Ancient Future Times: Soon to See in San Francisco + Summer Circuit

June 2019 Issue:

Ancient Future at S.F. International Arts Festival
•Soon to See if San Francisco Still Supports its Scene

Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Lineup Press
•Articles Covering Ancient Future 1990 to 1994

Ancient Future Summer Circuit
•Central Coast and Sierra Nevada Festivals

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Ancient Future at S.F. International Arts Festival

Soon to See if San Francisco Still Supports its SceneAncient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert

Note: This is the ONLY Ancient Future concert booked for the rest of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is only the fifth time that this historic lineup has performed since the 90's when they toured and performed hundreds of concerts. DON'T MISS THIS VERY RARE PERFORMANCE.

Photo by Irene Young of Ancient Future circa 1990

Sunday, May 26, 2019, 5 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tix: $25 general. $30 reserved table, $35 reserved front table, $15 youth 17 and under.
Box office: 415-345-7575.
20% Off Tix (Enter Discount Code Future20 at Checkout. Case Sensitive. No Spaces)
Press Release
Invite Friends on Facebook

Poster (1.1 MB .pdf)

The exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings will reunite to perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The reunion show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion, plus Kash Killion on bass and Mariah Parker on santur.

This lineup of Ancient Future played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995, more than any other lineup of Ancient Future. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was re-released by Capitol Records. Twenty two years after its initial 1990 release, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. This show at the San Francisco International Arts Festival will be their fifth reunion concert.

'World Without Walls' Reunion Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Performing Bookenka at 'World Without Walls' Reunion

Support the Concert with a Tax Deductible Contribution!

Ancient Future's 40th Anniversary Concert at the Freight and Salvage was a big success in no small part due to an anonymous last minute contribution that made it possible to pay for advertising we would not have been able to afford otherwise. World music concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area can not pay for themselves through ticket sales alone, so we are very thankful for the help of those who can afford to give.

By making a tax deductible donation to Ancient Future through InterMusic SF, you can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

You can also help by signing up to support Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

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Ancient Future 'World Without Walls' Lineup Press

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Ancient Future Summer Circuit

Central Coast and Sierra Nevada Festivals

The summer festival season is coming, offering a chance to see Ancient Future in a wonderful vacation setting!

• Sunday, July 28, 5 PM, Ancient Future, Mosaic Festival, See Canyon Fruit Ranch, 2345 See Canyon Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. Tix: $40 grass, $60 table. Buy Tix.
• Sunday, September 1, 3 PM, Ancient Future, Kentucky Mine Amphitheater, 100 Kentucky Mine Rd., Sierra City, CA 96125. Tix: $22 adv., $25 door, $10 kids 7 to 17 years old. Kids 6 and under are FREE! Buy Tix.

Do you know of a festival in your area that might hire Ancient Future? Send contact information to info@ancient-future.com and we will follow up.

 

Ancient Future Times: Secret Code for the Future

May 2019 Issue:

Future40 Secret Code
•40% Off Tix for 5/26/19 @ SFIAF

Guitar A.F.A.R.
•First Recording of Martin Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

World Fusion for the Future
•Movement Needs Young People

Honoring the Departed
•In the Ancient Future Beyond

Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series
•Each Concert Program Features Different Material!

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Future40 Secret Code

40% Off Tix for 5/26/19 @ SFIAFAncient Future 'World Without Walls' Reunion Concert

Photo by Irene Young of Ancient Future circa 1990

Sunday, May 26, 2019, 5 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tix: $25 general. $30 reserved table, $35 reserved front table, $15 youth 17 and under.
Box office: 415-345-7575.
40% Off Tix (Enter Discount Code Future40 at Checkout Through May 11)
Press Release
Invite Friends on Facebook

Poster (1.1 MB .pdf)

The exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings will reunite to perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The reunion show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion, plus Kash Killion on bass.

This lineup of Ancient Future played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was re-released by Capitol Records. Twenty two years after its initial 1990 release, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. This show at the San Francisco International Arts Festival will be their fifth reunion concert.

'World Without Walls' Reunion Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Performing Bookenka at 'World Without Walls' Reunion

"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

Releases Featuring This Lineup

World Without Walls by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 163).
Asian Fusion by Ancient Future (Narada Equinox ND-63023).
Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010).

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Guitar A.F.A.R.

First Recording of Martin Scalloped Fretboard Guitar

Montfort's custom guitar is the result of a collaboration between Montfort, Dick Boak of the Artist Relations Department of C.F. Martin & Co., and San Francisco luthier Alan Perlman. Starting in 2014, Dick Boak worked with Montfort to help design the instrument, which features a very large sound hole to add volume, an extra upper bout sound hole so that Montfort can hear the guitar better, a cutaway with extra frets protruding into the sound hole to accommodate his extended playing range, and a short scale yet wide neck to allow for greater string bending capability. Master luthier Alan Perlman scalloped the fretboard and added other finishing touches to complete this amazing instrument in 2016.

The instrument is now broken in, and the first recording featuring it is in the works. The rehearsals for the Ancient Future's 40th Anniversary Concert helped put a focus on a new 30-minute suite in production for the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fan funded recording project that already includes over 86 minutes of music available exclusively to supporters.

Hundreds of hours have already gone into the composition, rehearsal, pre-production, and recording some of the guitar tracks for this new piece by Matthew Montfort. Beyond Kalyan is based on Rag Kalyan, but takes it in new directions, even altering the basic recipe for the raga, hence the title. It is a very expansive, emotional, and difficult to perform piece.

The focus of A.F.A.R. this spring will be recording Mindia Devi Klein's bansuri flute and Vishal Nagar's tabla tracks. Right now, we need to raise funds to pay musicians so that they can carve out time to practice their parts and record them. Please sign up to support the project and receive tracks as they are created!

You can also make a tax deductible donation through InterMusic SF to support new compositions and recordings.

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World Fusion for the FutureMovement Needs Young People

As of this moment, all types of virtuoso instrumental music are suffering from a lack of young audience members. At concerts of top performers in jazz, classical, and world music, there is a lot of gray hair in the audience. There are very few people in their 20s, 30s, or 40s, and often the few in those age groups turn out to be musicians themselves.

In honor of our 40th year of world fusion, we recently embarked on cleaning up the Ancient Future postal list in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the process found the vital statistics that are compiled in the chart below:

Scary ChartAge GroupFans in Group< 402.4%40's6.5%50's20.2%60's41.1%70's23.3%>806.6%Young Musicians

Music pedagogy has come a long way since Ancient Future was formed, and we are producing wonderful young virtuoso performers. But we've cut music education in public schools, so new musicians are coming from those few school districts who have found a way to keep music programs, or families that can afford to pay for private lessons. But there aren't many performance opportunities for young performers because we haven't also developed an audience with musical knowledge. People need to be exposed to the elements of music to develop an interest in the higher forms of the art, and if that exposure doesn't happen in the formative years, music loses its base.

Americana in the Age of Polarization

In the past decade or so, Americana has enjoyed a resurgence at music festivals, venues, and radio shows, with young musicians joining the ranks. This has been a bright spot in music. However, since 9/11, support for world music has declined in America. Americana shows have replaced many world music shows on public radio, and even supposedly left leaning outlets like KPFA have cut world music programming. While it is important to keep Americana alive, it should not be at the expense of opening up people to music from cultures other than their own. World music can help alleviate the fear of "the other" that is so prevalent in public discourse today. America has always been a melting pot, so Americana shows should embrace American-made world fusion music. But they tend to favor music with a lot of Irish influence, undervalue the role of African music in American music forms, and ignore Asian influenced music altogether.

What You Can Do About It

1. Take younger relatives and friends to concerts.
2. Share playlists of high quality world fusion music. Free streaming should be abolished due to absurdly low artist payments, so it is best to purchase music. But streaming is how young people experience music, so we need to reach them before it is too late for an interest in higher art forms to develop. That said, streaming is a low quality music experience, and the subtleties of high level music get lost between data compression and lo-fi phones. This is quite a puzzle to fix. For now, here are some playlists to share:
   1. World Music Connections. World fusion music and the traditional music that inspired it side by side.
   2. Indian Guitar. Guitarists working in Indian music utilizing everything from slides to scalloped fretboards.
   3. Interspecies Music. Intriguing music influenced by interspecies interactions and nature, from live jams with Pacific tree frogs from Ancient Future's Natural Rhythms to elephants playing instruments!
   4. World Jazz. Jazz that influenced Ancient Future along with some more recent world jazz recordings.
   5. Asian Fusion. World fusion music with Asian themes.
3. Send younger friends to the music education pages at Ancient-Future.Com.
4. Contact your local public radio station and ask them to bring back world music shows.

