The conferences and the workshops will be held inside the hall Sala delle Capriate in the 3rd floor of the Tower Area.
It is a beautiful location and the program will be full of interesting discussions and objects, with prestigious speakers and important guitar histories.
Free entrance for luthiers, exhibitors and visitors.

Here are the details of the program:

Saturday May 31

12 – 1:30pm: DAVID DOLL, CUSTOM SHOP MARTIN – Dave Doll’s  Pro Tips 

3:30 – 5pm: LINDA MANZER – Guitar Design: Linda will discuss her approach to guitar design and challenges she has encountered throughout her 40-year career. She will also talk about innovations that have emerged from the Manzer Guitars studio including the 42-string Pikasso, The “Manzer Wedge”, the Sitar Guitar and the 52-string Medusa

5:15 – 6:45pm: JOHN MONTELEONE – Building Philosophies: discussion on concepts of design for both, development of sound and for aesthetic appeal
A few words by John….. First Fruits of Lutherie……

Sunday June 1

11:30am – 12:30pm: RON HUISEN (Taylor Guitars) –  Taylor Roadshow

12:30 – 1:30pm: LUCIO CARBONE – Shaping the sound: historical- aesthetic criteria  in modern guitar lutherie

2:30 – 3:30pm: SAMUELE CALAMASSI, HOBO GUITARS – National Reso-phonic Guitars, Customization and set-up: Design and construction of a National reso-phonic guitar- Structure and construction of the neck – Disassembly and replacement of the neck on metal bodies –  Considerations on the neck tilt – The bridge of a reso-phonic guitar: specifications and settings

4 – 5:15pm: BILL COLLINGS – Collings Guitars: wood selection and how to integrate the use of high-tech machinery and traditional handicraft

5:30 – 6:45pm: RICHARD HOOVER – Santa Cruz Guitars:  the art of the traditional old school lutherie in the construction of modern guitars. The secret of the Santa Cruz Guitars success

WELCOME CONCERTS – Fossato stage Firmafede Fortress

Friday May 30 from10:30am to 7pm: BLUEGRASS MEETING!

Saturday May 31 from10:30am to 7pm: “HEART MUSIC” All Day Acoustic Show

performance of:

Organized by Heart-Sound and Fingerpicking.net

Sunday June 1 from10:30am to 1pm: BOB BROZMAN MEMORIAL BLUE PLACE

performance of:
SIMONE BAGGIANI (Hawaiian lap-steel guitar, charango, ukulele)
THE TRUE BLUES BAND, Valter Consalvi (voce/chitarra), Lorenz Zadro (chitarra/voce), Matteo Vallicella (basso), Giacomo Aio (cajòn)
PULIN & THE LITTLE MICE, Matteo Profetto (voce/armonica/ukulele/kazoo), Marco Crea (chitarra/mandolino/voce), Giorgio Profetto (chitarra/kazoo/voce), Marco Poggio (washboard/voce)
in collaboration with Ass. ne Culturale no-profit  “Blues Made In Italy”

DAILY CONCERTS – Tower stage Firmafede Fortress

Friday May 30 – Saturday May 31 – Sunday June 1, from 11:30am to 6:30pm
coordinated by Anacleto Orlandi & Luca Bertone  palcodellatorre@gmail.com

performance of: Luca Braida, Claudio Niniano, Simone Nobili,Toni Balocco, Marco “Blues Boy” Fulmine, “Dieci Corde” fest. Pritee Hurnam, Alex Wilding, Giuseppe Tropeano, Fabio Lossani, Gabriele Coltri, Roberto Carlotti, Mons, “Over the moon”, Giampiero Gueli, “Rusty Bluesy Ensemble”, Roberto Bettelli, Luca Falomi, Luigi Milanese, “Late Night Duo”, Federico Novelli, Giampaolo Bertone Gipsy Trio, Mauro Manicardi feat. “Gli Scariolanti”, Paolo Mari, Massimo Bevilacqua
demo cables and accessories Bespeco

DEMO-CONCERTS Exhibitors-Luthiers stage on the terrace, Firmafede Fortress

Friday May 30 – Saturday May 31 – Sunday June 1, from 11:30am to 6:30pm
performances, guitar presentations, showcases on a dedicated stage located on the terrace of the Firmafede Fortress. The schedule will be formed Friday morning at the opening of the Show.

