Come and hear from our students and friends as this builds into the official Kennebec Conservatory of Music’s outdoor recital for years to come!  Oh, don’t forget about the ZipLine coming next year!

This festival will run all day from 10am to well into the night!

For more information about the several music campuses and activities throughout the day check out Kennebec Celebration online!

Click to SIGN UP

Kennebec Conservatory features:

Visit us here at 2 Bangor St. here in Augusta, ME to come and hear the Holiday 15 amp.

The original dialogue went something like this:

Our friend Rick says, “fix up my old amp, it doesn’t work anymore”

Joel (repair guru) says, “sure thing boss man.”

Roger comes in for the Holiday test drive and fully approves of the new breed.

End result = Old amp that looks as cool as it now sounds

The Holiday 15 test drive…

Here at Kennebec Instrument Repair

2 Bangor St.

Augusta, ME 04330

You can listen to the audio clip below while you practice your melodic ideas over these fascinating chord changes!

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Kennebec Conservatory welcomes Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen!

This is a great opportunity for all you songwriters out there! This thing is already getting calls folks so it may be a good idea to get in early on this one…

Nationally recognized songwriter Steve Gillette will lead a songwriters’ circle at Kennebec Conservatory in Augusta on Sunday, May 1 at 1PM. The circle is a rare mentoring opportunity for songwriters to share original songs and get professional feedback from a music business veteran.  The fee for the workshop is $5.  The circle will be followed at 3PM by a concert ($10) featuring Steve Gillette and his wife, Cindy Mangsen, a celebrated songwriter/performer in her own right. More information about Steve and Cindy is available at their website, www.compassrosemusic.com.  Everyone is welcome to attend either or both events. Reservations may be made by calling Kennebec Conservatory (207) 485-8863 [TUNE].

Steve’s songs have been recorded by Garth Brooks, Linda Ronstadt, John Denver, The Dirt Band, Mickey Gilley, Nancy Griffith, Tony Rice, Kenny Rogers, Jerry Jeff Walker and Tammy Wynette – just to name a FEW (Steve has also written several songs for Disney!). The songwriters’ circle is both educational and entertaining and is an engaging way to hone songwriting skills by interacting face-to-face with a master.

Kennebec Conservatory, headed by Jason Carey, is a private music school offering instruction in everything from beatboxing to violin under some of Kennebec valley’s most famous local musicians.  Songwriting will be a new offering and this critique and concert serve as an introduction to ongoing songwriting instruction taught by Martin Swinger, a nationally recognized singer/songwriter and arts educator from Augusta.  Martin will open the concert with some of his original songs, and is organizing the song circle and concert with the help of The Maine Songwriter’s Association, a state-wide, non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage, recognize, educate, support and promote developing songwriters.

…Some songs are great to dance to, and some feel good to cry to, and others are fun to sing along to, but sometimes you discover songs that simply invite you to stop and listen.

Martin Swinger sings Songs Worth Listening To

Teaser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpCUEYAhpdg

My websites:
www.martinswinger.com
www.swingersongwriter.com
www.improvox.com

Remember to sign up for the 2nd Annual Youth Songwriter’s Competition and come to the clinics here in May to bounce your ideas around!  See you here.  Keep your ears peeled for another very special guest later on in May!

Click here to see larger map.

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Visit us here at 2 Bangor St. in Augusta, Maine or on the phone at (207) 430-8448.  (You can get coffee with Joel if you come on by)

This is just a short list of some services here at Kennebec Instrument Repair

• fixing your wintry cracks
• tune ups & string changes
• amp mods
• fret jobs
• mouse removal for those instruments that have been stored for a little too long…
• paint
• restorations

We’re thawing out some holiday-style specials for you this spring:

*holiday sale prices honored for March-May 2011!!!

If you are in school anywhere here in the Central Maine theater of operations, then you qualify to enter the Songwriters Competition here at Kennebec Conservatory in Augusta, ME. The rules are pretty straight forward and as a songwriter, you have artistic license to incorporate concepts from the Viles Arboretum into your song’s story line or metaphors.  As you find yourself nearing the May 20 at noon deadline you may have some questions.

As questions arise during the compositional process you have a few different methods to receive assistance in your journey.  This journey is open as of now and you can submit your entries by email, snail mail or the other links provided below.  The deadline to meet is May 20, 2011.

One of the benefits of this contest is that you can have access to local and national resources. The goal of this songwriter’s competition is not to hand out huge cash prizes that will hoard people in.  The focal points are on quality and offering the contestants who are participating some real world benefits as well as a few really great perks!  Including written reviews of your songs by some great songwriters!

• a years worth of guitar strings
• a fully produced recording of your song that includes artwork and will get your song sold on iTunes!
• We’ll take it one step further and get you some airplay on our favorite internet radio station the Maine Radio Project!

