Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!!

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Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!!

Hi to Jim Opfer and RonM - this is Rob MacKillop joining this forum. I've missed you guys! And I've missed flamenco. One of my guitar students started getting interested in playing flamenco, so I passed her the Juan Martin book - then I started getting into it again. I have very fond memories of you guys playing to me in different parts of Scotland. Did you ever meet up?

I am no longer doing much performing - had to sell all my lutes (news which even reached BBC Reporting Scotland!). I do have a flamenco guitar - a Burguet (I see that you don't rate them, Jim!...oh well...it does me) and I find myself stumbling through a Soleares every now and then. I love the rhythms and the harmonies, and just lull myself into some distant world by playing around with the basic stuff. But you guys can really play. Maybe we can all get together some day...

So what have you both been up to?

Ron - I've been lecturing at Aberdeen University this past few months, but I get the train from Dundee and haven't been able to visit you.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 26 2004 20:23:50

Jim Opfer

Posts: 1876
Joined: Jul. 19 2003
From: Glasgow, Scotland.

RE: Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!! (in reply to Guest)

Hi Rob,
Great to hear from you again my friend, but I'm sorry to read that you're not doing much performing and you had to sell all your lutes, jings! that's traumatic and must have been torture?
We had a session up at Ron's, super day and boy! Ron's got some great Jerez Buleria cooking up there in the North East. A bright burst of 'El Sol' over those Stonehaven cliffs and that North Sea.
So you've got yourself a flamenco guitar, a Burguet! What model is she? The one I got to try from El Mundo was poor but lots of players have them and rave about them including Ron's Meastro Rafael, so I think the one I got must have been that Friday afternoon model they glued up in a rush to get to the pub!
A trio's a must so lets organise something. It's no problem for me to zap up to Ron's if that helps.
Cheers
Jim.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 27 2004 9:50:35

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!! (in reply to Guest)

Hiya Rob!
Have been thinking of you, on and off since I saw you and wondered what you were up to.
I saw that Scottish TV News report about you and I was both amazed and saddened.
Only the week before I heard your concert in London being broadcast on Radio3.
Guess that's what the reality is of being a non-mainstream musician.

What am I doing?

quote:

I love the rhythms and the harmonies, and just lull myself into some distant world by playing around with the basic stuff.

Exactly the same as you!

It's a bit like "Dungeons and Dragons". There are all these portals leading to who knows where.
You sometimes go down blind alleys or interpret things the wrong way.
Then every now and then you find a diamond.
A grain of truth, something which is so incredibly simple yet so incredibly elusive.
You wonder why you'd never seen it before!
Thats the big kick I get out of playing around with Flamenco guitar.
Then when you go back to playing CDs, your understanding has increased that little bit more.
Glad to hear you've finally got yourself a Flamenco guitar.
I've tried only one Burguet, belonging to Rafael (of Oxford) and I liked it a lot.
Good to hear that you've got a lecturing post at Aberdeen University.
Is this a permanent thing, or a contract job?
Yeah, without a car Newtonhill is awkwardly out of the way, but if you've got a free afternoon or something, give's a ring and come down and have a chat.
I think you've got my number.
Meanwhile all the best Rob and glad you joined the Forum.
BTW...I sent ToddK a clip of some of your stuff and he was very impressed!!

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 27 2004 20:24:48

Rob

Posts: 60
Joined: Apr. 26 2004

RE: Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!! (in reply to Jim Opfer)

Hi Jim,

Ron's reply is 'awaiting approval', so I'll just reply to yours. I agree with you about Ron's buleria - great stuff.

My Burget is a 2F but with modern machines, not pegs. It's hard for me to evaluate it as a flamenco guitar as a) I can't really play flamenco, and b) I'm playing without nails, which is not conducive to rhythmically incisive playing. I have a real problem with nails - they tear on my woolen jumpers! I've tried every strengthening product on the market without joy, and I don't like false nails. But I like the sound I get - closer to a baroque guitar than a classical, and I love exploring flamenco for myself.

It would be great to get together at Ron's some day this Spring. Let's make it happen. I have a friend here in Dundee who is also exploring flamenco, and I would like him to meet you guys. So if Ron could host a quartet of strummers, that would be even better.

Good to hear from you.
Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 27 2004 20:39:05

Rob

Posts: 60
Joined: Apr. 26 2004

RE: Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!! (in reply to Ron.M)

Hi Ron!

Good to hear from you as well - the Buddha of Stonehaven!

The post at Aiberdeen is semi permanent for just 12 Mondays each year - not enough to live on!

So, Ron, how about me, Jim and my friend Gordon paying you a visit? Is that possible or too much of a freak out!? We will understand!

Rob

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 27 2004 20:45:05

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Sort of OT: Hi JimO and RonM!! (in reply to Rob)

Hi Rob,
I don't know if all of us would fit into my living room! LOL!
Sounds a good idea, but I'll have to wait until there's a good kid's film on in Aberdeen on a Sunday afternoon so I can bribe the wife and daughter and pal to have a jolly day out!
Sometime over the next few weeks the wife is having our circa 1966 bathroom totally stripped out and replaced at a horrific cost and a complete waste of money IMO, but that's women for you and after 15 years of nagging I've finally had to give in.
The plumber is a guy I know, and we're doing it over a few weekends, so I'll be tied up with that for a wee while.
Also I'm sorry you guys have only been here on a miserable, cold northeastern day, as it's a quite delightful place when the weather's fine and you don't have a Siberian wind blowing up your backside.
So leave it with me and we'll work out a date over the next couple of months.

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 28 2004 8:54:43