UKULELE VILLAGE on the terrace, Fortezza Firmafede

Saturday May 31 – Sunday June 1, from 11:30am to 6pm
Coordinated by Lorenzo “Ukulollo”

CONCERTS IN THE HISTORICAL CENTER OF SARZANA

Friday May 30 – Saturday May 31 – Sunday June 1:
Performances of MARCO “BLUES BOY” FULMINE (voce e chitarra blues), FABIO LOSSANI (voce e chitarra 12 corde), GABRIELE COLTRI (cornamuse del Centro-Francia), ROBERTO CARLOTTI (fisarmonica)

Artists

WEDNESDAY MAY 28, 9pm

in concert:

1. “MIRKO GIOVANELLI & LUCIA TAVILLA”
   
2. “LIBERTAD TRIO”
3. “OL’DONKY BLUES”
4. “LMA HIGH SCHOOL BAND”
   
5. “THE GMDM THEORY”
6. “THE HARVEST MOODOGS ENSEMBLE”
7. “LA VOCE IN ACUSTICA”
   
8. “FRANCO RESSA UNTRIO”
   
9. “NO NAME FOR A NIGHT”
   
10. “DIECI CORDE DUO”

special guest KEN NICOL (UK)

THURSDAY MAY 29

h.7pm:
NEW SOUNDS OF ACOUSTIC MUSIC  Premio Carisch 2014 In memoria di Stefano Rosso
Young guitarists contest
Performances on the main stage of:
PIERANGELO MUGAVERO, CAMILLA CONTI, MICHELE LIDEO, DANIELE CHIARAMIDA, SILVIA PORCIANI, FIORINO, PIETRO POSANI, LORENZO PROCOPIO, FRANCESCO BIADENE, GIUSEPPE TROPEANO

Jury composed by: Stefania Rosso (figlia di Stefano Rosso), Andrea Carpi (giornalista), Davide Mastrangelo (CentroStudiFingerstyle), Giovanni Unterberger (Lizard), Reno Brandoni (Fingerpicking.net), Marino Vignali (ADGPA), Germano Dantone (Carisch), Giovanni Ravaglioli (Heineken), Alessio Ambrosi (Armadillo Club), Linda Manzer (luthier), Diane Ponzio (guitarist), Haley Sage Robertson Brozman

Awards offered by: CARISCH spa, JOHN PEARSE STRINGS, B-BAND TRANSDUCERS

h.9pm:

ANDREA TARQUINI TRIO (IT)  presenta “REDS” le canzoni di Stefano Rosso

ANTONIO CALOGERO & PAUL MC CANDLESS (IT-US)

DIRK HAMILTON & THE BLUESMEN (US-IT)

inside the concert at 10:30pm: Strings & Voices for Dialogue & Civil Rights Award, 6th edition
awarded to BOB GELDOF (IRL)

The Award is a work of the great italian sculptor Giuliano Tomaino and it ill be presented to Bob Geldof by the Mayor of the City of Sarzana

Martin Guitars-EkoMusicGroup partner dell’evento
dedicated page and motivation 

FRIDAY MAY 30, 9pm

PAOLO BONFANTI & MARTINO COPPO (IT)

ITALIAN BLUEGRASS JAM

TIM O’BRIEN (US)

MIKE DOWLING (US)

FINAZ – MESOLELLA – MAX GAZZE’ (IT)

SATURDAY MAY 31, 9pm

ENSEMBLE MEREUER (IT)

STEFANO NOSEI & ANDREA MADDALONE (IT) presentano “Lovin’ James” le canzoni di James Taylor
   

MIKE DOWLING (US)

DIANE PONZIO (US)

TERESA DE SIO QUARTETTO “ACUSTICA” (IT)

SUNDAY JUNE 1, 11am-7pm

GABOR LESKO (IT)

YURI YAGUE (IT) Vincitore Concorso “New Sounds of Acoustic Music 2013″, chitarra fingerstyle

SAMUELE BORSO’ (IT) Vincitore Concorso “New Sounds of Acoustic Music 2013″, cantautore

DIEGO BUDICIN (IT)

“LADIES & GUITARS” featuring  ELSA MARTIN (IT) – ELISABETH CUTLER (US) – DIANE PONZIO (US)
      

DAVE GOODMAN (CAN)

CHRIS NEWMAN & STELLA HENSLEY (UK)

TRIO HERMANOS (IT)

Didactic Courses – Seminars

The first 3 days of the AGM, Wednesday May 28, Thursday May 29, Friday May 30 will be dedicated to the Lutherie, Guitar Didactic and Ukulele Courses. Morning and afternoon fulltime workshops for all those who wish to learn or improve guitar making techniques and playing techniques.

