[Jump to pics and video.] After several months of scheming and planning the first ever Athens Ohio Guitar Flash Mob finally happened on Saturday morning. We met at 10:15am to rehearse and at 11:00am we encircled the farmers market shoppers in the center of the mall with 28 acoustic guitarists and launched into Don McLean’s epic song “American Pie.” Each verse featured a different singer (listed below) and everyone joined in on the choruses. By the final two choruses we had just about everyone in the mall singing along. I felt it was a great success and hope to organize a similar performance again sometime in the future. Scroll down for more information on the mob and for photos. I’ll put more behind-the-scenes information in a different post.

American Pie Flash Mob Singers
Verse 1: John Horne • Verse 2: Tag Hauschild • Verse 3: Lucas Reilly • Verse 4: Dan Wasserman • Verse 5: Charlie Houtz • Chorus Singers: Peter Babrow • Sarah Clary • Jordan Dean • Marcus Fakler • Craig Garrelts • Sydney Hardy • Zach Hitchcock • Brad Huffman • Erin Malone • Carter McCutchan • Brytton McGuire • Emersynn McGuire • Misha Mochanov • Matt Oviatt • Zach Quillen • Kyle Reynolds • Rockin’ Reggie Robinson • Sam Terkel • Madison Vassari • Nick Weckman • Mike Witter • Kevin Xiao • Ben Ziff • (Please let me know if I missed anyone!)

Following the flash mob performance I held a short student recital. The program is below.

Student Recital Program – Saturday January 28 2012

Charlie Houtz
Rock Riff Medley: Sweet Home Alabama • You Really Got Me • Back in Black • Crazy Train • I Love Rock and Roll
Star Wars – John Williams

Zach Hitchcock
Volga Boatman – Traditional Russian Folk Song
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Johnny Marks

Peter Babrow
Readymade – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Jordan & Milena Dean
I Love Rock & Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Tag Hauschild
Crossroads – Eric Clapton

Eme McGuire
Alchemy – Girls Dead Monster

Kevin Xiao
Home – Jack Johnson
Across the Universe – John Lennon

Justin Dowler
Layla – Eric Clapton
Blues Jam in A

Pics & Video

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Athens Ohio guitarists! Please join me and my students for a GUITAR FLASH MOB!

On Saturday January 28 we will be treating the Market on State to a surprise performance of Don McLean’s “American Pie” and we need as many guitarists as possible to play and sing on each chorus. Please come and help us out – it will be a blast!

If you want to participate, here’s all you need to do:

1. Be willing to play and sing! You will have the opportunity to join in six times.
2. Have a guitar (preferably acoustic) with a guitar strap.
3. Learn the VERY EASY and FUN chorus to American Pie. (Scroll down for music.)
4. Meet us at 10:15am to tune and rehearse the song once or twice.
5. Performance will happen at 11:00am.

PLEASE let me know if you are planning on participating so I know how many people to expect. You can join the event here or contact me via: http://www.johnhorneguitar.com/contact-john/

Even more details:
“American Pie” sheet music is available here:
http://www.johnhorneguitar.com/american-pie-chorus.pdf

Tutorial for the flash mob on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF9_StNmsqQ

Listen to the original recording on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu7hxguhFfI

We will meet to rehearse promptly at 10:15am in the old Shoebilee location in the Market on State. It is the large vacant store near the indoor playground area at the Tractor Supply Co. end of the mall.

At the rehearsal I will ask for your attention. We will tune up, talk through the performance and then play through the entire song one or two times tops. At 11:00am we will perform in the center of the mall.

The Athens Farmer’s Market and WATH/WXTQ Healthy Living Expo will also be going on so we should have a good audience!

Please note that the teaching studio is currently on break through July. I plan to resume teaching in August at the old Studio E Music location which will hopefully be a brand new store with new owners and inventory by then.

If you are a current student I will email you near the end of July to confirm the schedule for the end of summer and possibly into fall. If you are interested in signing up for lessons you may contact me and I will get back to you about beginning lessons in August.

Enjoy the summer – I hope to see you at one of my upcoming performances!

Students and families
Wow. Where to begin? It’s been quite a week. As many of you know by now Studio E Music has announced that it is going out of business. I only found out about this myself on Wednesday and was sworn to secrecy until this weekend. I have been teaching at Studio E Music in its various locations for 15 years now and moving to another appropriate space will be challenging. By next Monday I will likely be teaching in a new location but I have not finalized those details yet so I will have to let you know in a few days where that will be. If you have any suggestions for location I will be happy to hear them, though I’m kind of getting down to the wire on this decision.
For now please read my plans for the coming week below:

Monday Students
On Monday April 11 Studio E Music will be closed so they can prepare the store for a final liquidation sale. I will be in the former GNC location in the Market on State for that day only. The same place we met after the tornado. Not perfect but it will do. I may move into the back room for a little more quiet.

Wednesday Students
On Wednesday April 13 I will be teaching in Studio E but will be in the rear studio. It’s just though the screen door that was next to my studio.

Thursday Students
Please Note: On Thursday April 14 I will only be teaching until 5:00pm. Jordan, and everyone after 5:00pm – I’ll see look forward to seeing you next week! With all of the things going on behind the scenes last week I forgot to look ahead to this week. I will be performing at OU in a faculty recital with saxophone professor Matt James that night. I apologize for not giving you more notice.

For Thursday students through 4:30pm I will be teaching in Studio E but will be in the rear studio. It’s just though the screen door that was next to my studio.

All Students
For this week I will likely have a bare-bones teaching setup (no desk, printer, speakers, etc.). The store is currently pricing everything that’s not nailed down so I’m not going to leave any of my personal effects there.

The Sale
This coming week the store’s liquidation sale will begin. I am not completely sure of the timing of the sale but the notices that they have sent out state: “A private sale will begin at 10:00am on Wednesday, April 13th. A public sale will begin thereafter.” In any case, if you have had your eye on anything in the store this is the time to buy it as everything in the store will be discounted in the coming week.

And Finally…
There will be more announcements in the coming weeks as I decide how to proceed with my teaching practice. It’s actually kind of exciting. I look forward to continuing to help my students learn and grow as I move into this new phase. I you have any questions please call or email me.

Best,
John Horne

You’re invited…

Friday April 1 2011 7:30pm
Faculty Recital
Glidden Hall Recital Hall
Ohio University
Athens OH 45701

Program

Solo Pieces:

Bouree from Lute Suite Number 1 BWV 996 – J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Afro Blue – Mongo Santamaria (1917-2003) arr. Emily Remler

Three Pieces by Michael Hedges (1953-1997)
Layover • Ritual Dance • Breakfast in the Fields

You Made Me Love You – Monaco (1885-1945)/McCarthy (1885-1943) arr. Horne

Ensemble Pieces:

June Bug – Tommy Turrentine (1928-1997)

Minor League – Duke Pearson (1932-1980)

Blues (Waltz) for Alice – Charlie Parker (1920-1955) arr. Horne

The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix (1920-1955)

Ensemble Members
Aaron Morris, trumpet
Kelsey Patterson, flute
Alex Burgoyne, alto saxophone
Dean Tartaglia, tenor saxophone
Ed Moed, piano
Chance Dunaway, bass
Scott Roether, drums