Remembering John McGann on his birth date

Remembering John McGann on his birth date.
The notloB Parlour Concert series is dedicated to his memory.
RIP, John.

Photo by Yoshihiro Arita

Rest in peace, John McGann

John McGann left this world one year ago (April 6, 2012)
Rest in peace, John.

Rest in Peace, John McGann

Word has reached me that John McGann has passed away. John was a great teacher, performer, transcriber, arranger, a notloB alumni and a hell of a fellow!

Rest in Peace, John McGann.

Faculty Biography

http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/john-mcgann

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Helen Norton-Russell

John McGann, Professor

Department: Strings

"At Berklee, we offer the unique opportunity to study with master musicians across a spectrum of styles, from all periods of classical music through the cornucopia of styles found in rock, blues, and various ethnic traditions (each with very specific sub-styles) such as Latin, Balkan, Irish, African, etc., as well as the great variety of indigenous American idioms within jazz and bluegrass (with its associated tributaries of old time and Texas contest styles). Not to mention great music that is, as Duke Ellington might say, 'beyond category.'

"The recently launched acoustic string program (mandolin, banjo, and harp, with an associated mandolin/guitar dual principal) allows us to address the needs of contemporary musicians by deepening their roots in traditional styles while exposing them to a the vast range of music. While the banjo and mandolin are most strongly identified with bluegrass, the possibilities for these instruments are only limited by the imagination of the player. In addition to addressing technique and musicianship, we explore improvisation from a variety of angles, including harmonically based ('playing from the changes') as well as melodic variation and development. Many of the most exciting young mandolinists of our time are choosing Berklee for both a well-rounded education and a vital and sympathetic musical community.

"I truly enjoy exposing students to great music they haven't yet discovered. Opening new doors for people is one of the joys of teaching."

• Founding member of the Wayfaring Strangers, Boston Edge, Rust Farm, Beacon Hillbillies, the Dactyls
• U.S. National Mandolin Champion 1986, Winfield, Kansas; winner of numerous regional guitar and mandolin contests
• Board of Directors, Traditional Music Foundation
• International performances with Celtic Fiddle Festival, Sam Bush, Karan Casey,  Seamus Connolly, Paddy Cronin, Seamus Egan, Bill Evans, David Grisman, Martin Hayes, Darol Anger, Yoshirio Arita, John Blake, the Boston Pops, Utah Symphony,  Dave Mattacks, the Time Jumpers, and Stefan Wrembel
• Recordings include solo album Upslide (Green Linnet), The Boston Edge (Mapleshade),The Man Behind the Box (Mapleshade), and the Wayfaring Strangers’ This Train(Rounder)
• Compositions and arrangements for the Boston Pops, the Utah Symphony, New Philharmonia, Annika Lückebergfeld/JZO Orchestra, and Childsplay
• Major publications include Developing Melodic Variations on Fiddle Tunes: Guitar and Mandolin Editions (Mel Bay), Guide to Octave Mandolin (Mel Bay), Joaquin Murphey Classic Western Swing Steel Guitar Solos; Rhythm Tune Up DVD; Rhythm Mandolin DVD; and Sound Fundamentals DVD (distributed by Mel Bay)
• House transcriber for David Grisman's Acoustic Disc

Related Links:

• http://www.johnmcgann.com

* Part-time faculty member

Updated at 7:20pm
Source Bluegrass Today

John McGann passes

John Lawless | April 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

And the sad news just keeps coming…

John McGann, noted instrumentalist and acoustic music educator passed away this morning in Boston. He was on the faculty at the Berklee College of Music where he taught mandolin and guitar, and led a number of string ensembles. He was also a gifted performer who was conversant in a wide variety of musical genres.

David Hollender, who served with McGann on the Berklee faculty, tells us that John had been diagnosed with a kidney condition just a few weeks ago, and was thought to have been responding well to treatment. He had been away from school, but the expectation at Berklee was that a full recovery was anticipated.

John leaves behind a wife and young daughter.

Hollender described his colleague as…

“One of the nicest, funniest, most knowledgable people I have ever known. The things he knew about music would blow your mind.

When he was out playing with Matt Glaser, they used to play a game on stage called “Ask John.” No matter what instrument he had in his hands, people could call out any Beatles tune, and he could start playing it on the spot.