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Honoring the Departed

Photo of Phil Fong Circa 1979 by Geoffrey Chandler

In the Ancient Future Beyond

Updating Ancient Future's mailing list resulted in almost 100 sad discoveries of fans of Ancient Future who have passed away, including the loss of visionary artist and musician Geoffrey Chandler (1951-2017), who took three of the photos on Ancient Future's first recording, Visions of a Peaceful Planet, including the above photo (originally in beautiful color, but the original is hopefully to be found buried deep in the Ancient Future archives) of original member Phil Fong (1954-2016). Also in the ancient future beyond are composer and flautist Randy Mead (1954-2012), who is prominently featured on the Quiet Fire release, and Mahanaim Satya (1945-2010), a noted jazz musician and producer who held down the bass at a number of Ancient Future concerts in the early 80's.

We've just received the very difficult news that Elias Lammam, Arabic accordion master and brother of Ancient Future performers Antoine and Georges Lammam, passed away on April 23 after suffering an aneurism on stage during a tour in Florida. This is a huge loss to the music world and our musical community. Our deep condolences go out to his family.

YouTube Video of Elias Lammam

We want to honor all of our departed fans and fellow musicians by passing the torch to future generations and working to bring more young people into the world fusion music movement.

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Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series

YouTube Video of Very First Meeting of Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang

Each Concert Program Features Different Material!

Ancient Future bandleader and scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer will be joined by master musicians from many traditions for this series of hour long free concerts at libraries in Sonoma County. Each show will feature different material from recordings by Matthew Montfort, Ancient Future, and the master musicians he is performing with. Press Release.

• Saturday, April 27, 2 PM, Guitar and Pipa Duet with Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang (pipa), Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. Free. Info: 707- 996-5217 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, May 4, 2 PM, Ancient Future Duet, Rohnert Park-Cotati Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park Expressway / State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. Free. Info: 707-584-9121 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, May 11, 2 PM, Ancient Future World Jazz Trio, Healdsburg Regional Library, 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Free. Info: 707-433-3772 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.

 

Ancient Future Times: Early Bird Gets the World

April 2019 Issue:

Early Bird Gets the World Without Walls Reunion Concert
•$15 Tickets for 5/26/19 @ SFIAF Available Through 3/31/19

Progress A.F.A.R.
•Beyond Kalyan

Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series
•Each Concert Program Features Different Material!

Contributions to Ancient Future Make a Difference
•Tax Deductible Donation Helped Make 40th Anniversary Concert a Success!

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Early Bird Gets the World ...

... Without Walls Reunion Concert$15 Tickets for 5/26/19 @ SFIAF Available Through 3/31/19

World Jazz featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Ian Dogole (percussion)

Photo by Irene Young of Ancient Future circa 1990

Sunday, May 26, 2019, 5 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109
Tix: $25 general. $30 reserved table, $35 reserved front table, $15 youth 17 and under. $15 general admission early bird tickets available through March 31 while supplies last. Box office: 415-345-7575.
Buy Early Bird Tix Now (Price Goes Up April 1)
Invite Friends on Facebook.

Poster (1.1 MB .pdf)

The exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings will reunite to perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The reunion show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion.

This lineup of Ancient Future played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012. In September 2012 they performed at the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and then at the Freight and Salvage in October 2013. This show at the San Francisco International Arts Festival will be their fifth reunion concert.

'World Without Walls' Reunion

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Performing Bookenka at 'World Without Walls' Reunion. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Ian Dogole (percussion), Kash Killion (bass), and Mariah Parker (santur).

"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

Releases Featuring This Lineup

World Without Walls by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 163).
Asian Fusion by Ancient Future (Narada Equinox ND-63023).
Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2010).

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Progress A.F.A.R.

Beyond Kalyan

Ancient Future's 40th Anniversary Concert at the Freight and Salvage was a tremendous success, with two standing ovations and over 200 people attending on a Tuesday night in the midst of the rainy season and safety issues on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge! The rehearsals for the event helped put a focus on a new 30-minute suite in production for the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fan funded recording project that already includes over 86 minutes of music available exclusively to supporters.

Hundreds and hundreds of hours have already gone into the composition, rehearsal, pre-production, and recording the guitar tracks for this new piece by Matthew Montfort. Beyond Kalyan is based on Rag Kalyan, but takes it in new directions, even altering the basic recipe for the raga, hence the title. It is a very expansive, emotional, and difficult to perform piece. The focus of A.F.A.R. this spring will be recording Mindia Devi Klein's bansuri flute and Vishal Nagar's tabla tracks.

Support for A.F.A.R. has been substantial but slow to come in. Right now, we need to raise funds to pay musicians so that they can carve out time to practice their parts and record them. To complete the project, it would really help to have funds coming in more quickly. Please sign up to support the project!

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Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series

YouTube Video of Very First Meeting of Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang

Each Concert Program Features Different Material!

Ancient Future bandleader and scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer will be joined by master musicians from many traditions for this series of hour long free concerts at libraries in Sonoma County. Each show will feature different material from recordings by Matthew Montfort, Ancient Future, and the master musicians he is performing with. Press Release.

• Saturday, March 30, 2 PM, Ancient Future World Jazz Trio with Matthew Montfort, Doug McKeehan (keys), and Ian Dogole (percussion), Northwest Santa Rosa Library, 150 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. Free. Info: 707-546-2265 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, April 20, 2 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Arabic Percussion Duet with Matthew Montfort and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Central Santa Rosa Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Free. Info: 707-308-3020 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, April 27, 2 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Pipa Duet with Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang (pipa), Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. Free. Info: 707- 996-5217 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, May 4, 2 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet with Matthew Montfort and Vishal Nagar (tabla), Rohnert Park-Cotati Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park Expressway / State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928. Free. Info: 707-584-9121 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.
• Saturday, May 11, 2 PM, Ancient Future World Jazz Trio with Matthew Montfort, Doug McKeehan (keys), and Ian Dogole (percussion), Healdsburg Regional Library, 139 Piper Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448. Free. Info: 707-433-3772 or visit sonomalibrary.org. Facebook Event.

YouTube Video of 'Yearning for the Wind' Featuring Matthew Montfort and Vishal Nagar

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Contributions to Ancient Future Make a Difference

 

Tax Deductible Donation Helped Make 40th Anniversary Concert a Success!

An anonymous contribution to Ancient Future through InterMusic SF was a big help in making Ancient Future's 40th Anniversary concert at the Freight and Salvage a success. Receiving the contribution before the concert allowed us to spend more money on promotion and pay for travel and other costs that ticket sales alone would not have covered. THANK YOU ANONYMOUS!

The sad truth is that ticket sales alone are insufficient to support this music. In the past, many fine arts concert presenters were supported with grant money and so our concert fees were often subsidized, which helped cover travel expenses, booking costs, and fees for the master musicians required to perform this music. But with drastic cuts to arts budgets and so many extremely famous artists on the road most of the year now because they can't make money anymore from their recordings, concert fees have declined and subsidized concerts are now few and far between. This has made it difficult for Ancient Future to tour.

But you can help us bring music to the world in our 40th season of world fusion music. Your tax deductible contribution can provide seed money to help cover travel costs to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, or support new compositions and recordings.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Other Ways to Support the Music

Not part of the top 10% of U.S. taxpayers expected to benefit by itemizing deductions under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act but still want to contribute?

You can make a direct donation (not tax deductible), or sign up to support Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

 

 

Ancient Future Times: Festivities Begin for Ancient Future's 40th Year of World Fusion

February 2019 Issue:

40th Anniversary Preview Performance Streams Live
•KPFA 94.1 FM (kpfa.org), Thursday, February 7, 10 PM PST

Ancient Future 40th Anniversary Concert
•Tuesday, February 12, 8 PM, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley

Get More Enjoyment Out of Music
•World Music Studies for Listeners

Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series
•Each Concert Program Features a Different Lineup!

Ancient Future World Without Walls Reunion Concert
•Save the Date: 5/26/19 at SFIAF

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40th Anniversary Preview Performance Streams Live

Original Members Benjy Wertheimer, Phil Fong, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort

KPFA 94.1 FM (kpfa.org), Thursday, February 7, 10 PM PST

Want to hear some of Ancient Future's early music performed live, but don't live in the San Francisco Bay Area?

You are in luck, because Ancient Future will perform live on The Hear and Now with Derk Richardson on KPFA, 94.1 FM, Berkeley, California. The broadcast will take place on Thursday, February 7, at 10 PM PST, which is Mindia Devi Klein's birthday.

Special thanks go out to Jason Ranjit Parmar (tabla, udu) and Mariah Parker (piano, santur). They will be filling in for original Ancient Future members Benjy Wertheimer, who will be flying in for the 40th anniversary concert, and the late Phil Fong.

