Ancient Future Times

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Ancient Future Times: Zoom Into Fall and Help Ancient Future Stay Here Now

Fall Equinox 2020 Issue:

Blue Bear Masters
•Masterclasses at the Bear Online: Read Music Through Classical Guitar, World Beat Workshop, Indian Raga

Concertless Cash Crunch Continued: Help Ancient Future Stay Here Now
•Tax Deductible Contribution, Support A.F.A.R., Purchase Music, Vinyl from the Ancient Future

Private Online Music Lessons
•Zoom into Fall

Blue Bear Masters

Matthew Montfort's Masterclasses Return to the Bear Online

Matthew Montfort taught music at the Blue Bear School of Music for over two decades. This fall, he returns to teach three virtual masterclasses:

1. Have Fun Learning to Read Music Through Classical Guitar Technique

Adult Student of Matthew Montfort Performs RecitalTeenage Student of Matthew Montfort Performs RecitalSix Year Old Student of Matthew Montfort Performs RecitalAdult Student of Matthew Montfort Performs RecitalSenior Student of Matthew Montfort Performs Recital

November 3 to December 8, 2020 (Postponed from September 29), Tuesdays from 8:30 to 9:30 PM, Have Fun Learning to Read Music through Classical Guitar Technique, Blue Bear School of Music Online. This class by Matthew Montfort will get you started learning to read standard music notation, while at the same time introducing foundational classical guitar technique that you can also apply to other styles of playing.  You'll learn simple etudes and classical pieces, great for boosting your fingerstyle skills while actually having fun learning to read music! Tuition: $160 for six weeks. Buy Tix. Facebook Event.

2. Got Rhythm?

Online Rhythm Lesson

World Beat Workshop Returns to Blue Bear Online September 30 to November 4

Get Rhythm!

 Book Cover

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India by Matthew Montfort.

This classic "world beat bible" by Matthew Montfort takes the student on a musical voyage through the ancient rhythmic traditions of Africa, Bali, and India with a series of exercises that require no instruments to perform. Interesting, imaginative and fun, these rhythm exercises will be of immense help to all music lovers, not just percussionists. The new downloadable companion set of MP3 audio guide and MIDI groove tracks of the exercises in the book is set up for playback on Mac and PC computers, tablets, and smartphones.

3. Indian Raga for Western Musicians

Scalloped Fretboard Guitarist Matthew Montfort

Improve Your Improvisation Skills Through Melodic Training

November 5 to December 17, 2020 (Postponed from October 1), Thursdays from 6:15 to 7:30 PM, Indian Raga for Western Musicians, Blue Bear School of Music Online. World fusion pioneer Matthew Montfort will help you improve your soloing in any music genre from rock to jazz to free improv through melodic training. You'll learn the emotional power of each interval and how to construct meaningful melodies through the tradition of Indian raga. Open to all instruments. Tuition: $200 for six weeks.Buy Tix. Facebook Event.

Concertless Cash Crunch Continued

Matthew Montfort, Vishal Nagar, and Jason Everett at the Moscow Renaissance Fair

Thanks for Helping Ancient Future Stay Here Now!

We'd like to thank the Ancient Future fans who have stepped up to help Ancient Future stay here now! Because of fan donations, we've been able to make some progress on the next Ancient Future record through remote recording, but there's a lot more to do to support this music and the musicians who make it until normal band activities are possible again.

Live concerts will be among the last activities to return because they won't be safe until COVID-19 has been thoroughly dealt with through widespread mask wearing, widespread testing, contact tracing, treatments that are known to work, and a safe, effective, and widely distributed vaccine. Efforts to reopen the economy early are causing outbreaks, further delaying the next concert season. Musicians in Northern California were already suffering from very high housing costs, decreasing support for the arts, and absurdly low payments from the music streaming platforms. With all of this, we very much need your support to survive until concerts return, hopefully by 2022.

