mandoteacher - Posted - 03/22/2014:  05:34:11

The South Hadley Mandolin Orchestra was started by Adam R Sweet, in an effort to revive the beauty and popularity of the traditional mandolin orchestra, which was mainstream in the United States around the turn of the 20th Century.  The Orchestra is staffed by volunteers, and will feature musicians and composers from all around New England and beyond.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm the founder and music director of the Sweet Music Studio (in South Hadley, MA) and the South Hadley Mandolin Orchestra. After moving to South Hadley in 2008, I was contacted by August Watters, a mandolinist from Eastern Massachusetts about setting up a tour for classical mandolinist from Italy.  The tour never materialized, but it gave me enough impetus to begin the western Mass Mandolin Orchestra anew.  The first stage of organizing was to recruit some players, and while there are many mandolinists in western MA, they are mostly folk players.  Not to be undone by the challenge, I set about finding players that were interested in learning, and teaching them how to play.  The first Mandolin Group Class consisted of players from Northampton, Amherst, Easthampton, Holyoke and Granby.  It took three more years and several configurations of the group later before I felt ready to assemble the Orchestra.  The first rehearsal was slated for September, 2013, but family illness put it back to February 2014.  We just had our second rehearsal.  I think we're committed now!

The current configuration consists of six mandolins, two mandolas and one mandocello.  I'm actively recruiting players!  Of course I can always use more mandolins, and mandolas and mandocellos get top billing

If you or anyone you know is interested in playing in a mandolin orchestra, we meet once a month at my studio in South Hadley, MA.  I should say we have players coming from as far south as New Haven, CT, east as Boston and west as Albany, NY.

The website is mandolinorchestra.org (for updates and contact info)

OregonGal - Posted - 03/23/2014:  21:34:02

Ah, too bad I live in Oregon now - used to live in CT. I first saw a mandolin orchestra in San Diego - and the memory of that is what eventually got me to buy a mandolin and learn to play it - still learning - always learning. If I go back to my home stomping grounds I should look up your studio. I know where South Hadley, MA is … my sister used to live near there in Amherst. Wishing you lots of fantastic mandolining (is there such a word)?