GREAT 'VIBRATIONS' HISTORY OF THE GUITAR COMES ALIVE AT CSUN.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer A new guitar exhibit at California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an gives a fascinating glimpse inside the International Guitar Research Archive, one of the campus' most prestigious collections. The archive was launched with the contribution of thousands of guitar-related objects, some dating as back as 1790, originally amassed by Vahda Olcott Bickford, an award-winning Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. classical guitarist, teacher and avid collector known as the ``grand lady of the guitar.'' Near the end of her life in 1980, Bickford sought a home for her treasures, and approached Ron Purcell, a CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge professor emeritus and longtime music educator, who's also one of her former students. ``It's a treasure trove TREASURE TROVE. Found treasure. 2. This name is given to such money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, which having been hidden or concealed in the earth or other private place, so long that its owner is unknown, has been discovered by accident. of important items showing the evolution of the guitar and the instrument's many uses,'' Purcell said during a tour of the exhibit, which takes in about a dozen rare instruments, including some owned and played by Andres Segovia Noun 1. Andres Segovia - Spanish guitarist who made classical guitar a concert instrument (1893-1987) Segovia , considered to be the father of the modern classical guitar
Antonio de Torres Jurado, Ignacio Fleta, Hermann Hauser Sr., Robert Bouchet Technique The fingerstyle is used fervently on the modern classical guitar. , and the great jazz guitarist and educator Laurindo Almeida. Also on display at the C.K. and Teresa Tseng Gallery at CSUN's Oviatt Library are hand-penned music scores, photographs, correspondence, sound recordings and books revealing the history of the guitar from Baroque times to today's flashy electric models, represented by a section devoted to Ozzy Osbourne's late string-bender Randy Rhoads. ``These are all simply beautiful instruments,'' said Tony Gardner, the library's curator of special collections/archives. One item spotlighted in the ``Historical Vibrations'' exhibit is an instrument owned by the late Almeida that was signed by a range of Hollywood stars, including Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Gregory Peck. Almeida used the instrument on some of the hundreds of film soundtracks he performed on, including ``A Star Is Born,'' the 1954 Judy Garland drama. An equally interesting aspect of the show is the story of Bickford, who helped promote the guitar, published two best-selling instruction books for the instrument and founded the American Guitar Society. ``She could sight-read anything placed before her,'' Purcell said. ``Her work was the North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. equivalent to Segovia's work.'' Fred Shuster, (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com HISTORICAL VIBRATIONS: THE OVIATT LIBRARY CELEBRATES THE GUITAR What: Guitars through the ages, including instruments owned by Andres Segovia, Laurindo Almeida and Randy Rhoades. Plus manuscripts, correspondence and musical scores. Where: C.K. and Teresa Tseng Gallery, Oviatt Library, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St. When: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 11. Tickets: Free. (818) 677-2285; http://library.csun.edu. CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) This guitar, above, used by the late Laurindo Almeida on many movie soundtracks, is signed by a number of Hollywood stars, below, including Bette Davis and Gregory Peck. (3 -- color) A handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. score from classical guitar master Andres Segovia is among the items on display at CSUN's Oviatt Library. (4 -- color) The Persian oud oud n. A musical instrument of northern Africa and southwest Asia resembling a lute. [Arabic '  d, wood, stem, lute, oud.] , with its bowl-shaped back, is considered to be a predecessor of the lute lute, musical instrument that has a half-pear-shaped body, a fretted neck, and a variable number of strings, which are plucked with the fingers. The long lute, with its neck much longer than its body, seems to have been older than the short lute, existing very early . (5 -- color) A Jackson electric guitar used by the late Randy Rhoads, who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. (6 -- color) Curator Tony Gardner helped put together ``Historical Vibrations.'' Photos by Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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