The broadcast also streams live. Visit kpfa.org at 10 PM PST and click the Listen Live link. The archived broadcast will be available for two weeks.

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Ancient Future 40th Anniversary Concert

Ancient Future Circa 1981

Tuesday, February 12, 8 PM, Freight and Salvage, BerkeleyWith Founding Members Matthew Montfort (Guitars), Mindia Devi (Flutes), and Benjy Wertheimer (Tabla)
Plus Georges Lammam (Violin), Vishal Nagar (Tabla), Doug McKeehan (Keys) and Mariah Parker (Santur)

Tuesday, February 12, 2019 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Purchase Tix: $20 in advance at the F&S, $24 at the door. All tickets are subject to an additional $4 per ticket facility fee.
Box Office Phone: 510-644-2020, open 12:30 PM – 7 PM (excluding holidays) and during all performances.
Email: info@freightandsalvage.org
Press Release
Facebook Event

Poster (384k .pdf)

Ancient Future's first concert took place on February 11, 1979, at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, a vegetarian cafe and music club co-op that was the center of a vibrant local music scene. It was the day before Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's birthday, who was not yet of nightclub age. This concert on Montfort's birthday celebrates Ancient Future's 40 years at the forefront of the world fusion music movement. Purchase your tickets now to insure the success of this one time event!

Support the 40th Anniversary Season with a Tax Deductible Contribution!

By making a tax deductible donation to Ancient Future through InterMusic SF, you can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

You can also help by signing up to support Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

First Set

The first set of the 40th anniversary concert will feature original band members Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Benjy Wertheimer on tabla, and Mindia Devi Klein on bansuri and silver flutes. Mariah Parker will play piano and fill in for the late Phil Fong on santur.

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Circa 1978

'Visions of a Peaceful Planet' Reunion Concert Edition With Long Lost 1978 Video

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2004) $19.98 list. Buy Audio/Video E-CD Now.

Second Set

The second set will feature band members from Ancient Future's major label releases along with top master musicians from around the world who have a long history of cross cultural music collaborations with the band. Confirmed performers include Georges Lammam on Arabic violin, Vishal Nagar on tabla, and Doug McKeehan on keyboards.

YouTube Video of 'El Zaffa' by Ancient Future

YouTube Video of 'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future

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Get More Enjoyment Out of MusicWorld Music Studies for Listeners!

Want to get more out of listening to music? Study of music traditions isn't just for musicians. The more you know about music, the more you will get out of listening to it. For example, many listeners are attracted to the spiritual feeling of Indian classical music. But knowing the basics of tala (Indian rhythm cycles) will greatly enhance what one experiences while listening.

A great way to get started on a journey to become a better listener is to visit the education section of Ancient-Future.Com. Included are explanations of African, Arabic, Balinese, and Indian traditions along with some basic exercises to practice that require no instruments to perform. As you learn more, you may wish to take a private Skype lesson to continue your studies.

Skype Sale

30 Minute Skype Lesson. Normally $50. Sale $36. Buy 1 Now.

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Free Sonoma County Library Concert Series

YouTube Video of Very First Meeting of Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang

Each Concert Program Features a Different Lineup!

Matthew Montfort leads this series of free hour long educational library concerts. Every show in the series features a different program with different musicians!

• Wednesday, February 20, 7 PM, Ancient Future History with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri, silver flute), and Mariah Parker (santur), Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma, CA 94952.
• Saturday March 9, 3 PM, Global Guitar Summit with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Teja Gerken (fingerstyle guitar), Guerneville Regional Library, 14107 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, CA 95446. (Also performing Friday, March 8, 8 PM, Wu Wei Tea Temple, 1820 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, CA 94930. Donation: $10 - $20.)
• Saturday March 30, 2 PM, World Without Walls Trio with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Doug McKeehan (keys), and Ian Dogole (percussion), Northwest Santa Rosa Library, 150 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa, CA 95401.
• Saturday, April 20, 2 PM, Guitar and Arabic Percussion Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Antoine Lammam (Arabic percussion), Central Santa Rosa Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
• Saturday April 27, 2 PM, Guitar and Pipa Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Shenshen Zhang (pipa), Sonoma Valley Regional Library, 755 West Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476.
• Saturday, May 4, 2 PM, Guitar and Tabla Duet with Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Vishal Nagar (tabla), Rohnert Park-Cotati Library, 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

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Ancient Future World Without Walls Reunion Concert

Photo by Irene Young of Ancient Future circa 1990

Save the Date: 5/26/19 at SFIAF

The exact lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings will reunite to perform at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. The reunion show features the original lineup of Matthew Montfort on scalloped fretboard guitar, Jim Hurley on violin, Doug McKeehan on keyboards, and Ian Dogole on percussion.

Sunday Evening, May 26, 2019, 5 PM
San Francisco International Arts Festival
Gallery 308, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94109

 

Ancient Future Times: Reunion Celebrating 40 Years of World Fusion

New Year 2019 Issue:

Ancient Future Original Band Reunion Plus!
•Celebrating 40 Years of World Fusion Music 2/12/19 at the Freight & Salvage

Please Watch and Share: 40th Anniversary Reunion Video
•Featuring Footage from First Ancient Future Video

First Set: Original Band Reunion
•Featuring Benjy Wertheimer, Mindia Devi Klein, and Matthew Montfort

Second Set: Ancient Future Hear and Now
•Master Musician Lineup Depends on YOU!

Contribute to Ancient Future's 40th Year of World Fusion
•Last Chance for 2018 Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF

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Ancient Future Original Band Reunion Plus!

Ancient Future Circa 1981. Shown: Mindia Devi Klein, Benjy Wertheimer, Matthew Montfort

Celebrating 40 Years of World Fusion Music 2/12/19 at the Freight & Salvage

Ancient Future's first concert took place on February 11, 1979, at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, a vegetarian cafe and music club co-op that was the center of a vibrant local music scene. It was the day before Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's birthday, who was not yet of nightclub age. Exactly 40 years and one day later, this anniversary concert on Montfort's birthday celebrates Ancient Future's four decades at the forefront of the world fusion music movement.

We are thrilled to announce that the first set of the concert will feature original band members Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj), and Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri, silver flute)!

The second set will feature band members from Ancient Future's major label releases along with top master musicians from around the world who have a long history of cross cultural music collaborations.

Purchase your tickets now to insure that there is a budget for robust roster of musicians, and check the Facebook Event and Press Release pages for surprise lineup announcements of featured performers. You can also help by making a tax deductible donation to Ancient Future through InterMusic SF.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $20 in advance, $24 at the door, plus $4 per ticket facility fee.
Purchase Tix. Box Office Phone: 510-644-2020.
Email: info@freightandsalvage.org
Press Release
Facebook Event

Poster (384k .pdf)

Please Watch and Share: 40th Anniversary Reunion Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Circa 1978.

Featuring Footage from First Ancient Future Video

This concert video teaser features an amazing archaeological find: the very first video of Ancient Future, recorded in late 1978, months before Ancient Future's first concert! Please watch it and share it to insure that YouTube will feature it in searches. Thanks to Jonah and Mariposa at Marin Artists International who, after learning of the reunion concert, were able to rescue parts of Ancient Future's first video recording session from archival oblivion. This video showcases an excerpt from 'Eternal Embrace' by Phil Fong. Performances of two complete pieces have been recovered, and are now included as a video session on the eCD version of Visions of a Peaceful Planet, available exclusively at Ancient-Future.Com.

Reunion Concert Edition With Long Lost 1978 Video

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2004) $19.98 list. Buy Audio/Video E-CD Now.

First Set: Original Band Reunion

Ancient Future Circa 1981. Shown: Benjy Wertheimer, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort

Featuring Benjy Wertheimer, Mindia Devi Klein, and Matthew Montfort

Ancient Future was formed in late 1978 by students at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, including Mindia Devi Klein (who went by Mindy in those days), Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, and Phil Fong. On April 19, 2015, the original lineup of Ancient Future performed together for the first time this century to a full house at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley. Sadly, Phil Fong was unable to attend the reunion as he was battling ALS. He passed away on July 18, 2016.

The first set will feature all three surviving original Ancient Future band members: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj), Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri and silver flute). If enough funds are raised through ticket presales and donations, there may be additional featured guest artists. Check the press release and Facebook event pages periodically for surprise announcements.

