This installment of the Tap In Time Podcast is a bit longer than usual, but given the span of topical content, we think you’ll understand why. We head to the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, Canada, to catch up with Chapman Stick recording artist and wood worker extraordinaire Brian Baggett, so there’s talk of music, Canada, wood working, and an exciting new product introduction for Brian’s Stickist clientele! As usual, we find a number of bunny trails to navigate, such as geographic population density, humidity, feline work partners, second grade art project appreciation, and more…so come along and stay awhile!   Brian’s web sites:   https://brianbaggett.ca/ https://brianbaggettwoodcraft.ca/  

They're not actual travel agents, but they do help us get away. :-)  Claire and Victor bring Glenn Poorman and Jim Meyer, organizers of the Interlochen and Stick Camp Canada events, into the virtual studio. After getting things rolling with a retrospective on last summer’s events, we then bunny-trail through a plethora of topics such as looping, composition, YouTube videos, and taking a Stick into a live band context. Along the way: accidentally diagnosing a broken piece of gear, the joy and angst of using video to learn a Stick piece, one way to fill in the audience at event performances, and more! Musical selections heard in this episode are Glenn’s “A Thousand Words” from his YouTube/scored works collection, and Jim’s “Georgia Strait” from his CD “Arbutus and Jade”. Glenn’s online scores can be found at http://www.121normal.com/tabs/ Jim was previously a guest on Tap In Time Episode 6 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/hanging-out-with-jim-meyer/) and Episode 29 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/29-coming-back-for-more-jim-meyer/). Glenn was previously a guest on Tap In Time Episode 14 (https://tapintime.podbean.com/e/looping-back-to-interlochen/)

Gene and Victor pull aside several Stickists while at Stick Camp Canada, to hear some of their memories of Greg.

The man who may just be the most prolific Chapman Stick recording artist on the planet joins us in this episode- Michael Kollwitz is in the studio! Mike has insights and stories galore to share, borne of playing for so many years, being one of Emmett’s students early on, and living and recording in a number of different locales. Plus, Michael and Claire spend some time diving into advice regarding the configuration and maintenance of studio computer resources, and we hear about Michael’s upcoming book release- “Stick With It- Adventures of a Chapman Stick Player”…judging by some of the stories he shares with us, this book is a “must buy”!

After a bit of a sabbatical, Claire, Gene, and Victor get together for a free-form conversation. We catch up a bit, talk about plans for the future (isn't that phrase a little redundant?), hear from a furry contributor, share a few laughs, and just enjoy one another's company while we geek out a bit over Sticks and music. 

Chapman Stick artist Dale Ladouceur and her husband, drummer/recording engineer Bill Hobson, join us from Crowtown Productions, their Edmonton based studio. Along with a rich musical history, Dale and Bill possess a wealth of knowledge and experience recording the Chapman Stick (among other instruments), which we take advantage of as we dive into it with them. Along the way: cheap knock-offs, fighting for your first gig, mastering for the treadmill crowd, lobbying NASA, and more…check it out!

Folks who have listened to us know that we’re really big on getting together with other Chapman Stick players. So when Jim Meyer wrapped up the 20th Vancouver Stick event, it was a safe bet that we’d want to have him back on to talk about it (he was our first ever interview guest, way back in Episode #6, and anyone who's listened to that episode knows that he's a really fun guy to spend some time with). Plus, we also get some eye-witness thoughts on the 2022 event from the Tap In Time Foreign Correspondent. Along the way: geeking out over tuners, seminar audio chaos, ideas that didn’t work out so well, and more!

A small town with a bustling tourism industry is a great place to live if you’re a skilled musician, and a Chapman Stick fits like glove in such a place. In this episode, we head to Colorado to hear all about it from one of our Stick heroes, Mr. David Tipton. David shares some of his secrets to success, including thoughts on reading the room, repertoire, knowing what to play, gear choices, and the importance of posture while playing (!!!). There’s also talk of strangers jumping in uninvited to play along, questionable wedding song choices, adventures with curious and unrestrained children, and more. Come along and join us for a great chat!

For this episode, we cross the pond (virtually) to England to visit with Stick artist/educator/performer/busker Jim Lampi. Jim is one of the early adopters of the Chapman Stick, and his story is one worth hearing. It spans multiple instruments, locales, and musical landscapes, starting in the United States, moving across a large chunk of mainland Europe, and settling down in England. Join us as we hear about learning the instrument without benefit of the modern internet, covering an all-time classic in front of its composer, getting kicked off a continent by a musical genre, and more!

