who's written some very nice stuff, and Galen Wilkes, who's written a couple of my favorite contemporary rags: "Creeks of Missouri" and "Last of the Ragtime Pioneers." And I got a lot of favorable feedback on my playing (and Sunday afternoon play-acting), which was nice of course. I took a bunch of pictures and plan to make some sort of organized website of them, like I did for the Sedalia festival. In the meantime, here's a sampler: View of Main Street: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020025.JPG Interior of Ice Cream Emporium: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020023.JPG Stevens Price: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020024.JPG Tom Brier playing one of his (many) compositions: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020021.JPG Bo Grumpus playing for dancers: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8030032.JPG Bo Grumpus at the Saturday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040041.JPG Virginia Tichenor and Marty Eggers, Saturday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040043.JPG Nan Bostick at Susan's Place: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8030037.JPG "Ragtime Professor" Remmers, Sunday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040060.JPG Professor Remmers and Granny Nanny, Sunday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040061.JPG Three-piano "Pearl of the Harem", Sunday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040063.JPG Tom Brier and Keith Taylor, Sunday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040068.JPG "Dill Pickles" finale, Sunday concert: http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8040072.JPG
Oops. The URL for Main Street actually points to a picture
of Nan Bostick on piano and Kittie Wilson on washboard. The
correct Main Street URL is
http://www.jremmers.org/SutterCreek2001/P8020014.JPG
Very handsome professor there, remmers. Thanks for sharing such a cool story and the pictures.
Just a brief note or two on the Lapeer Ragtime Festival, which took place a couple of weekends ago. In case you're not familiar with it, Lapeer, Michigan is a smallish town east of Flint a ways, in the midst of farm country. It's only a 1.5 hour drive from Ann Arbor, hence very easy for me to get to compared to a lot of the festivals I attend. It was also the first ragtime festival held in Lapeer. My impression is that the city fathers finally realized that they had a ragtime superstar in their midst -- Lapeer is Bob Milne's home town -- and decided to capitalize on that by asking Bob to organize a festival to coincide with "Lapeer Days", a big annual celebration with tents on the main drag, a carnival, a parade, and other such small-town-USA carryings-on. In retrospect the timing probably wasn't the greatest -- the festival had to compete with othe Lapeer Days events, and that probably reduced attendance by locals. The small downtown theater where the festival was held was only about half full for the concerts. That said, the festival was excellent musically, and the audience, although smallish, was enthusiastic. The performers were Bob Milne, Sue Keller, and the Bo Grumpus trio. I've seen and heard them all many times before, but they were all in fine form. I think that Bo Grumpus in particular benefits from a smaller, more intimate setting like the vintage little theater where the concerts were held. They were certainly well received by the audience. A festival highlight for me was their rendition of a number called "Bogalusa Strut" from the 1920s, in which they pulled out all the stops. (It's also on their latest album, "Blues & Rags", which I was inspired to acquire.) I also found the small scale of the festival -- a Friday night concert, and a Saturday afternoon combination seminar/concert -- to be a nice change of pace from the more mammoth festivals held in Frankenmuth, Sedalia, and Sacramento. Next year, they're not going to try to put on a ragtime festival during Lapeer Days. What they're doing instead looks quite interesting and innovative -- a mid-September "Ragtime Retreat" with an educational as well as entertainment component: a number of seminars and private piano lessons, in addition to the usual concerts. I'll put festival pics up on the web when I've had time to organize them.
