Bill Monroe, the legendary father of bluegrass, was one of the earliest musicians in the U.S. to bring the mandolin into the mainstream. Though it never approached the ubiquity of the guitar, the instrument has grown in popularity since then and even made the transition to rock, thanks in part to the Band’s Levon Helm and later Rod Stewart (who can forget the mandolin riff in “Maggie May?”)—and yes, even a couple of Grateful Dead songs (“Friend Of The Devil” and “Ripple”). Most of all, the mandolin has acquired an eclectic group of ardent fans who strum, pluck, and play the mandolin both professionally and for fun. Many of them are at UCSC this week for the eighth annual Mandolin Symposium.
The event, which started Sunday, June 26 and ends this Friday, includes about 100 mandolinists of all stripes and persuasions who are here to learn more about their instrument and, yes, to play it too. Throughout the week there will be classes in the morning and concerts and shows at night, culminating in a major musical event on Friday evening.
Every day begins with a music appreciation class that traces the history of the mandolin from its earliest iteration as the lute to its appearance in modern music. This is followed by dozens of elective classes for mandolinists of all ages and genres. Specialized classes will focus on mandolins in jazz, classical, klezmer, rock, swing, Celtic music and of course bluegrass. Instructors include some of the biggest names in mandolin music, including David Grisman and Mike Marshall. As one participant said, “the week is always filled with surprises.” Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel and Mandolin Symposium website.
