Can I chip in please, as a Szerenyi HG owner? There are quite a few instruments I know about that have been made by Bela and were sold abroad, I am personally very happy with my instrument, which is a loud Hungarian one. I cannot remain unbiased though, being a Hungarian myself and honoured to be Bela¹s friend. Bela is an excellent maker and I don¹t think it is a second hand sale, his instruments are so much more affordable for us, Western folks, so even the new ones come at half price compared to a lute-back made in France or UK (I don¹t know much about prices in the US). We are in contact here in the middle of the UK with a boy who is only 14 and is a newcomer too, so I am particularly happy to welcome the youth. I got hooked on folk music (although not on tekero at that time) when I was a teen, and never looked back. Bela personally works with many teenagers and children, in Hungary tekero is taught in state funded music institutions! They organise affordable music camps in the Summer, one is on in August, so if you have money to buy the plane tickets to Budapest, it would be a great booster to go to any of these. I am going there in August, would be fun to meet.
Cecilia On 15/5/07 15:57, "Chris Nogy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Welcome Alina. It is nice to see someone younger getting involved with the > instrument. > > I did some looking around at your instrument's builders site and the work > looks excellent, he has a range of styles that run from very conservative to > very whimsical, and that is one thing that makes me believe he knows his stuff > - if you can make this variety of instruments work, with all their inherant > differences, you must understand the instrument and not just how to build from > one set of plans. I don't know personally, but I think you are probably > getting a fine instrument. > > A word of caution - if you are buying it used, there will be things that need > done to it, adjustments and maintenance, various little tweaks and lots of > messing with it. That is half the fun, and all the frustration, of owning a > gurdy. Many a wonderful instrument arrived in the hands of a new owner only > to sound like the proverbial gunnysack of cats. Don't be frustrated - even > the best instrument can sound horrible once two or three things go slightly > out of adjustment, and likewise the most horrible sounds can usually be fixed > without resorting to major rebuild. If you encounter problems with your > instruments sound, don't panic. Relax, breathe, and let us know what is > happening. So many folks here have helped in diagnosing and fixing issues, > most likely any problems you encounter can be worked out as well. > > This is unlike any other adventure in music, the machine is fickle, > frustrating, often only seconds from being thrown out a 5th stroy window. You > not only have to learn how to play the instrument, but how to do things that > no other instrument requires. So relax, don't sweat it, be happy. The effort > is extra, sure, but the end result is worth it. > ] > And remember one of the most important things - once you learn how to get rid > of the bad sounds, you will then know how to put them back. There is no > instrument quite like the mal-adjusted gurdy (perhaps the poorly tuned pipes > or a crwth, but that is it) for clearing a house or annoying the neighbors > when necessary <grin> > > Again, welcome. I'm sure we will benefit from your enthusiasm as much or more > than you will benefit from our experiences. > > Chris Nogy > *********** REPLY SEPARATOR *********** > > On 5/14/2007 at 6:29 PM Alina Larson wrote: >> Hello everyone! >> >> >> My name is Alina Larson, I am sixteen years old and new to the world of >> Hurdy-Gurdies. I didn't know anything about this instrument until just >> recently, but have unwittingly enjoyed its sound for quite some time. >> >> >> >> Do any of you know of Loreena McKennitt? I saw her in concert just a couple >> days ago. It was an excellent performance, and I really loved the >> Hurdy-Gurdy which accompanied a few of her songs. My favorite song was >> Santiago. An old favorite, actually. I was off of the edge of my seat for >> most of that song... >> >> >> >> I do not own a Hurdy-Gurdy as of this moment, but have purchased one via >> eBay just last week--with my life's savings, I might add. >> >> >> >> I was wondering if anyone on this list happens to live in my area. It would >> be nice to have a tutor, or just someone to talk to about the Hurdy-Gurdy. I >> live in Berkeley, California and am purchasing a Szerényí Béla Hungarian >> Tekero. >> >> >> >> I am also new to mailing lists... I hope my introduction was >> well-constructed. I should probably get back to homework, now... >> >> >> >> I can hardly wait for my Tekero to arrive! Any advice, information or >> comments are welcome and eagerly anticipated on my side. If anyone knows >> anything that they would like to share with me, it's more than welcome :-D >> >> >> >> Thank You for reading! >> >> ~Alina Larson. >