You're absolutely right, John. Bo Grumpus, the 30-something string-percussion trio from San Francisco, did an excellent rendition of "Bogalusa Strut," during Saturday's concert at the Lapeer Ragtime Festival. I'm glad I was there to hear it. I think the trio really responded to the audience's enthusiasm. As a collector of early, pioneer popular recordings, I think the neat thing about Bo Grumpus is that a good deal of the music it plays is borrowed from vintage recordings--pre-1930 78s and cylinders. The musicians in Bo Grumpus are record collectors. Craig Ventresco, the guitarist and leader, specializes in the early and forgotten popular artists of the late 1890s/early 1900s, like Will F. Denny, Harry Tally, Silas Leachman and a handful of studio bands. These recordings inspire the renditions of Bo Grumpus. Hence, old, obscure popular tunes get revived, such as "Shame on You" (1904), "Gayest Manhattan (March)" (1898), and "Too Much Ginger" (c. 1916). It's rare to hear such selections played and recorded today. They're excellent tunes that have been lost for too long in graying record grooves; they are worthy of revival. Bo Grumpus has a style and spirit that can successfully put over the old tunes to today's audiences. There's nothing corny or old-fashioned about its interpretations. Then again, it's not three guys jamming in different directions and making the tune unrecognizable. The composer's original intent is preserved. Renditions of rags, marches, one-steps, etc. are lively and energetic--they grab the attention of the audience. At concerts, the trio's sense of humor helps to keep things zipping along. Bo Grumpus' instrumentation is different than other small ragtime groups I've heard. I think this contributes to the trio's uniqueness and popularity at fests. Craig's playing has been described as, at times, sounding like two guitars at one time. He seems to effortlessly play almost any popular tune off old recordings. Pete Devine plays vintage traps, and oversees crash cymbals, skulls, wood block, Chinese tom-tom, hand cymbals, washboard (played with brushes), tap shoes, and other noisemakers. According to pianist Bob Milne, the host of the Lapeer festival, Pete was voted the number one US percussionist in jazz and ragtime, by his fellow musicians. Marty Eggers, on string bass, brilliantly keeps up with whatever Craig and Pete dish out. As always, it was a treat to hear and see Bo Grumpus. Plus, I even got to help Craig put together part of the playlist for Saturday's (Aug. 18) gig. Craig and I are record-collecting and rag-fest pals. We speak the same language. Therefore, it was a highly productive brainstorming session . . . in the theater's back alley, with the garbage can serving as the desk! I came up with two of the last three selections of the concert--"Too Much Ginger" and the often-recorded (before 1920) "Ben Hur Chariot Race March." I also reminded Craig that Billy Murray, the prolific and versatile pioneer recording artist, died Aug. 17, 1954. Craig agreed that it would be good to do a "tribute," even if one day late. It was a bit difficult trying to think of a Murray song that Craig could play AND sing. We finally agreed on the c. 1906 comic song "He Goes to Church on Sunday."
Thanks for the post, Anna. It's nice to have some insight into
the way a group like Bo Grumpus operates. And nice work on the
playlist for the Saturday concert -- all good tunes.
I've put together a small picture gallery on the Lapeer festival:
http://www.jremmers.org/Lapeer2001/
See http://www.ragtimemusic.com/scrf/festival_prior_year.htm for a report on August's Sutter Creek Ragtime Festival. Included are a writeup of the festival and a picture gallery, featuring photos taken by yours truly and others.
Just learned about an interview with David Thomas Roberts that was broadcast on National Public Radio a few weeks ago. Roberts is a leading composer of New Ragtime and the related genre Terra Verde. He's the composer of one of my favorite pieces of contemporary ragtime, the piano solo "Roberto Clemente" (which he performs during the interview). He's also an able lecturer and teacher; I took master classes and private lessons from him at the two Ragtime Institutes held in Boulder, Colorado in 1999 and 2000. The interview was broadcast on August 29, 2001 on "All Things Considered." You can listen to it on the web by going to the NPR archives at http://www.npr.org/archives/ and entering "David Thomas Roberts" and the above date and program information in the form.
Slightly off-topic, but I'd like to put in a plug for the "Ghost World", the film version of Daniel Clowes' wonderfully funny and poignant novel-in-comic-book-form of the same name. It's about Enid and Rebecca, a couple of young women freshly graduated from high school who aren't sure what they're going to do next with their lives. Enid in particular has a lot of trouble figuring out how she fits into the modern world. The movie is basicially faithful to the tone of the book but with some major new plot twists. Most significantly, there's a new character played by Steve Buscemi -- a middle-aged record collector befriended by Enid. The guy is a fan of vintage jazz, ragtime, and blues, and like Enid is something a misfit. The two form a bond, and complications ensue that are both comical and disastrous. The screenplay is by Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff. Zwigoff is himself a musician and vintage music afficianado -- he played cello with Robert Crumb's "Cheap Suit Serenaders" ensemble -- so I'm sure the musical elements of the plot are due to him. This kind of music is so neglected nowadays that I was glad to see it acknowledged in a movie that is at least marginally mainstream. I was amused to hear the names of classical ragtime composers Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb mentioned. The playing of Bo Grumpus guitarist Craig Ventresco can be heard on the soundtrack. I liked the movie a lot. Thora Birch is perfectly cast as Enid. Several other characters from the book are beautifully captured as well, such as Enid's father and his girlfriend (played unbilled by Teri Garr). Catch it on video if you miss in in the theater.
I read the first couple pages of the "Ghost World" graphic novel. I'd have read more, but I was short of time. It looked better than, but disturbingly similar to, the same author's "David Boring", which I read about half of until my mind revolted.
Did it live up to the title?