Program and registration details:

SARZANA (SP)  2014, May 28-29-30

♦ACOUSTIC GUITAR LUTHERIE COURSE
CHRIS JENKINS (US) h. 10am-1pm GEORGE LOWDEN (Ireland) h.3pm-6pm

Cost € 150,00

♦ACOUSTIC GUITAR DIDACTICS COURSE
DAVIDE MASTRANGELO (Ita), Wed 28-Thu 29-Fri 30, h.10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm
MIKE DOWLING (US) Thu 29 h.3pm-6pm
FINAZ (Ita) Fri 30 h.3pm-6pm

Cost € 150,00

♦UKULELE COURSE
DIANE PONZIO (US)  Wed 28-Thu 29-Fri 30, h.3pm-6pm

Cost € 100,00

Coordination and translation: Piero Guagliumi, Noemi Schembri, Max Monterosso, Jackie Perkins
Tutor and organizational direction:  Alessio Ambrosi

ADMISSION TO ALL CONCERTS WILL BE AT SPECIAL PRICE  FOR THE PARTECIPANTS

Accomodation info: www.acousticguitarmeeting.net

Registration and payment:Course payment by bank transfer can be made directly to: Associazione Culturale “Armadillo”
Banco Posta, Sarzana (SP)
IBAN: IT96H0760110700000048894364
BIC/SWIFT:  BPPIITRRXXX

please, send details of payments to info@armadilloclub.org or fax to +39 0187 626993 with the specification of the name of the course (Lutherie-Guitar Didactics-Ukulele) to be registered

INFO: Armadillo Club-Sarzana – +39 0187 626993  info@armadilloclub.org

OFFICIAL DEPLIANT

Details of the program: 

Wed28-Thu29-Fri30 May 2014

♦ACOUSTIC GUITAR LUTHERIE COURSE

from 10am to 1pm, Master Luthier CHRIS JENKINS

Day 1 – Creating Guitars with a Great Future – Building for Sound Quality, Playability, and Longevity
Part One: Sound boards, backs, and sides, including a discussion of access panels and glues.

Day 2 – Creating Guitars with a Great Future – Building for Sound Quality, Playability, and Longevity
Part Two: Necks and Adjustable Playing Action. Sound holes and ports.

Day 3 – CNC for Small Custom Builders – Presenting Your Work to the World – Photographing instruments – Photoshop for Luthiers.

from 3 to 6pm,  Master Luthier GEORGE LOWDEN

• Day 1:  Choosing and Balancing Wood
• The effect of different hardwoods for Backs, Sides and Tops
• Quality Constraints
  • How Different Back, Sides and Top wood combinations affect tone
• Day 2: Choosing and Balancing Design
• Structural Integrity
• Design for Balance
  • Design for Beauty
• Day 3: Working and Assembly Methods
• Tradition
• Pure Skill
  • Achieving Stress-Reduced Joints

♦ACOUSTIC GUITAR DIDACTICS COURSE

Day 1:
from 10am to 1pm,  Master DAVIDE MASTRANGELO

– Basic techniques and advanced fingerstyle acoustic guitar (first part)
– Composition and adaptation for solo guitar in traditional styles: analysis of some songs and exercises in class (first part)

from 3 to 6pm,  Master DAVIDE MASTRANGELO

– Improvisation with “harmony awareness” ability to “feel” the chord during improvisation (first part)
– Introduction to improvisation with harmony structured rhythmic support (first part)
– Applications in Roots Music

Day 2:

from 10am to 1pm, Master DAVIDE MASTRANGELO
– Basic techniques and advanced fingerstyle acoustic guitar (second part)
– Composition and adaptation for solo guitar in traditional styles: analysis of some songs and exercises in the classroom (part two)

from 3 to 6pm,  Master MIKE DOWLING
Bottleneck Blues and Beyond – This is a very hands-on workshop which will explore licks, tricks, and turnarounds in open D and G tunings. Starting with basic chords and rhythms Mike will demonstrate on his National resonator guitars how he uses the slide to add expression to his own unique arrangements of classic blues tunes like “See See Rider” and “Key to the Highway”. From that starting point Mike will teach his funky version of Sleep John Estes’ “Drop    Down Mama” . Special attention will be given to tone and vibrato and techniques for getting the strongest sound out of the instrument. There will be lots of playing together in class so bring your guitars, your enthusiasm and your questions. You don’t need to be a slide player to benefit from this class, but bring a slide if you have one.  Audio recorders are encouraged but no videotaping please. Mike will provide handouts

Day 3:

from 10am to 1pm, Master DAVIDE MASTRANGELO
– Improvisation with “harmony awareness” ability to “feel” the chord during improvisation (part two)
– Introduction to improvisation with harmony structured rhythmic support (second part)
– Applications in Roots Music

from 3 to 6pm,  Master Alessandro Finazzo, “FINAZ”
Guitar Solo: educational “energetic and creative” talk dedicated to arrangements for solo guitar in pop and rock music, jazz tunes,  and improvisation

♦UKULELE COURSE

1st – 2nd – 3rd day, from 3 to 6pm DIANE PONZIO
Diane Ponzio accomplished singer-songwriter and proud Ambassador for the Martin Guitar Company, will teach you how to play ” the happiest instrument in the world” – the ukulele.
The first day will be devoted to left hand study, learning the basic chords.
The second day, will focus on and introduce ways to strum and pick.
The third day, will combine the two parts to enable you to  accompany yourself either solo, or in a group of players, on popular songs. The accent throughout will be on fun and enjoyment

INFO: Armadillo Club-Sarzana – 0187 626993  info@armadilloclub.org

New sounds of acoustic music 

THURSDAY MAY 29 – h. 7p.m.