Progressive music titan Tony Levin joins Tap In Time for a rundown of his most recent tours with the Stick Men, King Crimson, and his latest gig, the Levin Brothers with his brother Peter Levin and their special guest Ali Ryerson. In this episode, Tony takes us through a day in the life of a Chapman Stick player working with 3 drummers, being a traveling musician in the time of Covid, and getting the opportunity to make music with his mentor and brother, Peter Levin. We also talk compressors, how to choose the right instrument for the right song, and, along the way, we take a few metaphors a bit too far. 

…in which strings take center stage in the discussion. Well, for the most part, at least- it is a Tap In Time episode, after all. As with any stringed instrument, strings are at the heart of a Chapman Stick’s purpose, and we dive into a discussion on the strings themselves, as well as the related unique instrument features only found on a Stick. Also: whammy bars, “rigidy” (is that a word?), geeking out over patents, a podcast idea of Gene’s gets a hard pass from Claire, and more!

There may be two "O"s in Goose, but there's only one "L" in Manila (I hadn't known that...). Why mention it? Because that's the home of this episode's prog rockin' interview guest- Fuseboxx vocalist/Stickist/pianist Abby Clutario! There's Fuseboxx talk for sure, but we also learn about her other projects and endeavors, her musical and Chapman Stick history, some of her thoughts on the tech/gear side of things, and much more. As usual with our guests, several of her recordings (both with Fuseboxx and solo) are sprinkled throughout, with a beautiful Stick/piano/vocal cover to close the show.

Chapman Stick Master Steve Adelson joins us from his home in Arizona, and entertains us with anecdotes and learnings starting with his early days playing guitar, to finding The Stick, and moving through running the Long Beach Jazz Festival for the better part of two decades. From experiences and playing with the likes of Les Paul, Tony Levin, and other big names, to hurricanes and how to get a restaurant crowd to “recognize” the originals you mix in, Steve takes us through a great conversation.

We pay tribute to Emmett Chapman, share some memories, and talk about his impact on our lives.

Some listeners may have noticed the absence of our Portuguese friend Rodrigo on a few of last summer's episodes. Well, when you're out playing Chapman Stick gigs *every* weekend, it's hard to fit podcast recording sessions into your schedule. Now that he's back, we get the details on the gigs. Then we get to play show and tell (hear and tell?) to learn about his Dragonfly, an acoustic tapping instrument from a company out of Argentina. Many guitarists own both electric and acoustic instruments, and the Dragonfly is gaining a bit of popularity amongst jealous Stickists who would like to do the same. Check it out!

Tap In Time's roots are found in playing Bach on the Chapman Stick. In fact, Episode 5 was devoted to this topic...it truly is beautiful music that enhances any set list, and playing it is great for the chops. We're all really stoked that Stickist extraordinaire Greg Howard is about to release his book of Bach arrangements, so we pulled him into the (virtual) studio to continue the conversation. Mixed in throughout: discoveries, a Tap In Time first, a confession, and more- it's a good one, don't miss it!

We head to Germany this month, and manage to get Mark and Steffi, aka Cascade, on the line! The globe-trotting Chapman Stick Duo spills the beans on all sorts of stuff, starting with the Cascade origin story and working from there. Join us as we hear about composing for two Sticks, great stories of busking all over the world, living the dream of being full time Stick performers, and more!

We visit the Land Down Under! OK, only virtually, and no koala sightings this time, but it was still a great chat. Join us as we hear about Andy’s busking experience, his decision to branch out into the world of living room concerts and streaming content, and his thoughts on other topics such as composing on Stick, that wonderful tone of his that so many of us want, his choice of instrument, and more. Plus, some interesting busking stories, including a bystander’s mis-identification of Andy's instrument that was a new one to us. 

In Part 1 of this mini-series, we kept things at a somewhat higher level. In this one, as promised, we talk instrument details: configurations, materials, pickups, new, used, components, and more. We couldn’t possibly offer the last word on any specific aspect of purchasing a Stick, but if you’re after potentially helpful insights that might not be readily apparent, have a listen! If nothing else, you just might be slightly entertained. If you haven’t yet listened to Part 1, consider checking it out first.

The episode title says it all. Though it shares certain characteristics with other electric stringed instruments, a Stick is truly an instrument like no other. What exactly does that mean? What drives us to want one? What did we learn or experience that we weren't expecting? Join Gene, Rodrigo, and Victor as they lay some philosophical groundwork in preparation for Part 2 of this mini-series, in which instrument and technical details will take center stage.