This lineup of Ancient Future made two recordings that are now considered world fusion classics. In December, 1978, the band went into Tres Virgos Studio in Mill Valley to record Montfort's song Moonbath. The song became the springboard for the first Ancient Future record, Visions of a Peaceful Planet. The concept for Natural Rhythms, the band's second record, grew out of a spontaneous recording session at a friend's recording studio near a frog pond. The sound of croaking frogs was leaking into the studio, so Montfort went out to the pond with a zither and began to play, and found that certain rhythms produced musical responses from the frogs. Several months later, Montfort and Klein went to Bali to study gamelan music. They were amazed to find paintings all over the island portraying Balinese rice paddy frogs playing gamelan instruments, so they ventured out into the rice paddies where a frog jam session ensued.

Original Lineup Releases

Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF 2004).
Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com 2005).

Second Set: Ancient Future Hear and NowMaster Musician Lineup Depends on YOU!

The second set will feature band members from Ancient Future's major label releases and top master musicians from around the world. The lineup will depend on funds raised through ticket presales and donations, so get your tickets now so we can afford to bring more musicians. Check the press release and Facebook event pages periodically for surprise announcements!

Major Label Period

Ancient Future Circa 1990. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Jim Hurley, Doug McKeehan, Ian Dogole

"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

This lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential major label recordings played over a hundred concerts together. In 2011, they reunited and began to perform concerts at venues from Yoshi's in San Francisco to the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In honor of the reunion, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012.

Major Label Releases

Quiet Fire by Ancient Future (Narada/MCA 1012).
Dreamchaser by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 154).
World Without Walls by Ancient Future (Sona Gaia/MCA 163).
Asian Fusion by Ancient Future (Narada Equinox ND-63023).

Video

YouTube Video of Ancient Future at their 'World Without Walls' Reunion at the Freight and Salvage. Shown: Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Kash Killion (bass), Ian Dogole (percussion), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Mariah Parker (santur)

World Music Collaboration Period

Photo of Ancient Future Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi by Julie Marten. Shown: Pandit Habib Khan (sitar), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar)

Over the years, Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with master musicians from more than two dozen countries, cultures, and musical traditions who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. Ancient Future has grown to become a large multinational music ensemble with many smaller ensembles within it, enabling Ancient Future to realize its core mission of creating world fusion music. Some popular offerings include the Indo-Arabic, Guitar-Sitar Jugalbandi, and Asian Jazz programs.

Ancient Future Indo-Arabic Roots. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla)

World Music Collaboration Releases

Planet Passion by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010).
Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future (Ancient-Future.Com AF-2030).

Video

YouTube Video of El Zaffa from Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin), Salaheddin Takesh (Arabic percussion), Doug McKeehan (keyboards), Sapphira (belly dance).

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Contribute to Ancient Future's 40th Year of World Fusion

 

Last Chance for 2018 Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF

Ancient Future has big plans to celebrate 40 years of world fusion music. Help us bring music to the world in this important milestone year. Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, and support new compositions and recordings.

In this age of polarization, world fusion music is needed now more than ever. You can help by supporting it financially:

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Other Ways to Support the Music

Not part of the top 10% of U.S. taxpayers expected to benefit by itemizing deductions under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act but still want to contribute?

You can make a direct donation (not tax deductible), or sign up to support Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, which has over 86 minutes of music in it so far. Another set of studio tracks totaling 43 minutes are already in production. The new tracks will represent a 50% expansion of the project! Help us finish them in our 40th year.

Ancient Future Times: The Future Isn't What it Used to Be, But the Ancient Future Is at 40th Anniversary

Holiday 2018 Issue:

Ancient Future 40th Anniversary & Bandleader Birthday
•2/12/2019, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley. Get Tix Now To Insure Robust Roster!

Holiday Sale
•Recordings, Music Training Materials, Skype Studies, and Private Lesson Gift Certificates

Your Chance to Contribute to the World Fusion Movement
•Make a Tax Deductible Contribution to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Help Push A.F.A.R. Past the Finish Line
•Fund Finishing New Studio Tracks Now In Production

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Ancient Future 40th Anniversary & Bandleader Birthday

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Circa 1978. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Yusef Ali, Mindia Devi Klein, Phil Fong, Benjy Wertheimer.

2/12/2019, Freight & Salvage, Berkeley. Get Tix Now To Insure Robust Roster!

Ancient Future's first concert took place on February 11, 1979, at the original Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, the day before Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's birthday, who was not yet even drinking age. This concert on his birthday also celebrates 40 years of world fusion music from Ancient Future.

The exact lineup for the show has not yet been announced, but it will include musicians from Ancient Future's long history of cross cultural music collaborations. It will feature top master musicians from around the world along with band members from the original and historic Ancient Future lineups.

Purchase your tickets now to insure that there is a budget for robust roster of musicians, and stay tuned for surprise announcements of featured performers!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Purchase Tix: $20 advance, $24 door, plus $4 per ticket facility fee.
Box Office Phone: 510-644-2020, open 12:30 PM – 7 PM (excluding holidays) and during all performances.
Email: info@freightandsalvage.org
Facebook Event
Press Release

Poster (Please print and post this 246k .pdf)

Likely Coconspirators

Help us bring musicians who perform in Ancient Future's many programs by purchasing advance tickets or making a tax deductible donation to Ancient Future through InterMusic SF. There are two sets, and if we can raise enough money, we'd like to feature two core rhythm sections along with guest artists from the various periods of the band's history. Here are some of the possible coconspirators that could be featured if the show sells out well in advance: Vishal Nagar (Indian tabla, collaborator since 2013), Shenshen Zhang (Chinese pipa, collaborator since 2011), Mariah Parker (santur, collaborator since 2005), Georges Lammam (Arabic violin, collaborator since 1998), Pandit Habib Khan (sitar, collaborator since 1996), Jim Hurley (violin, collaborator since 1988), Doug McKeehan (keys, collaborator since 1985), Ian Dogole (percussion, collaborator since 1985), Mindia Devi Klein (Indian bansuri, silver flute, original member), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj, original member). The more money that is raised, the more collaborators that can be featured!

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Holiday SaleRecordings, Music Training Materials, Skype Studies, and Private Lesson Gift Certificates

Purchases at the Ancient-Future.Com World Music Store directly support the artists and the music, and our holiday sale offers bargain prices!

Five for Fifty: Five Releases Just $10 Each

• Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. Signed Audio/Video E-CD-R. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
• Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2010. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
• Sangria by Mariah Parker. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2017. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
• Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2008. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
• Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Ancient-Future.Com Records AF-2012. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.

The Ancient-Future.Com Record Store is the only place where all of the Ancient Future band recordings, including out of print major label recordings, are available on CD. The site also features releases on Ancient-Future.Com Records, the band's artist coalition label, and side projects by Ancient Future band members on other labels.

Educational Materials

Ancient Future Music publishes educational materials for use in music classes, music schools, private lessons, and independent study.

Beats Book Brings Bang for the Buck

Sale Celebrates New Audio Guides and Grooves

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India by Matthew Montfort. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2.

• Comb Bound Book. $46.95 SALE $33.95. Buy 1 Now.
• Book and Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI Files. $74.95 SALE $53.95. Buy 1 Now.
• Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download. New Best Buy! $69.95 SALE $49.95. Buy 1 Now.
• Companion MP3/MIDI Guide Tracks Download Set. New Release! $34.95 SALE 24.95. Buy 1 Now.
• Companion Audio/MIDI Guide Tracks 2 Volume CD/CD-ROM Set. $39.95 SALE $29.95. Buy 1 Now.

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 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.

Digital Liner Note Discounts

• Yearning for the Wind Digital Liner Notes. 7 page .pdf of liner notes for Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. Features detailed explanations of the musical concepts of raga and tala behind the music. $1.98 list. SALE $1.50. Buy 1 Now.
• Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Digital Liner Notes. 17 page .pdf of liner notes for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Explains the inspirations and musical concepts behind each serenade. Sheet music is included for those who want to delve deeper. $2.98 list. SALE $2. Buy 1 Now.
• Sympathetic Serenade Digital Liner Notes. 9 page .pdf of liner notes for Sympathetic Serenade for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Features explanations of musical concepts. $1.98 list. SALE $1.50. Buy 1 Now.
• Planet Passion Digital Liner Notes. 11 page .pdf of liner notes for Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Features comprehensive notes detailing a mythical story of love through the musical traditions of the world. $1.98 list. SALE $1.50. Buy 1 Now.

Skype Studies Sale

Study any of the musical traditions featured on the Ancient Future web site via private Skype lessons with Ancient Future bandleader and guitarist, Matthew Montfort. Recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Matthew Montfort teaches all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, mandolin, charango, and sitar) along with record production, composition, world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments.

Skype Lessons

• 60 Minute Lesson. $75. SALE $60. Buy 1 Now. Custom private one hour online lesson.
• 45 Minute Lesson. $65. SALE $48. Buy 1 Now. Custom private 45 minute online lesson.
• 30 Minute Lesson. $50. SALE $36. Buy 1 Now. Custom private 30 minute online lesson.

