Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell and vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams announced today the formation of Music City Community Chorus (MC3), a non-profit, broad-based volunteer performing chorus in Nashville. As the group’s conductor, Grant-Williams’ goal for the chorus is to give both professional and non-professional singers in Nashville a chance to participate in a community musical experience, building a bridge between the various genres of music that flourish within Nashville’s music community.

“I envision MC3 as the people’s chorus of Nashville,” says Grant-Williams. “There are so many talented people in this city that we don’t ever see and hear perform. This organization will provide them that opportunity.”

Mayor Bill Purcell feels, “Now, with the formation of the Music City Community Chorus we have additional opportunities for the local music community and citizens of Nashville to come together.”

The chorus will be open to anyone 18 years of age or older. Auditions will be structured to recruit not only those who are skilled at reading music, but those who are willing and able to acquire music skills. Grant-Williams is already holding auditions, which began August 2.

“I’m so excited about the news of the chorus, because Nashville is sorely lacking and needs to have a community chorus opportunity,” says singer/musician John Cowan. “The fact that the chorus will be in the hands of Renee Grant-Williams tells me it will be guided by a consummate professional who has the resources to guarantee excellence.”

It is Grant-Williams’ plan to have two performances per year. The Winter performance will follow rehearsals that take place September through December and the Spring performance will follow rehearsals that take place late January through May. Auditions will be held again in January.

The repertoire will be primarily, but not limited to, classical choral works in the tradition of the great composers. Whenever possible and appropriate, solo assignments will be extended to members of Nashville’s non-classical community. As dictated by programming and budget, all performances will be accompanied by the appropriate professional caliber instrumentalists.

Music City Community Chorus will include a scholarship program of four $850 voice scholarships for section leaders representing 10 private lessons to study with one of Grant-Williams’ associate teachers.

Grant-Williams established a similar program when she lived in San Francisco, where she was hired by the Community Music Center to form a city-wide broad-based community chorus. Very quickly, the San Francisco Community Chorus became a highly respected, highly disciplined performing choral ensemble of 200 dedicated enthusiasts that presented polished, sold-out performances.

MC3 will rehearse at Glencliff High School at 160 Antioch Pike. To arrange an audition, call 887-5599.

For more information, visit their web site at www.MusicCityCommunityChorus.org.

Posted in Amplification, Events, News

Star Amplifiers is the new Los Angeles home of Mark Sampson’s latest all tube, all Class A, hand wired guitar amplifier designs. The company has just begun shipping its all new Super Nova model to its many resellers. In addition to its Blues Star, Gain Star, Sirius Reverb, and Nova models, Star Amplifiers finally fills the gap with its new Super Nova.

This all new 15 watt amplifier with pan reverb boasts a single 12″ Vintage Celestion speaker in a reduced-size, lighter-weight cabinet.

Features:

• Single channel with HI or LO input
• Knobs: DRIVE 1, VOLUME, BASS, TREBLE, MASTER and REVERB
• 4x12AX7 Preamp with a 2x6V6 Power Amp section
• Point-to-point hand wiring in an all-pro chassis and cab

The Super Nova delivers over the edge smooth breakup to harmonics-sparkling studio clean.

Comments Mark Sampson, “With a growing trend to package a wide variety of possible tones with critical power reserve in a small and easy to carry cabinet, the new Super Nova totally fits the bill.”

MSRP $2929.00

For more information, visit their web site at www.staramplifiers.com.

Posted in Amplification, Guitar

Hoag Instruments introduces ELI (Extreme Low Impedance) magnetic guitar pickup technology. It is now possible to have the guitar string act as the pickup. A simple impedance matching mechanism is used to achieve this. The string is insulated from metal parts that will complete an electrical circuit with other strings. Also, the bridge and nut must be made of nonconducting materials. The metal frets are okay as long as they don’t complete an electrical circuit.

This is an extremely low impedance pickup and the resistance of other strings will be a hindrance. Each string is the pickup and forms a single loop of wire when connected to the input of a low to high-z transformer. A magnet is placed under the strings to energize them with a magnetic field. This is a divided pickup or could be made mono. The divided mode will allow each string to have its own EQ and effects. Also, it can be used with a MIDI connector package, permitting a guitar interface application.

Hoag Instruments is a research and development company in the field of optical guitar pickups and now ELI magnetic pickups. These technologies are available to instrument manufactures for their own application.

For more information, visit their web site at www.opticalguitars.com.

Posted in Amplification, Strings, Technology

Bose Corporation has introduced a new set of ToneMatch™ presets customized for Taylor® Guitars. Available with the Bose® L1™ Cylindrical Radiator® loudspeaker, these presets are designed to give owners of Taylor’s Expression System® guitars the ability to deliver truer, more natural guitar sound to listening audiences of up to several hundred people, with little change in tone or level.

Recognizing the challenges acoustic players face when trying to amplify their guitar, engineers from Bose and Taylor worked together to develop the ToneMatch presets. The result is a system that offers acoustic players a way to maintain their Taylor tone while playing amplified. The ToneMatch series includes presets for a number of Taylor body shapes, including Dreadnought, Grand Concert, Grand Auditorium and Jumbo, each with a setting specific to fingerpicking and strumming.

