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lelandv -> Brief Introduction (Mar. 19 2011 16:23:04)
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Having only just found this forum after all these years, and also having made a few posts, I thought that I would write a brief note to introduce myself.
My name is Leland (good start, huh?). I'm originally a classical and jazz trained percussionist, having started with the drums way back in 1977, or there abouts, and progressing on through marching bands, youth orchestras, and jazz bands through my teen years. I started playing guitar in 1981 at the age of 12, but just really sort of fiddling.
In 1984 I decided to try to find a guitar teacher, but unfortunately the one that I found (one of the most reputable classical teachers in Brighton, England) was very discouraging (read as "insulting") with comments like "You'll never learn to play the guitar" and "you'll never be a John Williams". Obviously I set out to find another teacher, and managed to find one who happened to play flamenco as well. I had always loved the sound and persussive nature, as well as the syncopation, of Spanish and South American music, so this worked out really well.
After a couple of years of technique and falsetas with Eddie (my teacher), I was left to "explore" the world of flamenco, and managed to gain experience with accompanying singers and dancers, and performed with some artists from London including guitarist El Osito, singer Isabella de la Chachita, and various dancers playing in restaurants and wine bars in London and East Sussex. I also had my first exposure at actually organising a theatrical performance in Brighton in 1988 which included myself along with guitarist Tony Clinton ("Antonio"), singer Fernando Reyes, and four dancers from one of the conservatories in London. Luthier Stephen Hill did the sound and lighting ! :)
As time progressed, I continued playing and started recording. I collaborated with singer Fernando Reyes, as well as a Chilean musician Patricio Solar for an album of music from Spain and South America, recorded in 1993.
In 1994 I went to the Washington DC area, integrating with the flamenco community there playing for dance classes and performances in the Baltimore/Washington DC corridor (thanks and "shout-outs" to Miguelito, Edwin Aparicio, Marija Temo, Nathalia Monteleon...) as well as teaching Sunday mornings at a small music conservatory in northern Virginia. (I also started playing with a Bolivian music group called Tepuy -- but that's unrelated to Flamenco -- more the andean and south american folk music...)
In 1997 I returned to the UK, and didn't really do a whole lot. I moved to Paris, France in 1999 and started performing in a couple of cafes around the city, but nothing really well known. In 2001 to 2002 I and my [now] wife started taking flamenco dance classes with Adrian de Sevilla and his daughter Tatiana, as well as Ana Ramo. We also spent two weeks in Andalucia including a week of private intensive classes with dancer Juan Parra in Jerez. I then moved back to the UK in 2002 and didn't do hardly anything... other than my day job... until my wife and I returned to France in 2008.
From 2002 to quite recently, I've somewhat faded from the flamenco scene, only picking up the guitar from time to time to give it a little strum or to change the [underused] strings. I have recently had a "kick" in the form of motivation to get back into the scene somewhat, so hence my comments of being a few "years out of practice" on a couple of my other posts. :)
Anyway, that rather sums up the history.
What else is there? hmm...
Guitars...
My first was a Stephen Hill flamenco model (his first built flamenco model) back in the 1980s. Afterwards, a Conde Hermanos... which was destroyed by a third party in an unfortunate situation back in 1993. Next was a Jose Ramirez gerondino flamenco negra. In 2002 I picked up an "el cheapo" factory made Alhambra flamenco negra in Jerez, and then in Granada a 2002 Jose Lopez Bellido in his workshop in the city centre.
Day job? I'm a network architect by trade, and have been an executive IT/Technical director for the past several years.
Married to my french wife, and we have three children.. and located in the Paris region in France :)
Anyway.. that's me :)
Leland
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