Musical Saw Players Reactions to the 2009 Festival

Hello Natalia,
I am glad I was able to meet you in person! I would have come earlier to introduce myself, but you were so busy handling the logistics that I waited for a later opportunity..
WHAT AN EXCITING FESTIVAL!!
The attendance was unbelievable, the interest was on a level that I have not seen even in many professional meetings that I attended in my previous career – everybody willing to learn something new.
The workshop was interesting, congratulations to Adam Wirtzfeld for being able to strike the right combination between theory and practice!
Congratulations for an excellent Festival!
Paul (NY)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hi!
What an extraordinary thing you did for us all. Thank you! I am so fired up by the Festival! What a great day. Thank you for making it happen.
Bravo again!
Gregor (NY)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Natalia-
I had a wonderful time and can’t stop talking about it. What a treat to perform with 52 other players. I hope it wasn’t a ‘once in a life time experience’ so we can do it again. I have watched the videos that have been posted to You tube and I look forward to the ‘official’ video.
Thanks for the photos
saw on,
Max (TX)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hello Natalia,
Congratulations on another great saw festival and organizing a new world record. This festival was a blast. It was great to see familiar faces that I remembered and felt friends with after only being around them for a few hours a year ago. There was such a diversity of playing styles , techniques and aesthetics. It was really inspiring to be around other people who are putting their own stamp on saw playing. The workshop in the afternoon was great not only because of the workshop content but for the opportunity to exchange ideas and information with other sawists. The work shop is really valuable to me.
Thanx again for an amazing job putting the fest together.
Terry “SawTrouble” B. (GA)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Dear Natalia,
Hello. This is Kazu. Thank ou very much for all your dedication for the 7th NYC Musical Saw Festival. It was such a great fun. I enjoyed a lot talking to and with many sawists from different places both inland and overseas.
Congratulation for the success of Guiness record! We have to wait a little more to be accepted by the Guiness record authority, but it’s just a issue of time, I believe.
I would like to attend NYC festival maybe on its 10th anniversary, which is gonna be in 2012!
With warmest regards,
Kazu (JAPAN)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hi Natalia,
I did enjoy the festival very much. Everyone was very friendly. For me personally, it was great to hear the Cello/Saw duet from Delicatessen. That was the movie that convinced me to pick up the saw.
-Nathan (NY)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hi Natalia and Scott, Just wanted to say thanks for all the work you guys did and it showed for a perfect and well planned fest.
Let us know when videos can be purchased.
Dutch (NJ)

Photographer: Harris Graber

WONDERFUL! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have been a part of making musical saw history! I loved it all. Congratulations!
Katrina (NY)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Natalia;
My wife and I want to Thank-You for such a wonderful program. This was our first Saw Festival.
We are from Pennsylvania, I came up to you, dressed in a red & white shirt with white pants, and
asked you when the work-shop was going to be.
Sincerely,
Steve (PA)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hi, Natalia,
The festival was GREAT! Kudos to you for all you’ve done. Thanks.
I did get to talk with other saw players. Quite a range of experience and approaches to
saw playing, indeed.
Being part of the Guinness record-breaking event was too much fun. Thanks
for all the effort you are putting into this. I’m sure you’ll let us all know when it’s “official.”
In the meantime, thanks for the photos and thanks for the festival.
Regards,
Ivan (PA)

Photographer: Harris Graber

Hi Natalia,
Many thanks for the email and the pictures, I apologize for not writing sooner and telling you what a good time I had.
It really was the high point of my saw playing career and I was the only one that you asked to give a little background.
Tuesday at Rotary I mentioned to the others at my table that I had helped establissh a guiness world record over the weekend and as the scheduled speaker didn’t show up, the asked me to tell them about the festivle which I gladly did and at church on Sunday during the service when our minister decided to play something on his harmonica, I stood up and related about the woman from the TV station asking what our preacher thought about my playing the saw in. church every Sunday and my reply that sometimes he would play along on his harmonica.
It was a great trip.
So I’m looking forward to next year. California is to far away and even though my son in laws parents live just a few miles from Santa Cruise and I stayed with them the one time I went, it didn’t tave the personal feeling of everyone playing a solo thet your festival had. There was some real good saw players at yours and I enjoyed listening to them as well as listening to the beginners. I learned something there.
I’m hoping there will be a video that I can purchase
Thanks for the pictures, I like the one with my mouth open
Best of Everything
John (PA)