"Ghost World" is the the only Clowes that I've read, so I have no idea how it compares to his other work. But I liked "Ghost World" so much that I do want to check out his other stuff. On the ragtime front, my activity level has declined in intensity since I resumed teaching full-time in September. I've been working on learning a couple of rags by the contemporary composer David Thomas Roberts: "Roberto Clemente" and "Through the Bottomlands". And I'll be heading out to the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA later this month.
resp:244 - Yes. (I thought that rather too obvious a comment to make, but yes.)
Tomorrow I'm leaving to attend the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA. I'll let you know how it went.
I'm back from the West Coast Ragtime Festival and will post some details later. In the meantime, a couple of short announcements: Pianist Bob Milne will be giving a "Holiday Ragtime Piano Concert" on Saturday, December 15 at Pease Auditorium on the Eastern Michigan University campus in Ypsilanti. Tickets are available by phone at (734)487-2282 or on the web at http://www.emich.edu/convocation . In addition to ragtime, Milne plays boogie woogie and blues. He's one of my favorite performers, and I think any of his appearances is well worth attending, almost as much for his entertaining and informative comments on the music as for the music itself. (I'll certainly be there.) Archive Impact has just released an interactive CD-ROM called "American Scrapbook: Detroit Memories, Volume 1". It's a retrospective of Detroit from the turn of the century to World War II, told in words, photographs, and music. My piano playing can be heard on the soundtrack in a couple of places -- "Princess Rag" and "Ragtime Oriole", both by James Scott. Ragtime pianist and historian Nan Bostick also performs on the CD.
As I've announced elsewhere, I'll be performing at this Sunday's Holiday Ragtime Bash at the Unitarian Church in Ann Arbor. For those who might want to go, details are in Music item 51, response #36 (resp:music,51,36). This concert is an annual event that dates back to the 1970s ragtime revival. It started out as a series of fundraisers, organized by William Albright and William Bolcom, for a new church organ, and then took on a life of its own, continuing long past the point when the organ was purchased. William Albright usually hosted it; following his death a few years ago, Mike Montgomery took over the program director and emcee chores. As time went on, the focus drifted away from ragtime and towards related forms -- blues, boogie-woogie, pop tunes. This year there's a conscious effort to emphasize ragtime once again, a decision of which I heartily approve of course. The first half of the concert will showcase major composers of the ragtime era -- Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb, James Scott, Tom Turpin, Jelly Roll Morton, and others. The second half will be more free-wheeling, but still with the emphasis on ragtime I think. Performs include William Bolcom, Joan Morris, James Dapogny, Terry Parish, Kerry Price, Bob Seely, and yours truly, among others.
Found while cruising Amazon.com: Bo Grumpus guitarist Craig Ventresco has a ragtime guitar album called THE PAST IS YET TO COME. This is listed as #83 of Amazon.com's best CDs of 2001.
Thanks for the reference, Ken. I didn't know about that one.
Looking it up on the web, I found this review:
Guitarist Craig Ventresco may be one of the best ragtime
pickers alive today. He was heard fingerpicking on the
Crumb soundtrack, but with "The Past Is Yet to Come,"
we get an entire disc of his dizzying guitar solos. The
results are stunning. Ventresco's ability to perform rags
by Big Bill Broonzy, Eubie Blake, and Scott Joplin is
awe-inspiring; his dense arrangements sound impossibly
difficult to play, but they are a sheer pleasure to
hear...his energized playing breathes new life into
the works. Ventresco's a real talent and ragtime lovers
couldn't ask for a finer disc of guitar music. It may
be sacrilegious to admit, but Ventresco's technical
ability is right up there with Blind Lemon Jefferson and
Blind Blake -- the only things missing are the pops and
hisses of the 78s. An incredible disc. --Jason Verlinde,
Amazon.com
Clearly I shall have to acquire this CD.
I've been a little slow posting reports on my recent activities --
West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA and the Holiday
Ragtime Bash in Ann Arbor. Hopefully this weekend...
i really enjoy his stuff on the crumb soundtrack.
Ragtime pianist and composer Scott Kirby will be appearing in Ann Arbor this Saturday, February 23, 8pm at the Kerrytown Concert House. In addition to being one of the best ragtime pianists around, Kirby is a prolific composer and arguably the finest interpreter of Scott Joplin's music today. Having been one of his master class pupils at the Ragtime Institute in Boulder, Colorado, I can attest that he is also a superb teacher. In addition to performing, Kirby is one of the organizers of the annual Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival and for the past two years has been music director of the Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, Missouri. The concert is billed as "a look at the evolution of ragtime." I imagine that he will be performing and commenting on early ragtime as well as contemporary works by such composers as David Thomas Roberts, Frank French, and himself. This is a rare opportunity for people in the Ann Arbor area to hear and hear about ragtime by one of the contemporary masters of the genre. If you think of ragtime as simply non-serious, honky-tonk style music, Kirby's persentation may well change your point of view. Tickets are $10, $15, and $25. Call the Kerrytown Concert House at (734)769-2999 for reservations. (I would have posted an announcement earlier but only found out about the concert yesterday.)
