Martin Gilmore Music - February 2024
Happy winter! We made it through the darkest months and soon it will be time to think about starting tomato’s seeds and making plans for my garden. I was so busy last year that I think I will have to pare it back this summer, but tomatoes are always worth the effort.
January is usually a slow month for me when it comes to concerts, so this last month was no surprise. I reorganized my office to (hopefully) improve my setup for making videos. (Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel if you haven’t already). Mostly, I have been spending time working on preparations for this semester’s classes at the University of Northern Colorado, Swallow Hill and the University of Denver’s Enrichment Program.
I have lots of exciting stuff happening in February, but I really want to highlight my class for DU’s Enrichment Program which focuses on the Bristol Recording Sessions where Ralph Peer first recorded Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family for Victor Records in 1927. That event has come to be known as the Big Bang of Country Music because Rodgers and the Carter Family wer such influential figures to the genre. But it was also a fascinating moment where new technological developments shone the spotlight on different cultural regions of the United States. Mobile recording technology, the proliferation of radio and electricity, the development of phonograph technology all came together to create country music in the 1920s, and those things along with new developments in the business of recording set the stage for much of American music that came after. The artists themselves are interesting, but the surrounding events are maybe even more interesting.
The class starts on February 7th, and I would very much appreciate it if you would sign up since it is my first in-person class for the Enrichment Program. I have taught several classes for them online because I started during the pandemic, but It will be nice to get into the classroom so people can see some demonstrations of the music and actually touch some instruments and other things associated with the subject. The class will meet on campus at the University of Denver starting February 7th. I would really appreciate the support and the subject matter is so interesting. I think people will enjoy it even if they aren’t particularly interested in country music in general.
Sign up now at the University of Denver Enrichment Program Website and join me starting February 7th.
In conjunction with that class I will be playing a concert at Swallow Hill Music Association on February 24th, 2024 with The Cody Sisters. I will be performing the music of Jimmie Rodgers, and the Cody Sisters will be performing the music of The Carter Family. These artists songs have stood the test of time and sound just as relevant today as they did nearly one-hundred years ago. The concert is open to the public, but it is included in the price of the DU class. So, if you take the class the concert will be included, but you don’t have to take the class to come to the concert (though I hope you will!)
Please, please, please come and see this special show. We would love to sell out this event, and it would be great to sell it out in advance. Tickets are available, and these songs are so great! Get your tickets now!
I’m also excited to be back at the Midwinter Bluegrass Festival On March 15th and 16th, this time with The Martin Gilmore Trio. We will be playing a set on Friday evening and another on Saturday morning. I will be hanging out all weekend for this fantastic community festival. Also, the student ensemble that I direct at the University of Northern Colorado will be performing a set on Saturday morning. Come and support these wonderful kids if you’re around. They have been working very hard and I’m very excited for their debut at the festival.
Midwinter bluegrass festival is such a great community event. It’s a wonderful place to meet bluegrass enthusiasts, fellow pickers, new band members and more. My bluegrass band Long Road Home met at the Midwinter Bluegrass Festival in 2005, and I have been attending the event since I was just a little kid. I can’t recommend it enough. If you are at all interested in bluegrass and you have never been to this festival, please get your ticket and come support it!
There’s also just a few more days to sign up for my in-depth bluegrass guitar class at Swallow Hill Music called Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar. This immersive course helps intermediate and advanced guitar players develop style specific skills to learn to jam with others, play solid bluegrass-style rhythm guitar, develop solos, play fiddle tunes, and much more. For students who are interested in jamming with others or playing in a bluegrass jam, this class is perfect to become very solid on those skills. The class meets for sixteen-weeks, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesday we meet online to discuss techniques and concepts, and on Thursdays we meet in person to work on jamming, performance, and musicianship skills. These classes have been some of the best teaching experiences I have had. They are quite a commitment, but if you want to learn to play bluegrass guitar, this class is for you. Sign up now!
Finally, I’m very excited to tell you all that I was in the studio in December recording some music for a new project that will be coming out soon! Keep your ears out for that!
Stay warm out there. Springtime will be creeping this way soon.
Martin
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