Dear Natalia,
you put a massive amount of work into organizing that Saw Festival and I certainly appreciate your effort. May you be well blessed in consequence. I really appreciated your uplifting spirit and positive affirmations throughout the event.
John K. (Canada)

Dear Natalia,
I attended the recent saw festival in NYC. It again was a memorable event, as it was before. The music was inspiring and uplifting; that alone was worth the trip to NYC. It certainly was a once in a lifetime chance to play for the world book of records, and also enjoyable to talk with my fellow saw players afterward. I’m sure, on your part, it was a labor of love to plan that part of the event and to see it actually come about. Thank you. It’s certainly a time that I will never forget. I did find that the comments by Moses about excellence and practice was a lesson that I was able to carry away and reflect upon since then.
Thank you again for planning the festival and for an inspiring day!
Best wishes,
Stewart W. (PA)

Natalia,
Encouragement is a strong medicine.
My grandson Peter and I both had a grand time at the festival. Thank you for organizing it.
Ken (TN)

Natalia,
Thanks for the photo.  I’ll periodically visit the website to see what all you post over time (I haven’t recently).  I had a fine time, and both my wife and I enjoyed the occasion.  I may not have appreciated all the types/style of music played, but I can appreciate the musicianship/musician behind the efforts.  I think my piece was well-enough received (or maybe they just liked the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra).
Thanks for organizing and executing the festival.  It was one of the very pleasant events of my busy summer.
John (PA)

Hi Natalia,
Things are finally settling back down here again after the chaos of preparing for our little tour out east. The saw festival this year was so great–I’m already excited for next year. I’m so glad people enjoyed the workshop. Take care!
Adam (MN)

Hello Natalia,
the saw-festival this year was very nice. I have get so much input, that`s great. Thank you very much for organisation and for all. You work very professionel and I like the way you performed your playing with the musical saw. The bow right up directly to heaven, that is great. Do you have a date for 2010?
I`m very proud to be there. Thank you very much. I know my english is not the best, but please give an answer to me.
Best wishes.
Ralph (Germany)

Hello Natalia!
This is Susan from PA. My sister Janet and I had a marvelous time participating in the 2009 Saw Festival to break the Guinness Book of World Records. I know our dad, who was a saw player, would be very proud of the accomplishments of his girls. We especially enjoyed sharing our harp/saw duet
with all in attendance. Thank you for all your hard work in putting the festival together. We hope to see you next year.
Susan (PA)

Hi Natalia,
Thank you for all the organizing and a great festival! It was a great experience, and wonderful to meet so many sawplayers from around the world. Keep up the great work!
John (IL)

Audience reactions:

Hi Natalia,
What a wonderful event! Thanks for assembling the saw musicians of the world once again!
Thanks again, congratulations on successfully organizing and achieving that new world record, and have a great summer!
Stay gold –
HANDEL

The 18th was, as your festivals always are,….
AWESOME!!!!!!
Setting a world record for the largest saw ensemble in such a big way pretty much made a statement that the saw is alive and well herein the states as a musical instrument. I enjoyed listening to all the wonderful creative expressions and explorations of the musical saw; and simply seeing how people have progressed from the previous year is always inspiring. I still can’t get over how much Dale’s students have grown since last year!
Hope your continuing to have a productive and fun filled week, and may you always find a reason to smile!
The Mad Soundman of AMS Systems

Excellent – it was awesome. I’m sorry we didn’t bring our cameras, but we got there kinda late so not a great vantage point…
Pax

Congratulations on a successful festival! I thought it was a great even and people I saw were buzzing with the excitement of it. I especially enjoyed the “Over the Rainbow” performance.
– Justin

Hi Natalia,
We had a good time in NYC, much to our surprise. The saw festival was definitely the high point! The only thing Kim and I didn’t like about the festival was that we never got to talk with you. Other than that, it was AMAZING, and we hope we can come back next year, too. Thanks so much for all that you do for the musical saw!

Be well,
K & Q (MN)

My friends and landlady went and said it was great! Kudos!
Carol S. (NY)