DENINZONEWS SPRING 2020
All the news that’s fit to print about violinist/vocalist/mandolinist/composer Joe Deninzon
Dear friends,
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Welcome to my Spring newsletter. Under normal circumstances, I would have a lot of cool things to report, concerts and clinics and sessions coming up. Lots to get excited about for the coming months. But this Covid19 pandemic has devastated my income and that of many of my friends and colleagues who make their living as freelance artists and musicians. Independent contractors do not qualify for unemployment. Cancellations of concerts, private events, and school residencies has left many artists depending only on artist relief funds and savings to live on until this virus passes. The best way to help is NOT by streaming our music on Spotify, but going to bandcamp pages and buying music directly from the artist or supporting them on crowdfunding sites. On that note, here are links to the bandcamp pages of some of my friends who can use some financial support in these difficult times:
https://thankyouscientist.bandcamp.com
https://7sunsmusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.susanaquilarocks.com
https://sonicelements.bandcamp.com
https://rmcstine.bandcamp.com
https://fernandoperdomo.bandcamp.com
https://thrilldriver.bandcamp.com
https://district97.bandcamp.com
https://officialpottersdaughter.bandcamp.com
https://3rdegree.bandcamp.com
You can find all my CD’s, downloads, t-shirts, mugs, vinyl, and other goods at:
www.stratospheerius.bandcamp.com
www.joedeninzon.bandcamp.com
JOIN MY PATREON
Patreon is an incredible platform where an artists get a personal connection with their fans. I’m excited to launch my Patreon page! Tiers range from $5 per month to $75 per month. The base tier gets you weekly, or sporadic “gig diaries” where I share stories about my life as a musician, exclusive sneak peaks into new projects I’m working on, and surprise free stuff. You also get free downloads of unreleased material emailed to you periodically. Higher tiers get you free full album downloads, signed sheet music/vinyl/CD’s, t shirts, mugs, skype music lessons or interview, skype/facetime performances, free tickets, and even house concerts!
Watch the video below and JOIN TODAY at www.patreon.com/joedeninzon
Here’s something to entertain you while you’re quarantined in your home. One of my biggest musical influences was the 70’s fusion band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, featuring legendary guitarist John MacLaughlin. When I was 20 years old in college, I heard a recording of the song :Cellestial Terrestrial Commuters” from their 1973 album “Birds of Fire,” featuring the incredible violinist, Jerry Goodman. It was a moment of epiphany for me when I first heard jerry play. That was when I knew I wanted to be an electric violinist. I had never heard a violin sound like that! So this past year, I worked out a solo loop version of this song for the seven-string Viper and performed it at the 10th’ anniversary of the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp in Olathe, KS. I have been teaching last this incredible camp for ten years now, and highly recommend you check it out if you are an aspiring musician! WWW.MWROC.COM
Enjoy the video!
Before the world got turned upside down last week, I was able to have some amazing experiences. On March 5-8, I flew down to Orlando, FLA for the annual American String Teacher’s Conference.
As a traveling clinician and performer, I have made it a priority to attend this conference every year, hang out with my friends and colleagues, road test new workshops, jam a little, network with students an teachers, and find out what’s new on the string eduction scene. This was my busiest years yet! I gave a public masterclass to two very talented students, Leila Warren and Matt Laird. I taught as class on “Live Looping with a String Orchestra” using a volunteer demo group of some incredibly talented kids from John Jay High School in San Antonio, led by my friend Heather Gonzales, who I am very grateful to. I was part of a wonderful
panel on electronic effects for strings led by Julie Lyon. Lieberman. The highlight, of course, was getting to perform (for the first time) in a big concert alongside living legends of electric strings Mark Wood, Tracy Silverman, Martha Mooke, and Jesus Florido with one of my violin heroes Mark O’Connor jumping up onstage at the end of the night! Thank you to Jesus and Yamaha for sponsoring the event, and the incredibly talented rhythm section from Tampa, Fla who learned the music on very short notice! Also thank you to my dear friend/label president Nick Kastona from Melodic Revolution Records and his wife Jennifer for hosting me and helping out with Merch.
The Covid19 Sonic Voyage Fest
On March 11-14, three bands who are labelemates on Melodic Revolution Records came together for a regional NY-area tour. We had planned these shows for a long time and were promoting them like crazy! Then the Corona pandemic escalated. The shows took place at Debonair Music hall in Teaneck, NJ, Booshwick Public House in Brooklyn, Roxy & Dukes/ NJ Proghouse in Dunellen, NJ, and Olives in Nyack, NY. The first two shows were sparsely attended due to fears of the virus. The second two shows had a modest but enthusiastic turnout. We agonized over cancelling and would meet and take a vote every night about whether or not to go on, but we knew in our hearts this was the last hoorah before a long quarantine. We needed nthis, and so did the people who attended the shows. There was a great love and camaraderie between all the bands, and we hope to repeat this next fall under better circumstances. We made our decisions to move forward with the shows and have no regrets.
Thank you to my bandmates in Stratospheerius, Jason Gianni, Paul Ranieri, and Michelangelo Quirinale. Thank you to Dianne Voegtlin of Potter’s Daughter, and Dark Beauty for making these shows magical!
This picture came out great. Members of Stratospheerius, Dark Beauty and Potter’s Daughter.
From L to R
Top Row
Jason Gianni – Drummer Stratospheerius
Second Row
Katie Pachnos – Harp ,Keyboards Dark Beauty
Bob Konig – WFDU and Emcee
Jan C. Voegtlin – Bass Potter’s Daughter
Paul Ranieri – Bass Stratospheerius
Front Row
Michaelangelo Quirinale – Guitar Stratospheerius
Bryan Ziegler – Guitar Dark Beauty
Dyanne Potter Voegtlin – Vocals and Keys Potter’s Daughter
Joe Deninzon – Violin and Lead Vocals Stratospheerius
Liz Tapia – Vocals Dark Beauty
Michael Diamantopolous – Bass Dark Beauty
Greg Schwab – Drummer Dark Beauty
Stay safe and healthy, everyone. I hope to see you all on the other side of this thing when we can all share some hugs and some live music in the same room once again!
Love,
-JD
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