• a fully produced recording of your song that includes artwork and will get your song sold on iTunes!
• We’ll take it one step further and get you some airplay on our favorite internet radio station the Maine Radio Project!

*All contestants are eligible to perform at various locations at the Kennebec Celebration and another one of our upcoming festivals in July!!!

While drafting your song for the competition you should think about the Viles Arboretum.

• What does it hold in store for the future of Augusta?
• How does this area increase your mental and physical fitness?
• Descriptions of your skiing experiences
• the history of the area
• snowshoeing in the arboretum
• can you use this opportunity for school credits? (english, science, music department heads should be able to help)

The KVMA Youth Songwriter’s Contest entries will be evaluated by the following guidelines:

1. Lyric Content – story line, craftsmanship, attention to detail.

2. Does the song meet the criteria of the contest?

3. Melody – does it stick with you?

4. Accompaniment – in tune, rhythmically sound, supportive of voice?

A perfect score in each category will earn 10 points per category. Overall, there will be a possible 40 points.
Thanks for participating and good luck!

$5 BUCKS sign up fee.  We know, most contests charge more.  Yes we’re psycho!  But we want your participation!  C’mon and have some fun with us!

Ed Howe & John Cote (Kennebec Valley, Maine) have made it clear that tradition is here to stay!

While the trend is to get up and get out for your weekend in many small towns and cities here in North America, you should add Perpetual E-motion to your list of healthy alternatives!

Perpetual E-motion has been touring the United States and Canada for over a year now and as the name implies they are gaining momentum! You can follow there tour calendar to your town and rave about the experience.

In an interview earlier this month John said, “we’re trying to create an experience on the floor both for our concert listeners and especially the dancers who are frequenting our shows.”

Perpetual E-motion has created an experience that people can identify with. You get a lot of social interaction on the dance floor while enjoying yourself.

“Our friends are interacting with people of different generations, older and younger. Younger musicians are coming to the table to provide music for these alt contra events. By experimenting with this style of music and having an outlet to play, it is always evolving,” John said.

When you attend an event with Perpetual E-motion, the dances are easy to learn and the people are generally accepting to newcomers!  The dance creates a range of dynamics and textures characteristic to the 10 minute long departures.

People coming to dance are doing just that. It’s not really about drinking or any of that stuff. It’s a really wholesome activity!

Watch for more to come from these guys as they prepare to tour Europe and Japan!

Boss RC-2 Loop Station

Will was asked to be featured as a student of the month here at KCM. He demonstrates the ability and understanding to help nurture a classic music scene full of tradition and great, meaningful songs. As you read on, you’ll be able to listen to a song that he crafted specifically for the development and support of a healthy river system that runs through our beautiful state capitol.

However, you should buy it now to help support and promote your local river health in the Kennebec Valley.

Get clicky with the playbox below to listen while you peruse the interview.

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

We met up with Will this year at Damariscotta Lake State Park for the beginning of our annual friends and family cookout. Naturally, we had our acoustic instruments and played and sang all afternoon. The end of the day was reached when Sean Finn pulled out a gnarly under the leg jump catch to close out the frisbee game…

Will may be available to write songs per contract.

Play Outside.

You can  meet Will out on the trail or sometimes here at the Conservatory during the Acoustic Calling. Learn more about outdoor music and recreation here:

http://www.maine.gov/dep/

http://www.maine.gov/doc/

http://www.facebook.com/mainelivemusic

http://www.uma.maine.edu/jazz.html

http://kennebeccelebration.com/

http://kennebecconservatory.com/news-events/acoustic-calling-damariscotta-lake-state-park/

I Wish I Was a Shad - Will Harris

Buy the song, support the Kennebec River.

The process of writing, recording, and releasing this tune spanned the course of over a year.  It started with the development of an acoustic group that convened on Sunday afternoons (now Saturdays) called the Acoustic Calling here at Kennebec Conservatory of Music.  Then we were invited to participate in this really great festival in Augusta, ME. All of the pieces seemed to fit together nicely.  Will has this extensive background that lead him to state level work. Now he is able to draw on his experiences managing and protecting the wild to create a suitable cash flow to help support awareness of the outdoors - why to protect it and not take advantage of profit sharing it.  In the end, we can all earn more by preserving these natural treasures of Maine. If you should become interested in viewing any economic studies regarding the way in which natural places impacts the cash flow of Maine, you may submit a request for such analysis through our contact page. For now, please download the tune because it will help all of us here in Maine.  If your friends don't already have it, they should. Thanks for spreading the good news! -Kennebec Conservatory of Music

Buyable formats:

I Wish I Was a Shad - Will Harris

0.99 USD