Gift certificates are available for online lessons worldwide via Skype. The lessons can also be conducted through other webcam chat and conferencing services. And for a limited time, an additional discount is automatically offered on a Skype tutorial with purchase of Matthew Montfort's book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India at Ancient-Future.Com!

In Person Private Music Lesson Series

Matthew Montfort is accepting a limited number of students at his studio in San Rafael, California, and will travel to student's homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. A lesson series makes an excellent gift for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students. Gift certificates for private lessons in Marin are available.

• 60 Minute Private Lessons. 4 pack. $300. SALE $252. Buy 1 Now. A set of four one hour private lessons in San Rafael.
• 45 Minute Private Lessons. 4 pack. $260. SALE $212. Buy 1 Now. A set of four 45 minute private lessons in San Rafael.
• 30 Minute Private Lessons. 4 pack. $200. SALE $168. Buy 1 Now. A set of four 30 minute private lessons in San Rafael.

To contact Matthew Montfort about lessons, e-mail him at info@ancient-future.com or call 415-459-1892.

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Your Chance to Contribute to the World Fusion Movement

 

Make a Tax Deductible Contribution to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

In this age of polarization, world fusion music is needed now more than ever. You can help by supporting it financially:

• Make a Tax Deductible Donation. Ancient Future was accepted for fiscal sponsorship with InterMusic SF, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, and now donations made through them on behalf of Ancient Future are 100% tax deductible to the full extent of the law!
• Make a Direct Donation (not tax deductible). This works well for those who are not part of the top 10% of U.S. taxpayers expected to benefit by itemizing deductions under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

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

Fund Finishing New Studio Tracks Now In Production

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, has over 86 minutes of music in it so far. Another set of studio tracks totaling 43 minutes are already in production. The new tracks will represent a 50% expansion of the project!

We have so far raised 20% of our funding goal. This is substantial, but we need to greatly speed up our fundraising to complete the project during our 40th year of world fusion music. We need additional supporters and funds now, so 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 is includes all of the best tracks that will (barely) fit on a CD-R.

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future. (Ancient-Future.Com AF-2030)

• Recording Newsletter. $15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15.
• Download Supporter. $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25.
• Limited Edition CD Sponsor. $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50.
• Honorary A & R Representative. $75 (all previous plus video and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75.
• Donor VIP. Make Additional Donation.
• A.F.A.R. So Far CD-R. $20 Additional. SALE $15. Buy CD-R Now.
  

Ancient Future Times: Las Vegas Concert, 8 Ways to Win, 40th Anniversary Concert, Contributions

September 2018 Issue:

Ancient Future Performs in Las Vegas
•Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic Violin), and Vishal Nagar (Tabla)

8 Ways to Win
•Musical Scavenger Hunt

Ancient Future 40th Anniversary & Bandleader Birthday
•Save the Date: 2/12/2019, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley

Contribute to the World Fusion Music Movement
•Ancient Future Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

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Ancient Future Performs in Las Vegas

Photo by Julie Martin, Sharif, and Inni Singh. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Georges Lammam, and Vishal Nagar.

Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar), Georges Lammam (Arabic Violin), and Vishal Nagar (Tabla)

This program by the pioneering world music group Ancient Future blends the rhythms and melodies of the Arabian Peninsula, Spain, and India with contemporary jazz and rock, producing an irresistible and exhilarating fusion that captures the essence of pilgrimage, cultural exchange, exploration, and migration. The trio consists of scalloped fretboard guitarist Matthew Montfort performing with Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam and Indian tabla master Vishal Nagar. These multifaceted artists create an innovative musical experience that guides listeners on a hypnotic voyage through time and place.

Musical concepts such as taqsim (an Arabic method of melodic improvisation), tala (the recurring rhythmic cycles of Indian classical music), and compás (the rhythmic structure of flamenco) will be showcased.

Saturday, September 8, 2 PM
Ancient Future Indo Arabic Trio
Winchester Cultural Center
3130 S. McLeod Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89121
Adm: $12 advance, $14 day of show
Purchase Tix
Info: Call 702-455-7340
Press Release
Facebook Event (Please Invite Friends)

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8 Ways to Win

 

Musical Scavenger Hunt

Start the school year with this scavenger hunt to win music education materials and learn about the ancient musical traditions of the world! Hunt through Ancient-Future.Com to answer the scavenger hunt questions. All of those who get any answer right win an educational digital liner note download of their choice! Get all of the answers right and also win your choice of the Audio Guide or MIDI Groove companion tracks to the world rhythms training manual, Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities.

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 (SALE $33.95): Buy 1 Now. New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 (SALE $49.95): Buy 1 Now.

Not just for percussionists, this classic "world beat bible" takes the student on a musical voyage through the ancient rhythmic traditions of Africa, Bali, and India with a series of interesting, imaginative and fun exercises for all music lovers that require no instruments to perform.

8 Scavenger Hunt Questions

1. Name six instruments utilized in an Eve percussion orchestra.
2. What is the name of the more offbeat part of a Balinese kotèkan?
3. What is the name of an 11 beat North Indian rhythmic cycle that includes two groupings of 1 1/2 beats?
4. What is the name of a common South Indian 8 beat rhythmic cycle?
5. What is the name of the Egyptian wedding procession rhythm that is the basis for a popular Ancient Future track?
6. What moods are associated with Rag Alhaiya Bilawal?
7. What are the three main schools of scalloped fretboard guitar?
8. Name two subjects available for study through private online lessons via Skype and other services through Ancient-Future.Com.

This scavenger hunt contest is open only to subscribers to the Ancient Future Times. If you are not already receiving this newsletter, please subscribe before entering. Entries accepted through September 15, 2018. Send entries to info@ancient-future.com.

Scavenger Hunt PrizesWin Audio Guide or MIDI Groove Tracks (Get All Answers Right)

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: MP3 Audio Guide Tracks. By Matthew Montfort. Ancient Future Music (2005). A set of 115 audio guide tracks of the exercises in Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities that enable learning by ear. New Release! Companion MP3 Audio Guide Tracks Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

Ancient Rhythms – Future Grooves: MIDI Percussion Groove Tracks from the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India. Version 4.0. By Matthew Montfort. Ancient Future Music (1997. V. 4.0 2017). A complete set of 128 MIDI tracks that playback in Standard MIDI File compatible web browsers. Load them into a MIDI sequencer app (Mac, PC, iOS, Android, etc.) to loop tracks, change the tempo, or listen to individual parts. New Release! MIDI File Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

Win Digital Liner Notes (Get Any Answer Right)

Seven Serenades Liner Notes. 17 page .pdf of liner notes for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Explains the inspirations and musical concepts behind each serenade. Sheet music is included for those who want to delve deeper. $2.98 (SALE $2): Buy 1 Now.

Yearning for the Wind Liner Notes. 7 page .pdf of liner notes for Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. These entertaining and educational liner notes feature cover art, musicians biographies, and detailed explanations of the musical concepts of raga and tala behind the music. $1.98 (SALE $1.50): Buy 1 Now.

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Ancient Future 40th Anniversary & Bandleader Birthday

Photo of Ancient Future Circa 1979. Shown: Benjy Wertheimer, Phil Fong, Mindia Devi Klein, Matthew Montfort.

Save the Date: 2/12/2019, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley

Ancient Future's first concert took place on February 11, 1979, at the original Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax, California, the day before Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort's birthday, who was not yet even drinking age. This concert on Matthew Montfort's birthday also celebrates 40 years of world fusion music from Ancient Future.

The exact lineup for the show has not yet been announced, but it will include musicians from Ancient Future's long history of cross cultural music collaborations. It will feature top master musicians from around the world along with band members from the original and historic Ancient Future lineups. Stay tuned for surprise announcements of featured musicians.

Tuesday, February 12, 2019 8 PM
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Tix: $20 in advance at the F&S, $24 at the door. All tickets are subject to an additional $4 per ticket facility fee. Advance tickets will be available starting fall 2018.
Box Office Phone: 510-644-2020, open 12:30 PM – 7 PM (excluding holidays) and during all performances.
Email: info@freightandsalvage.org
Press Release

Ancient Future History: Reunion Concerts of YoreOriginal Lineup Reunion

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Circa 1978. Shown: Matthew Montfort, Yusef Ali, Mindia Devi Klein, Phil Fong, Benjy Wertheimer.

On April 19, 2015, three members of the original line-up of Ancient Future performed together for the first time this century. Ancient Future was formed in 1978 by students at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, including Mindia Devi Klein (who went by Mindy in those days), Matthew Montfort, Benjy Wertheimer, and Phil Fong, who sadly was unable to attend the reunion as he was battling ALS. He passed away on July 18, 2016.

