Archive for Music News
Fiddlefest: Get Your Tickets To Win a Beautiful Mahogany Dulcimer!
Posted by: | CommentsRyson’s has a beautiful spruce and Mahogany dulcimer on display that will be raffled off at FiddleFest.
Tickets are $2 or $5 for 3. This beautiful instrument, a $450 value, is being raffled off with proceeds going to support music scholarships.
We would like to thank the sponsors of the FiddleFest event:
Charlie Argall for a beautiful collector’s tin of Ernie Ball strings that will be raffled off at $2/ticket.
Counterpoint Music for a donation of scholarship money.
Old Time Fiddle Club for scholarships as well.
To make a donation to go towards a child’s musical education come on in and see us at Ryson’s Music before the FiddleFest.
Niagara Music Award To Marty Allan, Dave Tufford, and Corey Richards…
Posted by: | CommentsCongratulations to Marty Allan, Dave Tufford and Corey Richards for winning the Niagara Music Award. What a great group! Come and 
see the Good Rockin’ Tonight show, featuring Marty Allan. It is always a great time when these guys perform.
You won’t want to miss them at Fiddlefest;
The 3rd Annual Car Show, Fiddlefest and Step Dancing competition will be held July 10th in Downtown St. Catharines. Come out to a fun day with many activities. People are coming from all over Ontario to compete. One participant is in town from Brussels to visit family and wants to be a part of the fun. There will be a barbeque put on by the Silver Spire Church.
Mostly Comics will be featuring a SuperHero day with costumes and great deals. Come and get your picture taken with the largest Incredible Hulk I’ve ever seen.
Over 300 antique cars and trucks will be parked throughout St. Paul street. There are bouncy castles for the kids, entertainment by Marty Allan and the Good Rockin’ Tonight band, a street dance from 4-6 pm, square dancing with a real caller, and performances from the Golden Hammers as well as the Rock’n Daisies.
Applications for the fiddle and step dancing contests are available at Ryson’s Studios. Come out and have a Fiddlin’ Good Time!
Harpsicle Harps Provide Inexpensive Way to Play a Harp!
Posted by: | CommentsCome in and see the new Harpsicle harp. 
Harpsicle harps provide a great inexpensive way to get into playing the harp.
Traditionally the high entry price for the harp has made it difficult to get into learning the harp. Not anymore! Harpsicle harps were designed by world renowned harp maker William Rees. Rees Concert Lever Harps have been used on Grammy winning CD;s by professional harpists working with Paul Winters and Yo Yo Ma.
The Harpsicle harp has 26 strings and weighs only 4 ½ pounds. They are made of maple and birch woods and finished in lacquer in a wide array of colour choices. Check them out at www.harpsicleharps.com or come on in to try out the one we have in stock.
Lessons for harp will be available in August. They are great for music therapists, beginners or the traveling minstrel who needs a light harp.
Kiwanis Guitar Festival Winners From Rysons Studios.
Posted by: | CommentsRyson’s Music has just finished the Kiwanis Guitar Festival for this year. 