The L1 Cylindrical Radiator loudspeaker is the result of a decade of research and development into the improvement of live amplified sound. It projects sound evenly across the stage and into the audience, maintaining uniquely consistent sound levels for both performers and audience members. The L1 loudspeaker mimics the acoustical qualities of a natural, all-acoustic unamplified performance. It allows musicians to hear themselves and each other, improving the quality of their performance and the players’ enjoyment, with a compact system that can be set up in minutes.

For more information, visit their web site at www.bose.com.

Posted in Amplification, Guitar, Speakers

Gator has released a new rack bag that is great lightweight solution for effects processors, recording equipment and wireless microphones. The unique GRBW- 3U+6W works with 6 – 1/2-space wireless units or 4 – 1/2-space wireless units and 1 antenna combiner.

The case has 3U of rack space with threaded field replaceable rack rails and the microphone pocket holds 6 wireless microphones or 6 body packs in a padded foam insert for protection.

The bag is constructed of lightweight 600-Denier nylon and features a rugged polyethylene reinforced interior frame and internal reinforced aluminum valance for superior protection.

Extra features of the case are a retractable, removable handle and wheel assembly and interior mesh pocket for accessories.

For more information, visit their web site at www.gatorcases.com.

Posted in Accessories, Amplification, Mixers

Carvin proudly introduces the K15 Keyboard Amplifier. Featuring a great-sounding transducer compliment, versatile EQ control, and numerous additional features, the new K15 Keyboard Amplifier delivers 100 watts into a highly functional, heavy-duty system—making this a powerful, full-range keyboard amplifier setup.

The K15′s exceptional sound quality comes from a transducer compliment coupled with an equally proficient power source. This self-contained keyboard system incorporates a heavy-duty 15-inch low frequency transducer mated with a Titanium driver. The K15′s enclosure features Carvin’s popular tilt-back design that places the sound right where it’s wanted, and the entire enclosure is protected by a rugged Duratuff™ covering with steel side handles and a perforated steel grill to protect the drivers.

Powering the system is a robust 100 watt amplifier designed to handle a wide range of keyboard applications. The exceptional K15 features four channels (two stereo or dual mono), with quarter-inch inputs, one mono quarter-inch input, and one XLR/quarter-inch “Combo” input. The K15′s input architecture provides ample room for several keyboards, sound modules, drum machines, and a vocal mic—all in one very easy to use, highly transportable configuration.

For additional sound contouring flexibility, the new K15′s Channel 3 includes an Instrument/Line button plus a tone control with a Mid shift button, while channel 4 offers a full 3-band EQ. Additionally, the K15 features a master 5-band Graphic EQ that makes fine tuning the main output a snap, and there’s also an effects loop for incorporating one’s own signal processing. With Line Out and Speaker jacks available on the K15′s rear panel, keyboard players have a comprehensive, compact keyboard system.

The new Carvin K15 Keyboard Amplifier is sold factory direct at $399.99. The K15 is available now.

For more information, visit their web site at www.carvin.com.

Posted in Amplification, Keyboard

Carvin proudly introduces the new BR610 Bass Combo. Featuring a powerful amplifier, advanced equalization, dual 10-inch low frequency drivers, a Titanium high frequency driver, an XLR direct output, and numerous additional features integrated into a Duratuff™-covered enclosure with retractable handles, the BR610 Bass Combo is the perfect solution for gigging or studio bassists in search of compact, powerful, all-in-one system.

The BR610 maintains the compact form factor of its BR Series siblings, yet its powerful amplifier combined with dual 10-inch low frequency drivers and a Titanium high frequency driver makes this a remarkably robust setup. With a rugged Duratuff-covered enclosure that hides the wear and tear of the road, this terrific amplifier even features a tilt-back design that puts the bass right where it’s wanted. When the gig is over, the retractable handles make moving this powerhouse amp quick and easy. To protect the transducers, a 16-guage, perforated steel grill is supplied.

The new BR610 Bass Combo’s BX600 mono block bass head features discrete Class A circuitry, a contour control, a single knob compressor, and a front-mounted XLR direct output. With a whopping 600 watts of power at 2 ohms, this terrific amplifier has plenty of muscle for those musical applications where high output levels are a must to get the job done. This system also incorporates a heavy-duty crossover featuring a 6-position attenuator for precision settings at 0, -3, -6, -12, -24, and OFF. The BR610′s sealed crossovers and connector plates prevent air leakage and the high current, locking Speakon™ connectors and quarter-inch jacks make for a rugged amp that will withstand years of tortuous road use.

For shaping the sound exactly to one’s liking, the BR610 Bass Combo features parametric EQ with mid sweep and a 9-band graphic equalizer coupled with a Graphic EQ In/Out switch. This versatile amplifier also provides Active/Passive switching, and the switches feature active electronics for clean, precise control and greater reliability. To warm the sound up, the front panel Drive control can push the Class A preamps to a warm growl. There is also a Master control for the preamp.

The new Carvin BR610 Bass Combo is sold factory direct at $599.99. The BR610 is available now.

For more information, visit their web site at www.carvin.com.

Posted in Amplification, Bass