The River Center at Columbus State University houses both a large concert hall and the more intimate Legacy Hall. Together with the adjoining Schwob School of Music this facility served as the hub of the 2006 GFA convention.

The 2006 Guitar Foundation of America International Convention & Competition
by Stephen Rekas

I was privileged to represent Mel Bay Publications at the 2006 Guitar Foundation of America convention in Columbus, Georgia, returning with a profound respect for the organization and what it is doing for the classic guitar in North America and the world. The conference again proved that we are living in the golden age of guitar luthiery, and quite possibly in the golden age of classic guitar playing as well.

Entrance to the Schwob School of Music which adjoins the River Center on the CSU campus.

The Columbus River Walk can be accessed just two blocks from the River Center. A haven for joggers and cyclists, the walkway leads to many historic and picturesque locations.

Mel Bay author Denis Azabagic tunes up before launching into a challenging program.

The weeklong event was staged at the ideal facilities at Columbus State University in the heart of the city's Historic District. Columbus is a charming town laden with history, apparently with enough concerned citizens to preserve it. The Chattahoochee River flows through it and a wonderful River Walk has been constructed along five miles of its shore.

Superbly organized by Dr. Andrew Zohn who directs the guitar department at Columbus State, the festival included lectures, workshops, master classes and the excitement of the competitions- all conducted in the university's River Center and adjoining Schwob School of Music. In addition, almost 60 vendors, the majority of them luthiers, showed their wares in two exhibit rooms.

Typically at such events, as I man the Mel Bay booth 9-5, I could only attend the evening concerts, completely missing the daytime performances, master classes and competition activities; even so, I heard some remarkable musicians from the US and abroad.

Imagine the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet [Dearman, Kanengiser, Tennant, York], the Duo Erato [Martha Masters and Risa Carlson] and the Assad Brothers, more than a dozen international soloists, not to mention the 2006 competitors, and an abundance of lecturer/guitarists and teachers; add the Fredonia Chamber Singers from State University of New York and the Columbus State University Orchestra all under one roof- and you have a clear picture of the scale and virtuosity of musicianship heard at this singular gathering.

David Russell responds to applause on the stage of Legacy Hall on the CSU campus.	The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet in one of its last concerts to include Andrew York (far left).
Mel Bay author Eduardo Fernandez performed an exquisite program of Bach and more modern guitar works.	Odair and Sergio Assad perform the closing concert in the perfect acoustics of Legacy Hall at the River Center.

The Competition

The required set pieces for the 2006 GFA Competition were:

Giulio Regondi: "Etude #6 in D minor", Editions Orphée
Emilio Pujol: Trois morceaux espagnols, 3rd movement: "Guajira", Editions Max Eschig

Once again, the competition was dominated by French guitarists:

First prize of $7,500 was awarded to Thomas Viloteau (France)
Second prize of $3,000 to Gaelle Chiche (France)
Third prize $1,500 to Aleksandr Tsiboulski (Ukraine/Australia)
Fourth Prize of $750 to Colin Davin (USA)

Other non-cash prizes included:

GFA Sponsored Concert Tour of North America CD Recording including all production, manufacturing and distribution costs. Inclusion on Mel Bay Publications' Guitar Foundation of America Winners DVD String Packages donated by Savarez. Gift Certificates donated by GSP:

1^st     $100
2^nd     $100
3^rd      $75
4^th      $50

Kling-On products donated by Kling-On

For the second year running, the GFA gathering included a Junior Competition, this year featuring 11 competitors. It was simply amazing to hear some of the kids in the junior competition trying out the marvelous guitars near the Mel Bay booth. A 12-year-old from Ohio named John-Marcel Williams plays better than I did at twice his age. In addition to his precocious talent, he is the likely product of living in proximity to competent instructors and having access to quality classic guitars, conditions which did not exist in the US when I was growing up. The availability of quality junior-size instruments and competent instructors has changed the American classic guitar landscape.

The Junior Competition winners were:

1^st prize - Thales Smith, age 15 of Austin, TX
2^nd prize - Colin Fullerton, age 14 of Winston-Salem, NC
3^rd prize - Alma Boiangiu, age 15 of Bucharest, Rumania
4^th prize - John-Marcel Williams, age 12 of Wintersville, OH

Vendor & Luthier Exhibits

The Mel Bay booth featured DVDs by: Denis Azabagic, Carlos Bonell, William Kanengiser, Martha Masters, Carlos Pérez, David Starobin, and Ana Vidovic plus a new book, The Baroque Guitar in Spain and the New World by Frank Koonce. By far the best-selling Mel Bay item was Kanengiser's Classical Guitar and Beyond DVD featuring performances of classical and modern masterpieces, an artist interview, and Kanengiser's debut as a standup comedian in a hilarious celebrity roast of 20^th century guitar icons.