“NEW SOUNDS OF ACOUSTIC MUSIC”, 2014 CARISCH AWARD in the memory of Stefano Rosso
partner CARISCH spa / Young guitarists contest

Performers:

PIERANGELO MUGAVERO, CAMILLA CONTI, MICHELE LIDEO, DANIELE CHIARAMIDA, SILVIA PORCIANI, FIORINO, PIETRO POSANI, LORENZO PROCOPIO, FRANCESCO BIADENE, GIUSEPPE TROPEANO

Jury formed by:

Stefania Rosso (Stefano Rosso’s daughter), Andrea Carpi (journalist), Davide Mastrangelo (CentroStudiFingerstyle), Giovanni Unterberger (Lizard), Reno Brandoni (Fingerpicking.net), Marino Vignali (ADGPA), Germano Dantone (Carisch), Giovanni Ravaglioli (Heineken), Alessio Ambrosi (Armadillo Club), Linda Manzer (luthier), Diane Ponzio (guitarist), Haley Sage Robertson Brozman

The best  performances will win musical instruments and accessories offered by  CARISCH spa, MOGAR spa, John Pearse Strings, B-Band  Pickup Systems, partners of the event.

Strings&Voices for Dialogue&Civil Rights Awards

City of Sarzana-Liguria Region “Strings & Voices for Dialogue & Civil Rights”  Award

A celebration of the popular song as a prominent instrument of social commitment, for dialogue and civic progress, and its interpreters par excellence: the voice and the acoustic guitar

1st edition, 2009, in memory of WOODY GUTHRIE, presented to NORA GUTHRIE
2nd edition, 2010, presented to JACKSON BROWNE, special guest
3rd edition, 2011, in memory of VICTOR JARA and VIOLETA PARRA, presented to Angel Parra
4th edition, 2012, presented to FRANCESCO GUCCINI, special guest
5th edition, 2013, in memory of MIRIAM MAKEBA, presented to the manager Roberto Meglioli and to the Ambassador of South Africa, Ms Nomatemba Tambo

This award aims to recognise artistic expression in both musical and social fields, and the extraordinary commitment in the fight for civil rights

6th edition, AGM17, 2014 Thursday May 29th,

awarded to BOB GELDOF special guest

With the award we intend to recognize his human and artistic depth, universally recognized in music and social scenes, and his extraordinary engagement in civil affairs around the world.

Born in Ireland in 1951, Sir Robert Geldof founded his own group, the Boomtown Rats with whom he often topped the British charts in 1975, but he is especially known throughout the world for his commitment to the fight against hunger and disease in Africa. While devoting time and energy towards his personal commitment for these causes in spite of facing great difficulties, he often sacrificed his musical career to do so throughout the years.

In 1984, inspired by moving pictures of African children dying of malnutrition, he wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” along with Midge Ure, which was sung by the best British artists of the time in a group that was called Band Aid, obtaining huge success and generating income that was donated 100% as aid to victims of the famine in Ethiopia.

In 1985, in the wake of these experiences and with the help of many other artists, Bob devoted heart and soul to the organization of the Live Aid rock concert, broadcast worldwide on  July 13 on two different continents, at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Unprecedented in the history of television and music, major personalities from the world of music and entertainment attended the event, which managed to raise more than 48 million dollars donated in its entirety to the peoples of Africa.

In 2004 he was appointed as a member of the newly formed “Commission for Africa” whose aim was to come up with new ideas in order to reduce poverty in the troubled continent. He then formed a new formation of “Band Aid” and recorded a new version of the single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” once again to raise funds to help the people of Darfur in western Sudan.

In 2005, he created a new event, “Live 8”, a series of 10 concerts organized in July of the same year in G8 countries to support the campaign against poverty, which brought together millions of music fans and people who believe in the possibilities of this difficult but worthwhile project.

Later in 2005 Geldolf presented a film for BBC 1 and wrote a book to accompany the television series in Africa, which was very well received by critics and shows his deep respect and love for the land.

There are many awards he has received throughout the world, including the nomination as baronet, to which the City of Sarzana and the Liguria Region adds its same deeply felt recognition for his unceasing work as the promoter of campaigns and events for the improvement of living conditions of people in Africa and for the advancement of a universally civil society.

The Award is a work of the great italian sculptor Giuliano Tomaino and it ill be presented to Bob Geldof by the Mayor of the City of Sarzana on the main stage in the evening concert of Thursday May 29.

Martin Guitars-EKO partner of the event.