Here is a list of our winners:
Class 401– Telstar
• Edynn Murphy 90%
• Josh Crysler 87%
Class 405- Kokomo
• Nathan Hoang 92%
• Dexter Sonier 88%
• Noah Wright 88%
• Maeghan Bunting 86%
Class 411- Pretty Woman
• Jessica Campbell 90%
Class 417- Layla (duet)
• Jessica Campbell 90%
• Jessica Zugic 90%
• Cameron Stewart 90%
• Maxwell Stewart 90%
Class 407- Sunshine on Your Shoulder
• Evan Dim 88%
• Lindsay Fulcher 85%
Class 408- Guitar Boogie
• Natasha Kowalenko 85%
Class 730- Stand by Me (duet)
• Lucas Wainwright 85%
• Noah Wainwright 85%
Class 414A- I Love Rock&Roll
• Sarah Marshall 84%
Class 406- Free Bird
• Evan Dim 90%
• Dexter Sonier 90%
• Nicholas Grude 88%
• Trent Gilmour 88%
• Jake Stevenson 80%
Class 412- Summer of ’69
• Alex Bragg 84%
Class 409B- Malaguena
• Jared Gilmour 87%
• Lauren Lidstone 86%
Class 745- Bands
• The Golden Hammers 94%
Class 803- Bands- Taylor Swift
• Lucas Venneri
• Evan Dim
• Dexter Sonier
• Cailen Rotz
• Edynn Murphy
• Josh Crysler
• Basil Sonier
All Participants in 803 received 90%
Class 414B- I Love Rock&Roll
• Jessica Campbell 87%
Class 410- I Shot the Sheriff
• Emma Crawley 86%
Class 835- Bands- My Generation
• Laura Lidstone
• Olivia Dim
• Graham Crawley
• Matthew Bradley
• Joey Bourassa
• Mike Rogers
• Jessie Gold
This band received 87%
Class 491-Bands- Day Tripper
• Katie Green
• Jared Gilmour
• Lucas Venneri
• Trent Gilmour
• Gabriel Baloga
• Noah Wright
• Emma Stevenson
• Jake Stevenson
This band received a mark of 91%
Class 492-Bands- Flight of Icarus
• Alex Macpherson
• Cameron Ethier
• Jessica Campbell
• Mike Merny
• Mike Deschamps
• Natasha Kowalenko
• Jordan Phelan (instructor)
This band received a mark of 92%
Congratulations to all of our participants in the Kiwanis festival; well done! A big thank-you to our judge, Guy Cayen who is an accomplished musician and school teacher.
How Musicians Can Change Lives
Posted by: | CommentsI think that one of the wonderful things about many musicians is their willingness
to help others in a time of need.
Brian Roman, a Toronto Vocalist, is trying to help out a little boy, Justin Grant, who’s going through a very bad time.
Justin has cancer, and if that wasn’t bad enough, his father died just months ago.
Brian Roman heard about Justin and decided to do a benefit concert to raise funds for him and his mom. It looks like the concert will be a sell-out and they could raise as much as $100,000.00.
What a wonderful story to share with our music students. Sure, it’s great that the’re learning to play an instrument for their own enjoyment, or perhaps, they have higher goals. But imagine what our music students can accomplish when they understand how they can actually help people who really need it through their musical talents.
I’ve never met Brian, but he’s obviously a guy with a huge heart.
I hope you’ll join me in applauding his effort to help Justin and if you’re so inclined, you might want to contribute to the Justin Grant benefit. Here’s the story; Justin Needs Our Help.
The Brian Roman Story is a must-read for every music student. You can read it here; Brian Roman.
Brian, if you ever read this I want you to know that you are a credit to the music industry, and I sincerely hope that young musicians everywhere will pay attention not only to your incredible personal story, but to the selfless manner in which you share your talent to benefit those in time of need.
Anne
P.S. I hope everyone who reads this will pass it on to others. You can help Justin by simply letting others know about this story.
Isaac Hayes: Legend Dead at 65
Posted by: | CommentsIsaac Hayes has died at age 65.
Hayes’ wife found him on the floor near a treadmill inside his home, according to the station’s Web site. Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08 p.m.
A musical legend, soul singer, songwriter, musician and producer with a career of over fourty years.
Mr. Haye’s popularity surged unexpectedly as the voice of “Chief” on “South Park”.
Isaac Hayes was born in Convington, Tennessee, in 1942. He was legendary for the development of the 1960′s Southern Soul sound. Then went on to be a superstar as a solo performer.
Hayes and his songwriting partner, David Porter, are reported to have written over 200 songs. Many of which were smash hits;
Soul Man, Hold On, I’m Comin’, B-A-B-Y, and I Had A Dream.
His career reached a pinnacle in 1971 with the single and album, “Shaft”. This release awarded Hayes with a Grammy Award and an Academy Award.
In 1997 Hayes popularity was reborn as the voice of “Chief Jerome McElroy”. The character became one of the most popular on the show, providing the main characters with advice and frequently breaking into comical R&B love songs that were usually parodies of some of his own material.
Isaac Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.