Hm, I've been neglecting this item lately. Not for lack of activity. I'll summarize the year's activities so far: Scott Kirby's KCH concert was nearly sold out and a great success. Selections were his typical eclectic blend of classical ragtime, contemporary ragtime, Latin American syncopated music, with a generous helping of his own compositions. A lot of stuff that isn't often performed in Ann Arbor. Audience response was enthusiastic. This was his first Ann Arbor appearance. I know Scott from various ragtime festivals. He'd forgotten that I live in Ann Arbor and was surprised to see me there. He told me afterwards that this was one of his more gratifying performance experiences, and that he'd like to make Ann Arbor appearances a regular part of his concertizing. Hopefully that will happen. This past spring I attended Zhender's Ragtime Festival in Frankenmuth, MI, the Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, MO, and the Blind Boone Festival in Columbia, MO. I go to the first two every year, but the last was a new experience. The Blind Boone Festival is held right after the Joplin Festival, and Columbia is not far from Sedalia, so I decided to stop off and take in one day of it on my way home. I'm glad I did. Heard a couple of excellent performers I'd not encountered before. Bob Milne gave a fascinating lecture on connections between pool playing and piano playing, how he's applied things he learned from the former to the latter. (I hadn't known that in addition to being a professional musician, Bob was a pool hall hustler back in the 1960s, a sideline he got into while he was a french horn student at the Eastman School of Music.) His props were a pool table and an upright piano. He showed us that he's still in good pool-playing form by demonstrating a number of tricky shots. That evening, the incomparable Morton Gunnar Larsen of Norway gave a solo concert, playing classical and contemporary ragtime, some Gottschalk, and a smattering of other things. The man has dazzling piano technique, especially evident in his performances of Jelly Roll Morton and Zez Confrey pieces. Larsen is another performer whom I'd really like to see make it to Ann Arbor someday, hopefully with his incomparable Ophelia Ragtime Orchestra in tow. This past spring I decided to try my hand at competition and entered the World Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest, held in Peoria, Illinois over the Memorial Day weekend. It's an annual event that started in 1975. To compete, I had to prepare six pieces, with two being played in each of three rounds -- elimination, semifinals (top 10 contestants), and finals (top 5 contestants). Period costume required (see mine at http://jremmers.org/oldtime.jpg). I was really nervous, first of all because I was a freshman contestant and most of the contestants were contest veterans, secondly because I was being judged, thirdly because the venue was a cavernous hotel ballroom with an audience of several hundred people (and seating capacity of probably a thousand). As it turned out, things went well. I was the only freshman contestant to make the semifinals, and I finished in 7th place. And now I have a much better idea what to expect and how to prepare when I try the contest again. (For information on the contest and to see the final rankings, visit http://www.oldtimepiano.com) Next week I'm off to the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, CO. I expect the music will be good; not so sure about the air quality.
One other note: I've posted a few more of my performances on my MIDI site at http://jremmers.org/midi/ . These are live recordings with no editing, so please excuse the occasional flub or missed note. "Sensation Rag" and "Ragtime Oriole" are two of the pieces I performed at the Old Time Piano Playing Contest. W. C. O'Hare's "Cottonfield Capers" from 1901 is a cakewalk; not strictly ragtime I suppose. It's a deligtful tune rescued from obscurity by republication in the current issue of Chris Ware's occasional periodical "The Ragtime Ephemeralist", which I picked up at the Sedalia festival. My performance might be the only existing solo piano recording of "Cottonfield Capers" in existence, although one can find a (very intriguing) 1902 band recording on the Ephemeralist website: http://home.earthlink.net/~ephemeralist/soundfiles.html
For folks in or near Ann Arbor: The annual Holiday Ragtime Bash at the Unitarian Church is this Sunday, December 8, at 7:30 PM. Although I hadn't originally expected to, last-minute developments make it appear that I *will* be performing again this year. I don't know what or how much I'll be playing yet -- stil have to confer with the concert dirctor about that. Other performers are Bob Milne, Terry Parrish and the Elite Syncopaters, and Kent Eschelman. The Unitarian Church is located south of Ann Arbor at 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Road (corner of Ellsworth Road). Admission is $15, $12 for students and seniors. Tickets available at the door, or in advance at Nicolas' Books. Seating is first-come- first-served, and for a good seat it's advisable to get there early, like around 7:00. This year's concert is the 30th in this long-time Ann Arbor annual tradition.
You have several choices: