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back from bath
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Jim Opfer
Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.
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 RE: back from bath (in reply to El Craic)
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Emma,
Phew!,
Jeez! 7 hours up the road and just in, doubled up laughing all the way, sore ribbs.
Last recollection (before I nearly ran off the road at Motherwell) was the look on your face as Jess headered your sun glasses. Stoattterrrr! (if in doubt, go for 3)
Listen everyone, Rafael's a virtuoso player, a master and genuine great guy. If you get the chance to meet him or even better, take some lessons, jump at it.
If Andy, Mark and co, get to read this, then thanks for your freindship and help.
Ron, Rafa' sends his best wishes.
Anyway, had a great time and really enjoyed your company Emma.
(and to be sure, hear's me getting the blame for being Mad----27!) your a 'flamenco' with great toque, look forward to the next workshop.
Up at 4am later to get to airport for family hols, so away a few weeks. I'll try to keep in touch and sorry for not producing the Buleria audio.
Cheers
Jim.
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 1 2004 19:59:41
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El Craic
Posts: 164
Joined: Jul. 28 2003
From: Atlantic battered NW Ireland
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RE: back from bath (in reply to El Craic)
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Very wise of Jim to book a holiday after this week. I'm at work and have a couple of minutes, i'm still tired, god the self-abuse...
Rafa began the week with a review of all techniques and he got us all to play together while he wandered about and looked at individual weaknesses. Some things are easily identified, some are more personal to individual physique and are left for a one-to-one later on.
We looked at some warm-up exercises before moving onto solea, rumbas, bulerias and fandangos which took up the rest of the week. Amonst this we looked at what to listen for, how to listen and learn good compas. We did palmas and we learned to sing falsetas and melodies while doing palmas and keeping the foot going. Discussed 2s in bulerias (at our request) haha I'm not going there though you are all doing fine amongst yourselves so work away. It was intensive we got alot of material down and alot of discussion on how to learn it well so as to have solid foundations ie good compas.
Rafa's speciality is that he teaches compas, first the accompaniment and secondly the falsetas but always very vigilant about the compas for both. I have never met another teacher who could really do this. A good relationship with a teacher is a personal thing and I have to consider that my Spanish is too basic, even so... He is also very observant and very good at recognising where someone is, what his/her ability is in terms of their ear for flamenco as well as technique. One guy came out of his one/one and said "bloodyhell my picado is three times better than it was 10 minutes ago" he was over the moon. Picado isn't Rafa's priority particularly, but this guy was bugged with a problem with it and Rafa helped him to identify it and work a solution unique to him, coz we're all different. Rafa's other speciality is that he would bend over backwards to give everyone as much attention as they feel they need and he manages to consistently treat everyone with equal importance and attention. He went way above the call of duty and it was not unoticed by all of us who have done a little flamenco before.
Jim played a lovely solo tangos and Mark (hope he joins the forum) played a lovely rondeña before our group thing on the final performance, despite our humour. The IGF staff looked genuinely taken aback that the rebellious flamenco crowd could produce such beauty.
Jon, Andy who was new to flamenco (although not other styles) is hooked, it was a pleasure to see him tap the canteen table and the crockery jump in compas.
All in all, a seriously useful and inspiring week. Next year there will be a course in Dublin and perhaps Bath IGF again, Rafa doesn't know yet. I confidently recommend it for anyone in the UK/Ireland. I really do.
RON get Jim to tell you his Lone Ranger joke. ;-)
_____________________________
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf
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Date Aug. 3 2004 10:39:34
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Billyboy
Posts: 389
Joined: Aug. 18 2003
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RE: back from bath (in reply to Jon Boyes)
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I popped round myself, as I was in Bath at the time, and you were all watching a video, of Blood Wedding or something, a bit odd to say how much the course costs, and Rafeil had a broad Cockney accent, a bit like Juan Martin LOL. I think the main benefits would be to meet like minded people, and have a laugh, but my experiance of Festivals is not good, especially the ones in Cordoba, and the price of the Bath one was astronomical, I worked out with accomodation, transport, fees etc it would have cost me £800, I would have expected some serious 1 to 1 tuition for that.
Cheers
Dave
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Date Aug. 3 2004 11:03:37
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El Craic
Posts: 164
Joined: Jul. 28 2003
From: Atlantic battered NW Ireland
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RE: back from bath (in reply to El Craic)
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Hello. You must be shy I don't remember meeting you. LOL.
Well, we had had 4 hours of playing at that stage and were choosing flamenco videos from Rafa's collection while he did a one-to-one with someone. Was it Carmen or Los Tarantos or one of the Jondo series, I'm not sure. I've taken lessons with El Carbonero de Jerez, Fernando Moreno de Jerez, Ramon Ruiz from London, Maria Pages young guitarist when they were touring and came to Ireland, some wierd dude in Barcelona, a couple of other people from Ireland when I started. I'm a novice, I've only been playing three years but I've tried alot of teachers for a broad perspective. How promiscuous!
I actually took lessons with Rafael a year ago and that was when I started to learn how to play. The course was worth it, in my opinion. I learned alot. Rafa doesn't have a Spanish accent. He moved to Madrid and studied guitar since 9. His mother was from Cordoba. I think I said this once before. He doesn't have a cockney accent though it's Oxford. Don't compare him with Juan Martin that's very unfair of you as it doesn't credit his ability as a player or a teacher, or a person for that matter, although I realise you were joking. Students from other courses commented that we got alot more attention from Rafael than they did from their teachers. I'm merely giving my impressions and experiences.
I think the course was £250 plus accomodation I paid back in Feb and got a discount too. I flew from Ireland. I might have spent £800 on beer though.
Was there anything I would change about the course? Of course. And the different abilities is one of them, but Rafa coped so well, we really couldn't have absorbed more in a week so i geniunely wasn't bothered about this once a couple of days passed. I learned more on this week then i did in the one/one week with Fernando Moreno, more knowledge and more material, and FM is a good teacher. So there you are, the incredible adventures of a cheeky irish flamenco fanatic. :-)
_____________________________
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 3 2004 11:24:54
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) is your worse nightmare. 
whereas i on the other hand radiate mischievous youthful charm... 
It is a big regret I didn’t go on the course though as it sounded good. Who was the girl in the class, was she a guitarist ? 
