Page Twt
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Sunday, September 27, 1970
Page TwL THE MICHIGAN DAILY
To a musical and scientific climax in
By BETH OBERFELDER
The room w a s quiet, filled
with people, then a rush of mu-
sical notes came pouring from
a Flahenco guitar as ten mag-
ical fingers strummed insistent-
ly at the strings.
Juan Serrano, Richard Sch-
neider and Michael Kasha have
collaborated to produce an un-
equaled virtuoso sound. Like
theproverbial chicken and egg,
each artist has given fresh life
to the next. Richard Schneider
is a luthier, or for the layman, a
quitarmaker. One day Michael
Kasha, a scientist, knocked on
his door with an idea for build-
ing a perfect accoustical guitar.
Juan Serrano, a Flamenco gui-
taristo, plays this guitar with
gusto. September 17, in South
Quad, the talents of the three
were listened to, watched, ex-
perienced, and applauded.
Richard Schneider now hand-
crafts guitars at La Estudio de
la Guitara in Detroit. He set-
tled there after spending two
years as a luthier apprentice in
Mexico. He returned to the
states with h i s artistic skills
and hand tools. Vaughn Koest-
er, a close friend who gets ex-
cited talking about Schneider
says, "Richard, is bringing life
in his work - music . . . He's
making something from basic
hand tools that can turn on
thousands of people." As an ex-
ample, around the sound hole
is an inlay of up to 10,000 pieces
of wood arranged in an intri-
s i g n perfection until Richard
Schneider met Michael Kasha.
After first examination of the
guitar, Kasha was convinced
"that by some strange accident
of history,. the classical guitar
would tend to make it an inhib-
ited instrument." Critical advice
from Maestro Andres Segovia,
Vladimir Bobri - editor of
Guitar Review and highly com-
petent luthiers, notably Jose
Fernandez and Richard Schnei-
der hive influenced his project.
After much study and experi-
mentation, Kasha has develop-
ed an accoustically asymmetric
soundboard. No loss of power
ensued, and tuning stability and
mechanical stability of the gui-
tar were assured. Kasha says,
"All musicians, professional and
amateur, will appreciate ,he
gain in quality, power, and total
freedom from distortion under
fortissimo playing, as well as
responsiveness."
Although technology often
has a tendency to pervert, it can
help predict what is going to
happen. An artist may now walk
into Schneider's estudio and re-
quest particular sound char-
acteristics.,
Juan Serrano's performance
in South Quad climaxed (for
me) the work of Richard Sch-
neider and Michael Kasha. Al-
so appreciating the performance
of Juan Serrano and his hand-
crafted guitar were over five-
hundred people who emanated
from the walls of Dining Room
which became a concer
sounded like 100. He p 1
with concentration thati
ed vibrating musclesi
chest and arms. \His clew
focused intensely, on hi
trous finger work. Throu
Flamenco stylisto, he told
ies of green hills and me
chicas dancing en la pla
the romancer below the b
Juan's quitarista powere
the audience into his re
feeling.
Maestro Serrano learn
music from his father. N
ten Flamenco music exis
cause of the t r e m e n
amounts of notes to each
There is no way to write
these complications of
So, Flamenco players mus
by listening, copying, and
ticing. And Juan whos
learning when he wasS
was a professional at 13
practices a minimum of 5
a day. Maestro Serrano w
ed if he returns to Spai
often to learn more Fla
guitar
t that patterns. He answered, "I learn
a y e d here (points to his head) and
involv- here (points to his heart) and I
in his compose so I don't need to learn
ar eyes in Spain. I learn when I was 9
s dex- year old;"
igh his Reaction-to the Maestro's uer
d stor - formance resounded in South
eadows, Quad - and grew louder as the
ca, and crowd stood up for an ovation.
alcony. Yet, Juan Serrano was not the
enticed only artist there who was hon-
alm of ored, Richard Schneider also
glowed - it was his craftsman-
ed this ship that produced a solo gui-
o writ- tar that played a symphony in
sts be South Quad.
Sd o u s .Juan Serrano 1will be giving
h beat individual and group lessons at
e beat. La Estudio de la Guitara in De-
troit. The Maestro said that in
st n four weeks you will play like
prac- this (and he played with amaz-
I trac- ing fingerwork and dexterity)
st and and in one year you will play
3, now like this (a symphony)!
hours
as ask-
n very
amenzo
DIAL 8-6416
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cate, mosaic design. Before 4. The man in the center from :'.. r.
ii~~~~~~~~~~~~. . . . . . . . ... . . . ...........". . ' ':s. x.. :'....... ... : . ,: /.r >... :' ...:....'7 ' i . ., 4
Kasha came, Schneider made Cordoba, Spain was surrounded ..
traditional classical guitars and Juan looked around a n d ex
was selling them for 1000 to claimed, "I'm a guitarista, not a
2500 dollars. Yet, despite cen- bullfighter!"
turies, even millenia, the guitar Maestro Serrano began his A
had not reached an apex of de- performance with only 10 fingers.
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