World Without Walls Reunion

YouTube Video of Ancient Future Performing Bookenka at "World Without Walls Reunion." Shown: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Jim Hurley (violin), Doug McKeehan (keyboards, piano), Ian Dogole (percussion), Kash Killion (bass), and Mariah Parker (santur).

This lineup of Ancient Future that performed on the band's influential World Without Walls and Asian Fusion recordings played over a hundred concerts together from 1988 to 1995. In 2011, they reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform concerts at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord and Yoshi's in San Francisco. In honor of the reunion concerts, World Without Walls was released digitally by Capitol Records for the first time ever at major digital retailers such as iTunes. Twenty two years after its initial release in 1990, broadcasters worldwide voted the record as one of the top 5 world music releases of 2012, after which they continued to perform reunion concerts at venues such as the Frick Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Berkeley's Freight and Salvage.

"Ancient Future is a rare kind of band that might simultaneously aggravate purists, confound New Age dilettantes, seduce skeptics, and dazzle just about everybody else. Delicious compositions, intricate arrangements, crisp playing and impeccable production put these ambitious voyagers in a league of their own." - Derk Richardson, SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN

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Contribute to the World Fusion Music Movement

 

Ancient Future Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

With proceeds from recordings now going mostly to tech companies, and grant supported and city sponsored concerts of original music becoming an endangered species, we really need your help to continue our efforts. In this age of polarization, world fusion music is needed now more than ever. It must be supported financially. Could you do your job without pay? How would you pay your bills? This is what the world fusion music movement faces: dramatically rising costs of living in the midst of major reductions in financial support for music.

Make a Tax Deductible Donation to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Not part of the top 10% of U.S. taxpayers expected to benefit by itemizing deductions under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act but still want to contribute? You can make a direct donation (not tax deductible), or sign up to support Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

Ancient Future Times: Concerts, Contributions, and Contest with 13 Ways to Win

July 2018 Friday the 13th Issue:

Ancient Future Performs at Throckmorton Theatre 7/28
•Featuring Matthew Montfort (Guitar), Georges Lammam (Violin), Antoine Lammam (Percussion), and Doug McKeehan (Keys)

Contribute to the World Fusion Music Movement
•Ancient Future Now Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

Summer Tour Stops
•Performances in California and Nevada

Musical Scavenger Hunt Contest
•13 Ways to Win

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Ancient Future Performs at Throckmorton Theatre 7/28

'El Zaffa' YouTube Video URL: https://youtu.be/mHle2ipjQsU

Featuring Matthew Montfort (Guitars), Georges Lammam (Violin), Antoine Lammam (Percussion), and Doug McKeehan (Keys)

This program blends the rhythms and melodies of the Arabian Peninsula with contemporary jazz and rock, producing an irresistible and exhilarating fusion that captures the essence of pilgrimage, cultural exchange, exploration and migration.

Ancient Future's performance features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, Arabic violin virtuoso Georges Lammam, Arabic percussion master Antoine Lammam, and keyboardist extraordinaire Doug McKeehan. These multifaceted artists create an innovative musical experience that guides listeners on a hypnotic voyage through time and place.

Saturday, July 28, 8 PM
Throckmorton Theatre
142 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Doors open at 7:30 PM
Adm: $20 adv, $25 at door, $35 reserved seating
Tix: tickets.throckmortontheatre.org
Event: throckmortontheatre.org/event/ancient-future/
Info: 415-383-9600
Facebook Event
Listen on Spotify

Poster to Share or Print and Post

Concert Poster (259k pdf)

Ancient Future will also perform this program at the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton on August 4. That show sold out immediately with tickets that ranged in price from $45 to $199, so advanced tickets are highly recommended for the July 28 show at the Throckmorton Theatre.

Concert Review

"Woe, is for all of you who missed the Ancient Future event sponsored by Rhythm & Bliss. The group Ancient Future is made up of Musical Masters in their genres. The band consists of 24 musicians that come together in different configurations and create fused music. This configuration was an Arabic/Rock fusion. I have no words to describe what it is to hear live musical virtuosos. After hearing and dancing to this quality of music nothing else stirs my soul the same way. It was truly a grand evening. I was so very glad to have been there." – Mary Wheeler, The Harrakat, Eugene, Oregon

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Contribute to the World Fusion Music Movement

 

Ancient Future Now Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

As the Ancient Future Times reported in its April 2018 issue, Ancient Future has been accepted for fiscal sponsorship with InterMusic SF, and we are happy to report that we have now received more than one tax deductible contribution!

Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

With income from recordings now instead going mostly to tech companies, and grant supported and city sponsored concerts of original music becoming an endangered species, we really need your help to continue our efforts. The world needs world fusion music, but it must be supported financially. Could you do your job without pay? How would you pay your bills? This is what the world fusion music movement faces: dramatically rising costs of living in the midst of major reductions in financial support for music.

Donate to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

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Summer Tour Stops

Performances in California and Nevada

• Saturday, July 21, 8 PM, Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble, Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. (Bohemian Hwy. at Graton Rd.), Occidental CA 95465. Tix: $22 in advance, $26 at door. Info: 707-874-9392 or email info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org.
• SOLD OUT: Sunday, August 4, 8:30 PM, Ancient Future Arabic Dance Ensemble, Benefit Concert for UCO Lick Observatory, Main Building Hall, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140. Adm: $45 general seating, $90 preferred, $199 VIP.
• Sunday, August , 5 PM to 9 PM, Hindustani Guitar and Violin Concert featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Sharat Chandra Srivastava (violin), and Rajvinder Singh (tabla), Private Location, Oakland, CA, 94607. Adm: $20. Email mikedave@gmail.com to receive an invitation and make reservations.
• Saturday, August 18, 8 PM, Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble, Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941. Doors open at 7:30 PM. Adm: $20 adv, $25 at door, $35 reserved seating. Tix: tickets.throckmortontheatre.org. Info: 415-383-9600.
• Saturday, September 8, 2 PM, Ancient Future Indo Arabic Trio featuring Matthew Montfort, Georges Lammam, and Vishal Nagar, Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Dr., Las Vegas NV 89121. Adm: $12 advance, $15 day of show. Purchase Tix. Info: Call (702) 455-7340. Facebook.

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Musical Scavenger Hunt Contest

 

13 Ways to Win

Participate in this educational scavenger hunt to win music education materials and learn about the ancient musical traditions of the world! Hunt through Ancient-Future.Com to answer the scavenger hunt questions. All of those who get any answer right win an educational digital liner note download! Get all of the answers right and also win your choice of the Audio Guide or MIDI Groove companion tracks to the world rhythms training manual, Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities.

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India. By Matthew Montfort. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 (SALE $33.95): Buy 1 Now. New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 (SALE $49.95): Buy 1 Now.

Not just for percussionists, this classic "world beat bible" takes the student on a musical voyage through the ancient rhythmic traditions of Africa, Bali, and India with a series of interesting, imaginative and fun exercises for all music lovers that require no instruments to perform.

13 Scavenger Hunt Questions

1. What rhythm was used as the basis for the fast section of the title track from the Ancient Future album Quiet Fire?
2. Name six instruments utilized in an Eve percussion orchestra.
3. What is the name of the more offbeat part of a Balinese kotèkan?
4. What rhythm was used as the basis for the composition "Gamarock" from the Ancient Future album Dreamchaser?
5. What is the name of an 11 beat North Indian rhythmic cycle that includes two groupings of 1 1/2 beats?
6. What is the name of a common South Indian 8 beat rhythmic cycle?
7. What is the name of the Egyptian wedding procession rhythm that is the basis for a popular Ancient Future track?
8. What moods are associated with Rag Alhaiya Bilawal?
9. What is the name of the second, higher part of a North Indian melodic composition?
10. How many sympathetic strings does a North Indian sitar typically have?
11. What are the three main schools of scalloped fretboard guitar?
12. What instrument was traditionally made from the shell of an armadillo?
13. Name two subjects available for study through private online lessons via Skype and other services through Ancient-Future.Com.

This scavenger hunt contest is open only to subscribers to the Ancient Future Times. If you are not already receiving this newsletter, please subscribe before entering. Entries accepted through August 13, 2018. Send entries to info@ancient-future.com.

Scavenger Hunt PrizesAudio Guide Tracks

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: MP3 Audio Guide Tracks. By Matthew Montfort. Ancient Future Music (2005). New Release! Companion MP3 Audio Guide Tracks Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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. Ancient Future Music (1997. V. 4.0 2017). New Release! MIDI File Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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.

