Ancient Future Times: Future of Ancient Future
November 2017 Issue:
Help Build Our Future: Join a Campaign to Save Music
•Check Out This Video Shedding Light on the Artist's Plight in the Digital Age
Free Library Concert Series Continues After the Fires
•World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Arabic Percussion Virtuoso Antoine Lammam or Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar
Guitar Summit at Wu Wei Temple in Fairfax
•Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar) and Teja Gerken (Fingerstyle Guitar)
Beats Book Brings Bang for the Buck
•Sale Celebrates New Audio Guides and Grooves for Gizmos
Help Build Our Future: Join a Campaign to Save Music
Check Out This Video Shedding Light on the Artist's Plight in the Digital Age
By Matthew Montfort
I'm on the board of directors of the Content Creators Coalition, a nonprofit uniting artists organizing in favor of fair rates for music. We just released two funny new videos referencing Apple's "Hi, I'm a Mac" campaign that take aim at YouTube's tiny compensation for ad-supported streams and its takedown process for unauthorized usage that is basically impossible for artists to use.
But YouTube promptly responded with its own takedown of our inital video post! As Richard Morgan wrote in the New York Post, "While videos of ISIS beheadings somehow slipped past YouTube censors, the video streaming site didn’t have any problems finding a playful ad campaign by some indie musicians — and promptly pulling the plug on it." The video was later restored when it became clear that pulling the video had caused a backlash that was generating negative publicity for YouTube.
What This Means for Ancient Future's World Fusion Music Mission
The videos demonstrate one of the major difficulties Ancient Future has in continuing its mission in the digital age. For emerging artists and those in less mainstream genres, the tech industry's "creative disruption" has "elevated" artists from workers or small businesses to beggars. No doubt you see lots of requests from artists seeking support through tech solicitation hubs such as Kickstarter. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that I am sadly lacking in my solicitation skills.
Ancient Future has been experiencing a shortfall between the income we need to support our mission and the income that comes in from concerts and recordings. I tried to make up the difference by working non-stop on the computer, but this ended up causing tendon problems. It has come to the point where I can't personally continue to put in all the business hours necessary just to keep Ancient Future going, much less to expand our reach, which is what is necessary to further the mission of world fusion music.
I have come to the conclusion that Ancient Future needs a team of volunteers, benefactors, and superfans in order for world fusion music to reach its potential for social change. Here are some things you can do to help!
Ways to Support Ancient Future in the Digital AgeVolunteer Positions Available
Ancient Future needs a Director of Solicitations, Begging, and Busking to help raise money for activities, apply for grants, and explore starting a non-profit organization to support world fusion music. Other open positions include Concert Circuit Creator (duties include developing a circuit of world fusion friendly presenters and booking concerts), Anti-Social Media Manager (duties include encouraging cross-cultural pro-social responses on the anti-social media without simply enriching said companies at the expense of artists), and Traditional Media Archeologist (duties include searching through the charred remains of the traditional media to locate the whereabouts of current media contacts to maintain our database of world fusion friendly media).
Anyone interested in stepping forward is encouraged to email info@ancient-future.com. The positions could eventually become paid ones once financial support is generated by a genius Director of Solicitations, Begging, and Busking.
Direct Donation to Subsidize Concerts
Like the symphony, Ancient Future's world music rehearsals and performances cannot be supported by ticket sales alone. Yet arts funding has been cut drastically, especially in the USA and in California, and the advancement and indeed survival of the art of music is at stake.
You can help support Ancient Future's local San Francisco Bay Area concert season, or with a big enough donation, provide seed money to get Ancient Future to perform in your local area. Contributions can be made online or via check payable to "Ancient Future" sent to:
Ancient Future
PO Box 264
Kentfield, CA 94914-0264
Contributions are not currently tax deductible because Ancient Future is not registered as a 501(c) nonprofit organization. But hopefully Ancient Future's next Director of Solictations, Begging, and Busking (you?) can rectify that.
Donate to the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings
Bui Huu Nhut and Abbos Kosimov Recording A.F.A.R.. Photos by Michael Braden
The concept of the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings (A.F.A.R.) is to involve fans of world fusion music in supporting the production of an archive of live and studio recordings of cross cultural collaborations. The best of these recordings will be selected to be released commercially at a "future" date, at which point they will be on their way to becoming "ancient" recordings, hence the title.
There are four supporter thank-you packages available ranging from $15 to $75, and while donations to the A.F.A.R. project are not currently tax deductible, donations of any amount are greatly appreciated! Please do what you can to support the music. Detailed information on the various supporter packages and the benefits included can be found at www.ancient-future.com/afar.html.
Live Video of A.F.A.R. Track
Watch video on Ethnocloud
Free Library Concert Series Continues After the Fires
Arabic Percussion Virtuoso Antoine Lammam and World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort
Ancient Future's first concerts after October's devastating Northern California fires will be in areas that were very much under threat. The fires forced the evacuation of Ancient Future percussionist Antoine Lammam, who will be performing at three of the concerts. Fortunately his home was spared. Others, including supporters of Ancient Future, were not so lucky. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. The recovery will take a sustained commitment.