If you've been able to return to work or have the means, below are four ways you can help.

1. Make a Tax Deductible Contribution

InterMusic SF Logo

2. Push A.F.A.R. Past the Finish Line

Best of A.F.A.R. So Far CD Cover

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fun fan funded recording project, has over 86 minutes of music in it so far. Another set of studio tracks that will expand the project by over 50% is in production.

With all of the concert cancellations, now is a good time to record remotely. Indeed, the bansuri, guitar, tanpura, and MIDI mock up tracks have been completed on a 28 minute suite, plus the guitar and MIDI mock up tracks on a 10 minute piece.

But remote recording can't be done in real time, so hundreds of extra hours of production are required to make MIDI mock ups and tempo tracks for the musicians to perform to. Because many of the master musicians in Ancient Future's collective don't have home recording equipment, we need to raise money for a few professional stereo audio recording interfaces and studio microphones.

Please consider becoming a supporter at one of the levels below, starting at just $15. And if you are already a supporter, you can still upgrade to higher quality downloads until each supporter level is sold out. Once you become a supporter, you will receive all of the tracks in the archive (and all of the tracks that will be added in the future), and you will be eligible to buy a limited edition CD-R of the Best of A.F.A.R. So Far, which includes all of the best tracks that will (barely) fit on a CD-R.

Supporter Levels and Premiums

3. Purchase Music to Support the Arts

Ancient Future's 2020 Vision sale on recordings and educational materials has been extended to encourage support. Purchases at the Ancient-Future.Com World Music Store directly support the artists and the music, and this sale offers bargain prices.

Five for Fifty: Five Releases Just $10 Each

Yearning for the Wind CoverPlanet Passion CD CoverSangria CD CoverSeven Serenades CD CoverSympathetic Serenade CD Cover

4. Vinyl from the Ancient Future

Visions of a Peaceful Planet LP Cover Art

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future is the band's debut recording, recorded between December 1978 and May of 1979, when all of the members were studying at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, under the late sarod master, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

"The first thing that makes this LP a delight is the magnificence of the instrumental blending. 'Zzaj,' by Montfort, for instance, sounds like music to celebrate the sunrise. 'Morning Song,' on the other hand, is based on Indian instruments, the Bansuri flute of Klein over a harmonic bed of sitar, tabla, sarod, zither, and tanpura; great stuff sounds like a dove whistling in a forest of stringed instruments." – Philip Elwood, legendary music critic, San Francisco Examiner

In the Ancient Future archives are two dozen original vinyl LP copies of Visions of a Peaceful Planet (not a re-pressing). Used previously played LPs have been sold by collectors on eBay for $44 each. But these are unopened virgin copies, and quite a bargain at $40 each until they are gone!

Don't have a record player? Get the enhanced CD version of the recording that also includes the band's first video shot in 1978 at the College of Marin.

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future. Original Vinyl Pressing. Very Limited Stock. LP- $40.00: Buy LP Now. Enhanced Audio/Video E-CD-R- $19.98: Buy E-CD Now.

Private Online Music Lessons

Skype Guitar LessonSkype Rhythm LessonLearn Ancient Traditions on Skype

Zoom into Fall

Private Online Lessons with Ancient Future Bandleader Matthew Montfort. Study any of the musical traditions featured on the Ancient Future web site, all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, mandolin, charango, and sitar), record production, composition, world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments.

There are many advantages to online lessons. The lessons can easily be recorded, and it is easier to evaluate a student's technique with a camera than from behind a music stand. The main drawback to online lessons is that recording software is needed to perform duets due to internet latency issues. But duets are possible online via file exchange, digital audio workstations, and a free browser-based multitrack recording platform. Matthew Montfort will return to teaching in-person lessons when it is truly safe. At that time, he will be offering hybrid online/in-person lessons for students in Marin and Sonoma counties, with package deals for three online lessons and one monthly in person lesson to develop ensemble skills.