Kenny Hill of Felton, California shows off an experimental "Stand-Up" classic guitar with a tapered body facilitating use with a strap.	Luthiers displaying their wares at in the GAF vendor rooms openly share ideas about design features, finishing tips and marketing techniques. Here Kenny Hill (left) responds to queries from Jean Rompré of Canada. Mel Bay author Elias Barreiro (standing at far right) makes the rounds.
Luthier Thomas Rein of St. Louis (left) discusses Hibdon Hardwood products with French builder, Olivier Fanton d'Anton.

I played only one guitar at the conference in St. Louis luthier Thomas Rein's hotel room, mostly because I simply can't leave the Mel Bay booth at such events- no salesman, no sales. Rein has been building for 30 years and estimates he has invested $25-30,000 in shop tools, many of them purchased at auctions and estate sales. The guitar I played had 1-inch sound ports on either side of the heel. Rein even provided corks so that we could try the guitar with the ports open and closed. I think the additional ports make a positive difference to the player, but not especially to the listeners out front but then, I was standing behind the player's left shoulder, alternately removing and reinserting the corks Rein had thoughtfully provided..

Seasoned Mel Bay author Ben Bolt, who conceived the first book/recording packaged set in the music publishing industry, plays a guitar of his own manufacture patterned after his Fleta.	Guitar publisher and scholar Matanya Ophee holds a wealth of history in his head and offers collectible treasures in his sales bins.

All of the luthiers in the GFA vendor rooms are very good at what they do, but a few are exceptional in their perfectionism and command top dollar. Here, Canadian luthier Jean Rompré displays the flawless finish and carved arch-back of his $10,500.00 classic model. The instrument was sold to a promising young guitarist on the last day of the convention.	Gary Zimnicki of Allen Park, Michigan has become known for 7 and 8-string classic guitars and a variety of custom structural features.
Functional jewelry- a set of tuners from Savarez Strings with a price tag of $300.00.	Michael Macmeeken, CEO of Chanterelle Verlag in Heidelberg, Germany represented himself as well as Guitar Solo Publications of San Francisco.

Norbert Dams, the dynamic CEO of Daminus Editions of Germany, chats with Risa Carlson of the Duo Erato at the Mel Bay booth. Norbert typically begins his sales pitch by asking his clients, "What are you playing now?" and follows up by making insightful recommendations.	Mark Anthony Cruz, an accomplished guitarist/composer featured in an upcoming Mel Bay book, mounted his own one-man publishing booth in one of the GFA vendor exhibit rooms.

The Atkins Connection

Chet Atkins attended two years of high school in Mountain Hill, Georgia about 20 miles from Columbus. In my daily walk from the hotel to the GFA venue I passed by the Springer Opera House. For a time, the building served as a movie theater before being renovated for its original purpose in 1964. Above one of the doors of the opera house is a list of prominent actors and musicians who have performed there over the years; among the last names mentioned on the list is Mr. Guitar. Ironically, my flight for the short hop from Columbus back to Atlanta was cancelled, allegedly due to bad weather but more likely because too few customers were scheduled for the flight; as a result I got to ride on the Chet Atkins Parkway and the Alan Jackson Highway in a shuttle bus with eleven other passengers.

Completed in 1871, the Springer Opera House has served as the cultural center of Columbus hosting theatrical and musical events and even a boxing demonstration by John L. Sullivan.	Late in his career, Chet Atkins returned to Columbus, Georgia to offer a concert at the restored Springer Opera House.

Singing Sinks

A musical journey from start to finish, I have to tell you about the "singing sinks" in one of the men's rooms on Concourse D at the Atlanta Airport. Speakers mounted in "non-functional plumbing connected to the drain" of each sink render "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as a round according to how many sinks are being used simultaneously. It's a little disconcerting to hear this tune while you're going about your business, but the overall effect is very entertaining. Now I'd like to hear the 1812 Overture coming from the toilet please!

The 2007 GFA Convention

The 2007 GFA International Convention and Competition will be held in California State University in Dominguez Hills, California south of Los Angeles. The fourth movement of the "Sonata Clásica" by Manuel Ponce (Segovia edition published by Schott) has been chosen as the only set piece for next year's GFA competition. Check the GFA website for updates and details: http://www.guitarfoundation.org/

My sincere thanks to the organizers of the 2006 GFA International Convention & Competition, as well as to all those who visited the Mel Bay booth. I hope to see you all next year in California.

Stephen Rekas
Guitar Sessions Editor