He knew bluegrass, jazz, gypsy jazz, classical, Celtic and Central American folk music well.

John wore lot of hats. He was a great musician and we will miss him terribly.”

One bluegrasser whose life John touched is Sierra Hull, who studied with him every week while she was enrolled at Berklee.

“My heart is so heavy with the news of Johns passing. He was a special person and has been a great inspiration to me. I feel so blessed to have known him, and to have studied with him during my two years at Berklee.

He was one of the most gifted mandolin players and musicians I have ever met. He knew how to teach in such a way not to intimidate, though he knew more than I will probably ever start to grasp. He always carried with himself with a smile, and was a great encourager to anyone that he was around. Thanks to him, my Berklee experience was one that I am proud of and thankful for.

He will be so greatly missed!”

Bluegrass Today offers our most sincere condolences to the McGann family, the community at Berklee, and all John’s many friends and students who loved him dearly.

Flynn Cohen and the Deadstring Ensemble

notloB Folk Concerts

  

presents.....

Flynn Cohen and the Deadstring Ensemble

Thursday, October 20, 8pm Loring-Greenough House 12 South Street Jamaica Plain, MA More info at the notloB website Guitarist/composer Flynn Cohen leads his own band of string geniuses performing original multi-genre acoustic music. Primarily instrumental, they combine influences ranging from Irish traditional music, old-time appalachian, bluegrass, folk-rock, and early music. The band consists of some of the finest and most experienced acoustic plucked-string players in America. FLYNN COHEN – guitar/mandolin/vocals Acoustic Guitarist Flynn Cohen has performed all over the world with many notable acts in traditional and contemporary acoustic music. He can be seen on concert and festival stages with the neo-trad folk band Annalivia, legendary Irish Accordion player John Whelan, fellow trad guitar player Matt Heaton, modern bluegrass band Tony Watt & Southeast Expressway, and his own group of acoustic string wizards, TheDeadstring Ensemble. Flynn has also performed with HALALI, The Sevens, Aoife Clancy, Cathie Ryan, Lawrence Nugent, Skip Healy, Joe Derrane and Frank Farrell, John McGann, Matt Glaser, Adrienne Young, Jake & Taylor Armerding, Gail Davies, Gilly Martin, Malibu Storm, Bruce MacGregor, Lissa Schneckenburger, Laura Cortese, Mark Simos, Women of Ireland, The Vancouver Symphony, the Orchestra of Indian Hill, Revels, and Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, among others. He studied Music at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England and at Mills College in Oakland, California and now teaches in the Music Dept at Keene State College in New Hampshire, as well as The Music Emporium in Lexington, Massachusetts. JOHN McGANN – guitar/mandolin John McGann is a Professor of Strings at Berklee College of Music, 1985 National Mandolin Champion, and has a long resumé of international tours and recordings with Celtic Fiddle Festival, The Wayfaring Strangers, The Boston Edge and many others. Complete bio: http://www.johnmcgann.com/bio.html MATT HEATON – guitar/bouzouki Though he studied classical guitar at Northwestern University (MMus) and Italy, played rock in Chicago, and tango in Denver, it is Boston’s vibrant Irish music scene where he has made his musical home. What began as an obsession with an unlabeled cassette tape (which later turned out to be “The Planxty Collection”) and a courtship with a young Irish flute player named Shannon, has led to a vibrant Irish music performance career. In addition to his duo work with wife Shannon, he is highly sought after as accompanist, and has performed with traditional luminaries Aoife Clancy, Robbie O’Connell, Emily Smith, and the Boys of the Lough. DANNY NOVECK – guitar/fiddle  Danny has worked as both a fiddler and guitar accompanist with such trad music luminaries as Liz Carroll, John Williams, Tony DMarco, and John Whelan. He has a PhD in Anthropology that took him Mexico to study the fiddle music of the Tarahumara Indians. Danny teaches at the Boston branch of Comhaltas music school and is the composer of the well-known session tune "Sligo Creek". Thursday, October 20 8pm Loring-Greenough House 12 South Street Jamaica Plain Suggested donation $14 + $1 preservation fee More information about the series: https://sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic/ To reserve: notlobreservations at gmail dot com