Mendocino County has always been a gathering place for artists and musicians. This June, The One Heart Institute is gathering together some of the regions most celebrated musicians who will be teaching, lecturing and performing.
On Friday, June 21, Barbara Bogatin, Cellist of the San Francisco Symphony, Jeremy Cohen, multi-Grammy-nominated violinist, Grammy-nominated guitarist Alex de Grassi, Dr. Maja Radovanija, guitarist and saxophonist Dr. Wenbo Yin will be presenting a "Virtuoso Concert Series" performance at the Sudhana Center in downtown Ukiah. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
The music, says Institute director and summer camp organizer Sophie Wu will be eclectic, inspiring and world-class- a rare opportunity to see individuals of this caliber.
Additionally, 3 free public talks will be given by Dr. Clifford Saron, Research Scientist at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain. Clifford Saron is a neuroscientist specializing in training of attention and emotion regulation. He applies electrophysiological and behavioral methods to study sensory and cognitive processes in individuals. His research focuses on the training of attention and emotion regulation through contemplative practice. His study, "The Shamatha Project," investigates the effects of long-term intensive meditation on physiological and psychological processes related to attention, emotion regulation and health. He also studies sensory processing, multisensory integration and interhemispheric communication in children with autism spectrum disorders.
On June 16th, Dr. Saron will discuss "Neuroplasticity and Musicians' Brains. On June 17, "Brains in Concert" will cover brain-to-brain coupling during performance, and on June 18, during "There's Something About Stillness," Dr. Saron will discuss the effects of meditation on perception, attention and emotion. The talks will take place at the Sudhana Center at 7:30 p.m.
The group of musicians are gathering together to make music and teach in 3-day, one and two-week sessions. The unique music camp is open to musicians who are interested in integrating a wellness and mindful approach to their musical journey. "Whether you are a music enthusiast or a super-advanced performer, there is something for you at the camp," says Wu.
Each individual has come to their understanding of a deeper level of musical experience in a different way, and this group of master teachers and performers is excited to share what they've learned with camp participants.
Jeremy Cohen is known to lovers of the string quartet as the founder of Quartet San Francisco- a crossover group that values and maintains the structure of the traditional string quartet while performing everything from bluegrass and international music to jazz. The multi-Grammy-nominated group is known for its highly charged, formidable technical prowess that wows audiences locally and around the world. A teacher and a performer, Cohen is a prolific writer of music for strings and has performed for and with numerous shows and artists including Linda Ronstadt, Ray Charles, Carlos Santana, John William's original Star Wars compilation CD, Forever Tango and on Broadway with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Cohen will be available for limited group and private teaching at the camp from 6/19-6/21/24.
Barbara Bogatin has been a member of the San Francisco Symphony since 1994.
"It's been my day and my night job," she smiles. Bogatin began her cello studies at the New School of Music in Philadelphia, continued at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Preparatory Division, and earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School.
Bogatin has performed and recorded on Baroque cello and viola da gamba and with her husband, Dr. Saronhas led workshops called "The Buddha, the Brain, and Bach," that explore the intersection of contemplative practice, creative process, and neuroplasticity.
Mendocino County resident and guitar legend Alex de Grassi will be offering a fingerstyle guitar program consisting of lectures, student masterclasses, one-on-one lessons and ensemble performances.
Considered one of the world's top fingerstyle, steel-string acoustic guitarists, Grammy nominee de Grassi's innovative approach to composing and arranging for solo steel-string guitar is influencing generations of players. The Wall Street Journal calls his playing "flawless", and Billboard hails his "intricate finger-picking technique with an uncanny gift for melodic invention." The "Alex de Grassi Fingerstyle Guitar Method" is used as a primary text for the first fingerstyle guitar degree program at the University of Wisconsin. He currently teaches guitar at Mendocino College.
Along with de Grassi, Dr. Maja Radovanija will be instructing. She completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Belgrade and has been awarded several academic and competition prizes including 1st prize at the International Competition in Kjustendil, Bulgaria. Radovanija has performed extensively as solo and chamber musician, touring many European countries. In 2011, she was appointed to the guitar faculty at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and is also a member of the Minneapolis Guitar Quartet.
Dr. Wenbo Yin will be teaching the saxophone program. Yin received his DMA in Saxophone Performance, Wind Conducting and Jazz at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He has been a Carnegie Hall soloist and is both a classical and jazz performer, working with GRAMMY-award-winning artists, conducting major symphonic works and acting as the woodwind specialist for the University of Cincinnati's Marching Band and the assistant director of the University's Jazz Band.
Dr. Yin is accepting beginning, intermediate and advanced students for the camp. Along with technique, he will be teaching saxophone fundamentals, learning to cultivate an intimate relationship with the instrument, practicing long tones and arpeggios and exploring the wide variety of saxophone repertoire.
The conversation began with a discussion of mindfulness as a musical practice- and how it can be used to address performance anxiety and improve listening skills.
"Meditation is so helpful for musicians," notes Barbara Bogatin. "It slows down minds and movements, enabling us to practice more efficiently. I'm really excited about working with students at the Institute- helping them developing a quiet, focused, calm mind."