Digital Liner Notes

Educational Digital Liner Notes. 17 page .pdf of liner notes for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Explains the inspirations and musical concepts behind each serenade. Sheet music is included for those who want to delve deeper. $2.98 (SALE $2): Buy 1 Now.

Educational Digital Liner Notes. This download is a seven page .pdf of liner notes for Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. These entertaining and educational liner notes feature cover art, musicians biographies, and detailed explanations of the musical concepts of raga and tala behind the music. $1.98 (SALE $1.50): Buy 1 Now.

Ancient Future Times: Ancient Futures Hodl Free Concerts

May/June 2018 Issue:

Ancient Futures
•An ICO* for the Ages

First Contributions Roll In
•Ancient Future Now Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

Free Ancient Future Duet Concerts
• World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Indian Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar

Future Discounts on Ancient Traditions
•Enter MUSICED10 at Checkout for 10% Discount on Music Education Offerings

Ancient Future Summer Tour Stops
•Performances in California and Nevada

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Ancient Futures: An ICO* for the Ages

Ancient Future is issuing its first ICO* to ethereal investors. Like other ICOs, no one should invest in Ancient Futures unless they are at peace with all of their investment disappearing into a space-time vortex. But unlike other ICOs, in that event, Ancient Futures will still produce returns in the realm of musical vibrations.

Contrary to popular opinion, Ancient Futures are not expired futures contracts. They are premiums for supporters of the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings. The mission of A.F.A.R. is to produce an archive of 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.

Blockchain technology is not environmentally friendly, so a new premium transfer technology is in the initial stages of development in the Ancient Future. Blockheadchain technology is envisioned to telepathically transfer Ancient Futures in blocks from the heads of holders into an Akashic records database that may utilize clairvoyant A.I. technology, or if the space-time continuum moves backwards, may employ paper or stone. Please note that blockheadchain technology as contemplated is so advanced that it may never be invented.

In any case, participants are encouraged to HODL (Hold Onto for Deep Listening) their Ancient Futures to benefit from music appreciation.

*Initial Creative Offering

Mining Ancient Futures

Mining Ancient Futures is easy and environmentally friendly. You don't need to live in a cool climate or near a hydroelectric dam. All you need to do is to visit Ancient-Future.Com or come to an Ancient Future concert to become an Ancient Futures miner. Ancient Futures can be mined in four different audio resolutions. There are a limited number of Ancient Futures available to be mined, as each resolution is limited by number or time. Once 300 320 kbps mp3, 200 44.1k/16 bit wav, and 100 96k/24 bit wav Ancient Futures have been mined, the archive will be closed to mining. The best of the music produced will then be released commercially, increasing the value of the limited Ancient Futures that have been mined.

1. 128 kbps mp3: Mine @ $15. Limited time offering of Ancient Futures.
2. 320 kbps mp3: Mine @ $25. Limited to 300 Ancient Futures.
3. CD quality 44.1k/16 bit wav: Mine @ $50. Limited to 200 Ancient Futures.
4. Hi-res 96k/24 bit wav plus video: Mine @ $75. Limited to 100 Ancient Futures.

#Cryptourgency #BeAncientFutureReadyNow

Things move quickly through time and space in the crypto realm, so Ancient Future is looking for an Ancient Futures ICO Specialist. Duties include promoting the ICO for the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings and contemplating the implementation of blockheadchain technology for the Akashic records. The position of Anti-Social Media Manager is also open. Duties include advising #HowHashtagsWork and keeping in touch with those who have joined the #DeleteFacebook movement while encouraging cross-cultural pro-social communication on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social media sites. Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to email info@ancient-future.com.

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First Contributions Roll In

 

Ancient Future Now Accepts Tax Deductible Contributions Through InterMusic SF!

As the Ancient Future Times reported in its April 2018 issue, Ancient Future has been accepted for fiscal sponsorship with InterMusic SF, and we are happy to announce that we have now received our first tax deductible contribution!

Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area, or support new compositions and recordings.

Donate to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

#FundraisingFun

Not having much experience in fundraising, Ancient Future needs help reaching out to potential individual donors and charitable funds. Please share this newsletter with anyone you think might be interested in contributing. Ancient Future is looking for a Director of Solicitations, Begging, and Busking. Duties include raising money for activities, applying for grants, and helping to build a non-profit organization to support world fusion music. Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to email info@ancient-future.com.

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Free Ancient Future Duet Concerts

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future Ethnocloud Video

World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Indian Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar

In their first duet performances together since 2016, world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort and Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar present an innovative and accessible take on Hindustani classical music and contemporary fusion, with expressive and energetic renderings of raga and tala.

• Saturday, May 19, 2018, 2 to 3 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet featuring 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. Press Release.
• Sunday, May 20, 1:20 to 1:50 PM, Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet featuring Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar) and Vishal Nagar (tabla), Himalayan Fair, Live Oak Park,1300 Shattuck Ave., North Berkeley, CA 94709. Free! Donations for charity accepted. Facebook Event.

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Future Discounts on Ancient Traditions

Enter MUSICED10 at Checkout for an Additional 10% Discount on Music Education Materials

Make a difference in your life by learning about the ancient musical traditions of the world. For a very limited time, Ancient-Future.Com is offering an additional 10 percent discount from the already low reduced sale price of all of our music education materials! Just enter the coupon code MUSICED10 at checkout. The coupon expires on June 1.

Ancient Traditions - Future Possibilities

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. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 (SALE $33.95): Buy 1 Now. Book and Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI files- $74.95 (SALE $53.95): Buy 1 Now. New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 (SALE $49.95): Buy 1 Now.

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): Buy 1 Now. Companion Audio/MIDI Guide Tracks 2 Volume CD/CD-ROM Set- $39.95 (SALE $29.95): Buy 1 Now.

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. Ancient Future Music (2005). New Release! Companion MP3 Audio Guide Tracks Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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. Ancient Future Music (1997. V. 4.0 2017). New Release! MIDI File Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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.

Educational Digital Liner Notes

Educational Digital Liner Notes. 17 page .pdf of liner notes for Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Explains the inspirations and musical concepts behind each serenade. Sheet music is included for those who want to delve deeper. $2.98 (SALE $2): Buy 1 Now.

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Ancient Future Summer Tour Stops

Performances in California and Nevada

• Sunday, August 4, 8:30 PM, Ancient Future Arabic Dance Ensemble, Benefit Concert for UCO Lick Observatory, Main Building Hall, Mount Hamilton, CA 95140. Adm: $45 general seating, $90 preferred, $199 VIP. Tickets at www.ucolick.org/summer.

• Saturday, September 8, 2 PM, Ancient Future Indo Arabic Trio featuring Matthew Montfort, Georges Lammam, and Vishal Nagar, Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Dr., Las Vegas NV 89121. Adm: $12 advance, $15 day of show. Purchase Tix. Info: Call (702) 455-7340. Facebook.

#AncientFutureNearYou

Does it seem like Ancient Future never performs in your area? If so, you can help change that by making a donation to cover some of the travel expenses, or volunteering to become a local Concert Circuit Creator. Duties include developing a circuit of world fusion friendly presenters and booking concerts. Anyone interested in stepping forward is encouraged to email info@ancient-future.com.

Ancient Future Times: Building Ancient Future's Future

April 2018 Issue:

Building Ancient Future's Future
•Path to Progress for World Fusion Music Seen Ahead

Ancient Future Duet at Watermelon Music in Davis
•World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Uzbek Percussion Ambassador Abbos Kosimov

Free Sonoma Library Concert Series Finale
• Matthew Montfort with Indian Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar

A Future for Music Education
•Ancient Traditions Hold the Key

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Building Ancient Future's Future

 

Path to Progress for World Fusion Music Seen Ahead

The previous issue of the Ancient Future Times reported on the challenges facing music in the digital age and Matthew Montfort's efforts with the Content Creators Coalition to make positive change to mitigate the tech industry's "creative disruption" of the music business.

We asked for help, and are happy to report that progress is being made!

Ancient Future Signs Fiscal Sponsorship Deal with InterMusic SF!

Ancient Future has been experiencing a shortfall between the income that comes in from concerts and recordings and what is needed to support our mission. Donations can help make up the difference, and we are proud to announce that Ancient Future has been accepted for fiscal sponsorship with InterMusic SF (formerly San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music). InterMusic SF is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, and now donations on behalf of Ancient Future are 100% tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

So, Now You Can Make a Tax Deductible 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.

Your tax deductible contribution can help support Ancient Future's local Northern California concert season, or provide seed money to bring Ancient Future to perform in your area.

Donate to Ancient Future Through InterMusic SF!

Support the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings...

Photo by Michael Braden of Bui Huu Nhut Recording A.F.A.R.

