Musical Saw Festival 2015

The 11th NYC Musical Saw Festival

When – Saturday, May 30th 2015, 2pm
Where – Trinity Church, 31-18 37th Street (37th Street at 31st Avenue), Astoria, NY

Flyer art by Zina Saunders

Download the 2015 NYC Musical Saw Festival Flyer
Full page DOWNLOAD HERE
Two on a page DOWNLOAD HERE
Four on a page DOWNLOAD HERE

 

Program:

* Special Guest Performance: The Astoria Symphonic Choir – musical saws and singing voices combined.
Pianist: Christopher Bradshaw

 
* NATALIA ‘SAW LADY’ PARUZ, founder & organizer of the Musical Saw Festival, will present the musical saw as an ensemble instrument in music composed for film.
 
 
 
 
 
* Special guest performance: Trinity Handbell Choir
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

* Premier of a new composition for the musical saw, handbells and piano by composer Scott Munson.
Pianist: Christopher Bradshaw

* A musical saw art exhibit

Paintings by: Michael Friedman, Jas Ingram, Lisa Alonso Canellas, Yirmi Pinkus, Zina Saunders, Heidi Younger, Aaron Porter, Jamie Isenstein, Kenly Dillard, Rodney Bauer, Miriam Paskalski, Barrett Cobb, Alyssa Steele, Young Joo, Michael Watson, Kauri Sievers

* Solos by musical saw players from around the world

* Meet the oldest saw player – 95 years old sawist who’s been playing for 75 years and is still performing!

* The Japan Saw Orchestra – 20 people playing musical saw together.

* The ‘Chorus of the Saws’ (all participating musical saw players playing together, accompanied by Judy Dimino on organ and piano).

The musical saw player who travels the farthest in order to attend the festival is considered the “guest of honor”.

Musical Saw Workshops

Musical saw player Olivier Doucet of Canada will give a workshop about saw modifications and design. Points in the workshop:
Removing the stiffener of the handle
Removing the teeth
Reducing the size of the tip
Curving the edge of the saw
Bronze and nickel silver musical saws
Handle design for maximum base notes
(This is a hands-on workshop where musical saw players will be able to try playing different designs of saws).

Musical saw player Katharina Micada of Germany will give a workshop about playing the musical saw without scratch sounds.

Musical saw player Leanne Wiberg of Virginia will give a workshop titled ‘The Sounds of Science’, about the science Behind the musical saw.

Musical saw player Bronwen Naish of Wales will give a workshop about playing in tune and developing tone color.

Musical saw player Travis Bingaman of Seattle, WA, will give a beginners workshop to people with no musical saw experience.

Musical saw player Sarah Angliss of the UK will give an ‘Augmented Saw’ workshop.

 
 

 
How to get there:
Trinity Church, 31-18 37th Street (37th Street at 31st Avenue), Astoria, NY

Parking: Street

Public Transportation:

* ‘R’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the Steinway St, Station. Exit near intersection of Broadway and Steinway Street. Walk (2 blocks) west on Broadway towards 38th street. Turn right onto 37th St. Church is at the end of the block.

* ‘N’ or ‘Q’ subway train to Queens: Get off at the ‘Broadway’ stop. Walk on Broadway to 37th street (6 blocks). Turn left onto 37th street. Church is at the end of the block.

View Map
 
Admission: $10
 
 

NYC Musical Saw Festival souvenir T-shirts will be available for purchase:

* new design (M, L, XL, – $20 each, XXL – $25)

* old design (only L available – $20 each).

 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio sent a letter congratulating the Musical Saw Festival!

Time Magazine’s report of the Musical Saw Festival:

 

Musical saw players wishing to participate in the festival:

If you would like to participate as a saw player (whether as a soloist, a participant in the ‘Chorus of the Saws’ or to take the workshop) or as a member of the audience, please contact us through the ‘Contact’ page and send us your name, e-mail address and whether you are a saw player or not.

If you wish to sponsor the NYC Musical Saw Festival – please contact us.

THANK YOU to the NYC Musical Saw Festival’s angels:
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
Jas Ingram
David Schmerler & Eric Rodrigues
Index Drums (Paul F King)
Al Felman
Susan Banks
Roger Marchese
Nicki Aycox
Gregor Kitzis
Arthur Tobias
Laura Thompson
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
The NYC Musical Saw Festival became a biennial event (taking place every other year) since 2011