These free hour long educational concerts by Ancient Future at Sonoma County libraries will introduce the audience to Indian and Arabic rhythms and feature world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by either Arabic percussion virtuoso Antoine Lammam or Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar.
November Concerts
Wednesday November 8, 2017, 5 to 6 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Healdsburg Regional Library, 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Free. Info: 707-433-3772 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us. Facebook Event.
Wednesday November 8, 2017, 7 to 8 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Windsor Regional Library, 9291 Old Redwood Highway Building 100, Windsor, CA 95492. Free. Info: 707-838-1020 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us. Facebook Event.
Winter Concerts
POSTPONED: Saturday, December 2, 2017, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Vishal Nagar (tabla), Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. Free. Info: 707-996-5217 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us. Facebook Event.
Saturday, January 6, 2018, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Guerneville Regional Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, CA 95446. Free. Info: 707-869-9004 or visit www.sonoma.lib.ca.us. Facebook Event.
'El Zaffa' by Ancient Future
Video of Arabic fusion music by Ancient Future
'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future
Video of Indian fusion music by Ancient Future
Guitar Summit at Wu Wei Temple in Fairfax
Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar) and Teja Gerken (Fingerstyle Guitar)
Friday, December 8, 8 PM, Wu Wei Tea Temple, 1820 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax, CA 94930. No cover. Suggested donation: $10 - $20. Info: visit wuweiteatemple.com.
Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument with a modified fretboard in which the wood between frets has been carved out in order to facilitate intricate note-bending ornaments. He has released two solo CDs: Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar and Sympathetic Serenade, for which he is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com.
Teja Gerken is a contemporary steel-string fingerstyle guitarist whose playing merges the styles of European guitar pioneers such as John Renbourn and Pierre Bensusan with the distinct sounds of American players such as Leo Kottke and Micheal Hedges. Known for his original compositions, many of which employ alternate tunings, two-handed tapping, percussive effects, and other extended guitar techniques, Teja will also bring Celtic, jazz, and classical styles to the summit.
Beats Book Brings Bang for the Buck
Sale Celebrates New Audio Guides and Grooves for Gizmos
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. Mill Valley: Panoramic Press, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 (SALE $33.95). Book and Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI files- $74.95 (SALE $53.95). New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 (SALE $49.95).
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.
New Guides and Grooves
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide and MIDI Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India. By Matthew Montfort. Ancient Future Music (AF-0001, 2005. V 4.0, 2017). New Release! Companion MP3/MIDI Guide Tracks Download Set- $34.95 (SALE 24.95). Companion Audio/MIDI Guide Tracks 2 Volume CD/CD-ROM Set- $39.95 (SALE $29.95).
This new downloadable companion set of MP3 audio guide and MIDI groove tracks of the exercises in the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities is set up for playback on Mac and PC computers, tablets, and smartphones. The tracks are also available on a CD/CD-ROM set. The material is presented in two complimentary formats: audio guide tracks and MIDI groove tracks.
Audio Guide Tracks
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: MP3 Audio Guide Tracks. By Matthew Montfort. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music (2005). New Release! Companion MP3 Audio Guide Tracks Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95).
Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Audio Guide Tracks is a set of 115 audio guide tracks of the exercises in Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities that enable learning by ear.
MIDI Groove Tracks
Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves: MIDI Percussion Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India. Version 4.0. By Matthew Montfort. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music (1997. V. 4.0 2017). New Release! MIDI File Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95).
Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves: MIDI Percussion Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India is a complete set of 128 MIDI tracks that playback in Standard MIDI File compatible web browsers. For greater control or for use as rhythm tracks in audio productions, load them into a MIDI sequencer app (Mac, PC, iOS, Android, etc.) to loop tracks, change the tempo, or listen to individual parts. The files come arranged for General MIDI percussion and can be remapped to other instruments using the included MIDI maps.
Workshops and Skype Lessons
60 Minute Skype Lesson. $75 (Sale $60). Custom private one hour online lesson via Skype or other video conferencing service.
Matthew Montfort offers instruction based on Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities through online lessons via Skype and rhythm workshops at conservatories, public schools, and resorts. He also offers instruction for all styles of guitar, ukulele, bass, mandolin, sitar, and other plucked instruments.
Quote
"You can view this deceptively slim masterwork from a few different angles: as a friendly yet serious appetizer on three of the most sophisticated rhythm systems on earth; a chance to work on your rhythmic sight reading; a three-culture dip with matching mp3s for your ears; a gateway to exotic spices, complete with MIDI files, for your songwriting or drumming; or a fun way to organically digest complex time signatures. No matter how you slice it, this scholarly labor of love is packed with rich flavors for those patient enough to harvest them." – E.E. Bradman, Bass Player Magazine