In 2017, there were over 1.5 million streams of tracks on Ancient-Future.Com Records. Over 95% of those streams were ad supported, and 89% were on YouTube. Unfortunately, YouTube only paid $0.00006 per stream. Streaming rates were allowed to be set so low partly due to the assertion that free streaming would result in increased sales, but for the year that saw an unprecedented 1.38 million ad supported streams of tracks from Planet Passion, only 233 track downloads from the record were sold.

A music distribution system dominated by ad supported streaming does not support the creation of new recordings, so we have been exploring another way to fund recordings. 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 already more tracks in the archive than will fit on a CD, and there are three new studio tracks currently in production that will add over 30 more minutes of music to the archive.

There are four supporter thank-you packages available ranging from $15 to $75 offer everything from 128 kbps mp3 downloads all the way up to 96k 24 bit hi-res recordings. Detailed information on the various supporter packages and the benefits included can be found at www.ancient-future.com/afar.html.

And now you can make a tax deductible donation to the project at the Ancient Future donation page on InterMusic SF!

A.F.A.R. Behind the Scenes

Uzbek Percussionist Abbos Kosimov Recording A.F.A.R. YouTube Video

And Volunteer to Create a World Fusion Support Organization!

InterMusic SF also provides workshops and support to help affiliates grow their organizations and apply for grants. The last issue of the Ancient Future Times asked for volunteers to help with fundraising, promotion, and booking tasks. Since then, there have been meetings to discuss creating a team of volunteers and benefactors. Some work has already been done by a wonderful volunteer who helped with updating Ancient Future's concert presenter database.

The following positions are envisioned:

1. Director of Solicitations, Begging, and Busking. Duties include raising money for activities, applying for grants, and helping to build a non-profit organization to support world fusion music.
2. Concert Circuit Creator. Duties include developing a circuit of world fusion friendly presenters and booking concerts.
3. Anti-Social Media Manager. Duties include supporting and keeping in touch with those who have joined the #DeleteFacebook movement while encouraging cross-cultural pro-social communication on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and other social media sites.
4. Traditional Media Archeologist. Duties include searching through the charred remains of the traditional media to locate the whereabouts of current media contacts to maintain a 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 sufficient financial support is generated by a genius Director of Solicitations, Begging, and Busking.

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Ancient Future Duet at Watermelon Music in Davis

World Guitar Pioneer Matthew Montfort with Uzbek Percussion Ambassador Abbos Kosimov

One of the variations of the trailblazing world fusion music ensemble, Ancient Future, this duet features world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by Uzbek percussion virtuoso Abbos Kosimov. This improvisatory program focuses on the world music traditions of Central Asia, India, and Europe, renditions of music from Ancient Future's ground breaking world music recordings, and new unreleased works!

Saturday, April 28, 8 PM
Ancient Future Duet
Featuring Matthew Montfort (Scalloped Fretboard Guitar) and Abbos Kosimov (Uzbek Percussion)
Watermelon Music
1970 Lake Blvd., Suite #1
Davis CA 95616
Adm: $15. Tix at watermelonmusic.com. Info: Call 530-758-4010 or email info@watermelonmusic.com. Doors open at 7:30 PM.
Facebook Event.

Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard and fretless guitars)

The leader of Ancient Future, Matthew Montfort, released his first solo recording, Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar, in 2009. He is a pioneer among guitarists who have had their fretboards scalloped in order to play various forms of world music that require intricate note-bending ornaments while still being able to play chords. He is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor. He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai, and live on national shows such as the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.

Abbos Kosimov (Uzbek percussion)

Abbos Kosimov with Drums in the Air YouTube Video

International phenomenon Abbos Kosimov is a master of the doyra (a frame drum with metal rings) and an ambassador of Uzbek culture. Abbos is known for taking the doyra to unprecedented new heights. He developed finger tapping techniques inspired by North Indian tabla masters, adding new dimensions to the instrument's sonic capabilities. Abbos also plays qayroqs, darbuka, dof, and riqq.

Abbos was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to a highly musical family. His father played santoor (hammered dulcimer) and his brother played ney (flute), and began studying doyra at age ten. In 1988, Abbos graduated from the College of Culture and Music under dorya master Mamurjon Vahbov. Abbos completed his higher education at the Tashkent State Institute of Culture in 1994, and established his own Abbos school where he taught the most talented youth of his country to play doyra. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence, Abbos was awarded with a medal and given the illustrious title of Honored Artists of Uzbekistan by the president of Uzbekistan. In 2005, Abbos moved to the United States, leading to performances and recordings with artists such as Steve Wonder, Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo, Terry Bozzio, Swapan Chaudhuri, Kronos Quartet, and Omar Sosa.

Abbos released his solo album, Infinite Rhythm, in July 2012. That same year, Abbos met Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort when they were both hired to perform with renowned Indian singer Pandit Binay Pathak. Abbos has since recorded tracks for Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings.

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Free Sonoma Library Concert Series Finale

'Yearning for the Wind' by Ancient Future Ethnocloud Video

Matthew Montfort with Indian Tabla Virtuoso Vishal Nagar

The finale concert of a series of free hour long educational concerts by Ancient Future at Sonoma County libraries will introduce the audience to Indian rhythms and feature scalloped fretboard guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar.

Saturday, May 19, 2018, 2 to 3 PM
Ancient Future Guitar and Tabla Duet
Featuring 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.

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A Future for Music Education

Ancient Traditions Hold the Key

While the musical period that Ancient Future has inhabited has been marked by some wonderful innovations, there have also been declines in the public perception of the value of music and major budget cutbacks to music education in public schools. Raising new generations without exposure to music education cannot be good for the art of music, or society in general.

We need to place more value on music, because it can bring people together in ways that other mediums can't. When President Bush visited Singapore in 2006, their diplomacy efforts included a gamelan performance. Invited to play himself, Bush beat a metalophone with a rubber mallet for a time, and then said: "I'm going to quit while I'm ahead." This is a shame, as he was obviously having fun and his first performance was greeted with applause by the members of the gamelan orchestra, as shown in World Rhythms News Issue 9. Imagine the conflicts that might be avoided if world leaders spent time learning the traditional music of their adversaries.

While heads of state may not yet be studying world music, you can make a difference in your own life by learning the ancient musical traditions of the world. Below are some educational resources available from Ancient Future.

Free Online Lessons at Ancient-Future.Com

The rhythmic and melodic aspects of the musical traditions of the world are a good place to begin one's studies. Timbre or tone color is often one of the first aspects of a musical tradition to be noticed by the uninitiated and many of the instruments in use in world music are very interesting subjects in themselves.

The fundamentals in primary school education are often described as the three R's: Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. This world music training course concentrates on the three T's: Time, Tune, and Timbre.

The time portion of the training includes introductions to the rhythms of West Africa, home of the astounding art of polyrhythms; Bali, where the interlocking rhythms of gamelan music fill the night air; India, birthplace of tala (rhythmic cycles); the Arab world, home of iqa'at (rhythmic modes); and world fusion rhythms created by combining ideas from many traditions. The tune portion showcases rich melodic content of the ragas of North India and South Indian vina music arranged for guitar. Under timbre there are articles on North Indian sitar, South Indian vina, scalloped fretboard guitar, Andean charango, North Indian tabla, South Indian mridangam, Balinese gamelan, and the percussion of the Ewe orchestra of West Africa.

Workshops and Skype Lessons

30 Minute Skype Lesson.$50. Sale $36. Buy 1 Now. Custom private 30 minute online lesson via Skype or other video conferencing service.

Matthew Montfort offers online lessons in the subjects covered in the educational section of Ancient-Future.Com via Skype; rhythm workshops at conservatories, public schools, and resorts; and instruction for all styles of guitar, ukulele, bass, mandolin, sitar, and other plucked instruments.

Ancient Traditions - Future Possibilities

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. Kentfield: Ancient Future Music, 1985. ISBN 0-937879-00-2. Comb Bound Book- $46.95 (SALE $33.95): Buy 1 Now. Book and Enhanced Audio CD Set with MIDI files- $74.95 (SALE $53.95): Buy 1 Now. New Best Buy! Book & Audio Guide/MIDI Download- $69.95 (SALE $49.95): Buy 1 Now.

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): Buy 1 Now. Companion Audio/MIDI Guide Tracks 2 Volume CD/CD-ROM Set- $39.95 (SALE $29.95): Buy 1 Now.

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. Ancient Future Music (2005). New Release! Companion MP3 Audio Guide Tracks Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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. Ancient Future Music (1997. V. 4.0 2017). New Release! MIDI File Download- $24.95 (SALE 17.95): Buy 1 Now.

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.

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