Bogatin has taught "Mindfulness for Musician" seminars for decades, and she's excited to bring these techniques to the camp. She references the Buddhist concept of
"beginner's mind."
"With beginner's mind, we bring it and hear it fresh. We forget this simple concept when you've played a piece many times. It's about slowing down, listening to each note." She once attended a Pablo Casals cello festival where the idea was refreshed in a new way.
"Someone asked what the hardest thing about playing the cello was. We were all waiting to hear what the Maestro would say. His response- 'finding the first note in first position every time we play.' That's what we strive for- finding exactly the right balance, position and ease. When we slow down our practice process- slow down our breathing- when you can really listen deeply, bring your awareness to the smallest actions, you make tremendous progress at a fundamental, deep level."
Jeremy Cohen agrees with Bogatin.
"I liken it to opening our ears to the point where we have open information coming in alongside with the data going out, so in addition to all the factors of playing with people, we are able to receive as much data coming in, so we can be living, vibrant parts of musical performance."
And yes, says Cohen. Even master musicians still get performance anxiety. "There's still nerves- still aspects of nervousness coming in," he smiles.
"As a solo artist, I have struggled a lot with nerves," says Alex de Grassi. "I've found that deep breathing, meditation, Chi Gong and Tai Chi are all very helpful. I'm looking forward to what my companions have to offer."
The group addressed the challenges of working in a strict, demanding industry where mistakes are not looked favorably upon. Though the attendees will be urged to do their best, the educational programs at the Institute's camp do not carry the same expectations as other professional learning environments.
"The concept of non-judgement is so much at the foundation of these teachings," says Cohen. "Collectively, we've played music for over 100 years. The more I hear, the more I believe it comes down to the understanding of a fundamental relationship to how we play."
"As string players, we were raised in an environment from an early age that what we're doing is either right or wrong- close, but not good enough. For 99 percent of us, this was embedded in our training. The benefit is we've been able to reach a high level of technical expertise. The downside is that the language is limiting, and we become judgmental of ourselves," says Bogatin.
"I recall being in a practice room at Sonoma State. My mom showed up. She asked me a question: 'Do you ever stop and think you see someone looking out the window and there's no one there?' She said, 'That's me, and the sooner you get rid of me, the better you'll be.' I didn't completely understand it at the time, but now I do. She wanted to release me of the looming judgement of herself and other music teachers. It took years for that to sink in," says Cohen. He continues, citing a quotation from the abstract expressionist painter Richard Diebenkorn.
"Mistakes can't be erased, but they move you from your present position," quotes Cohen. It's not 'Me bad,' but rather, 'How am I going to get from this uncomfortable position to playing with style, attitude, grace and freedom of voice?' We have to try to execute a single note with the intention that we planned in our head. So many times that doesn't happen, and we revise how to get from where we are to where we want to be. The best way to bring this knowledge to all levels of musicians is to grasp these fundamentals."
"My degree is in economic geography- not in music, so I've had a different trajectory than some of the other musicians today," says Alex de Grassi. "I came to find my musical voice not by reading, but almost as a meditation. I use a lot of alternate tunings, so when I start improvising, I might try tuning down a half step until I hear a resonance I really like. That becomes a seed for writing something. One of the things I've learned: you have to be a listener. The more you are able to listen to the entirety of music, the more you can find your sound, and that, in and of itself can be a meditation. I get 'lost' in a positive sense of feeling and trusting the music. I play with intention."
"We are encouraged to practice all the time, which can create so much tension, and we are so wedded to the printed page. I was once asked to volunteer to do free improvisation. I had to let go of that tension and that critical mind and be in that moment. I was way out of my comfort zone. It was terrifying but freeing- to be listening and responding from a different place and way of being. Nothing could be wrong. All classical musicians should do that sometimes," says Bogatin.
Wenbo Yin could teach people how to smile and they would come away feeling like they'd learned something very profound.
"Since I came to this community, I feel very much at home- coming and returning, coming here and returning back to our human nature. I can't wait to see the wonderful musicians who are going to contribute their expertise to this program. I want to focus the students on the lens of music. When I teach jazz improvisation, musicians deal with issues of spontaneity. There are challenges of thought projections. I wanted to be spontaneous while making music, but this can't be done by just listening to the greats- I will share the experiences I have learned, and I'll keep learning."
Dr. Alexander Kahn, assistant conductor of the Santa Rosa Symphony will be teaching Mindfulness Strategies for Musicians and the Alexander Technique. Dr. Larry Lee Hensel, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wyoming will be offering voice classes, and contemplative and wellness practices will be part of the camp curriculum.
"Don't miss this opportunity to hear and see these rare musicians together," says Wu. "They really embody the values that we all hold dear. It is such a privilege and a gift to make music in the world. Music really does make the world a better place."
The Sudhana Center is located at the location of the former Trinity School at 225 S. Hope St. For more information on the camp or to reserve tickets for the concert, visit the One Heart Institute at https://www.oneheartinstitute.org.
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