The Steve Miller Band in concert
Saturday, Sept. 13th was a very special night of music and contributions as The Steve Miller Band played to a capacity crowd at the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts.

With bleachers set-up in the parking lot and the grass area lined with chairs, the TLC Amphitheater held 2,000 Steve Miller fans for an up close and personal evening with a music legend.

Steve Miller and his band played a benefit concert back in May at the museum, and he was so impressed with the museum and its “Kids Rock Free” program that he said he would return to do another show.

Before this show, there was a meet and greet with Steve Miller in the Visual Arts Gallery hosted by Uncle Joe Benson. 200 VIP’s, paying $150 each, gathered for wine and hors d’oeuvres to ask Steve Miller questions and bid on a Fender electric guitar autographed by Steve himself.

But first they were entertained by the Fender Museum’s kids band called “Half Stack”. They played a number of songs from The Beatles to Rush.

Then, after a few questions from the crowd, Joe Benson and Steve Miller got things started. “Let’s start the bidding at $1,000,” Joe called out. “Do I hear 1,500, 2,000” and so on. After the dust settled, the winning bid for the guitar was a generous $5,700. With that, Joe asked Steve, “If we came up with another guitar, would you sign it?” Without hesitation he said yes. Jeff Marshburn, Board of Directors President for the Fender Museum, dashed up stairs and returned with two more guitars. The second guitar went to another bidder for $5,800 and the third for $5,700.

Jeff Bennett, the mayor of Corona, wrapped up the meet and greet by presenting plaques to Steve Miller, Joe Benson and Jon Polk, Sr. V.P. of Capitol Records. This was to say thank you from the Fender Museum for the time and effort they put into the success of the concert.

After all the pre-show festivities, the show began. Kirsten Profit opened for Steve Miller and got the crowd fired up.

David Spade was in attendance and went on stage to say hello and welcome to the crowd just before Steve Miller came out. The crowd went nuts. He then went up and joined the other VIP’s on the balcony for the show.

Steve Miller and his band put on a fantastic show and sounded great. Steve covered many of his classic hits like Space Cowboy, Abracadabra, Rockin’ Me, Fly Like an Eagle and Jet Airliner.

The whole evening was a big success with all of the proceeds from the meet and greet, the autographed guitars and the concert going to the operation of the museum and the “Kids Rock Free” program.

The Fender Museum would like to thank Kaiser Permanente, City of Corona Police Department, Corona Fire Station No. 2 and the volunteer parents, who’s children are in the “Kids Rock Free” program, for helping to make the concert the success that it was.

Check out Steve Miller’s web site at www.stevemillerband.com and his latest album, just released September 16th, “Steve Miller Band, Young Hearts, Complete Greatest Hits”.

Guitar Clinic
Guitar improvisation was the subject for a guitar clinic presented by Carlos de la Paz. Carlos teaches adult guitar classes at the Fender Museum. He has recorded, written and performed with such artists as Ringo Starr, Robby Krieger (The Doors), Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix), John Avila and John Hernandez (Oingo Boingo & CID) and Jonathan Moffitt (Michael Jackson & Madonna) just to name a few. He also has a number of film and soundtracks to his credit.

Carlos spoke for a while about his love for the guitar, developing individual style without over playing and how improvisation with the guitar is “playing from the heart”.

He brought up a few of his students to join him on stage and they followed him in what he called a Q & A session. Carlos would play a certain riff on his guitar (the question), and a student would “answer” it with a similar riff. Almost a mirror image of what Carlos had played. Each student would give an “answer” to Carlos’ riffs. It sounded as if they had their own language. His students played like seasoned veterans.

Carlos went on to teach by example. John Avila (bass guitar) and Jonathan Moffitt (drums) showed up and the three of them went on to jam for the rest of the night. They filled the Visual Arts Gallery with an improvisational blues and funk sound that only these three talented musicians could put out. At random, two of them would back off and keep the beat while the third member would go into a solo which showcased their individual talent. Each musician’s solo reflected their skills and individual style that each of them have developed through the years - without over playing.

If you wish to be notified of future artist clinics, join as a Museum member for advance e-mail invitations.

Actor's Clinic
More than 100 children and adults attended the Actor's Clinic which featured Margo Harshman. Margo plays Tawny Dean on the Disney Channel's "Even Stevens". When not in front of the camera, the 17 year old lives and attends school in Orange County.

Margo spent 90 minutes talking and answering questions about everything from her many auditions during her younger years to her upcoming sitcom on the WB.

The first half hour was spent in a Q & A period with Les Breckenfeld who is the director of entertainment and marketing for Fender Musical Instruments. Mr. Breckenfeld asked Margo about her auditioning experiences and how her parents are involved in her acting career. Margo talked about the fact that she had 100 auditions and was only chosen for two parts. She said that "Even Stevens" ran for three years and has enough shows to run in syndication. She also did an Albertson's commercial.

Margo spent the rest of the time answering questions that the children, and a couple of parents, had for her. She had them line up behind a microphone to state their name and ask their question. She took the time to answer each person's question and call them by name. Margo's parents were also in attendance and gave their input from a parent's point of view on their experiences.

Since she had shared that she plays the piano and guitar, the crowd coaxed her into playing the piano that was next to her in the Visual Arts Gallery.

After her impromptu solo, she proceeded to a table where she spent the rest of the time signing autographs for her fans.

Look for Margo next month on the WB in a new show called "Run of the House". She said her new character, Bruke Franklin, is nothing like Tawny Dean.

Also, check out her website at www.margoharshman.com.

As a volunteer parent at the Fender Museum, I was asked if I would come to the museum to watch a guitar ensemble and write a review about it as I have done in the past. I gladly agreed.

I expected to be listening to three, maybe four people playing their guitars for about an hour. As I entered the Visual Arts Gallery, I was surprised to see 16 men and women on the gallery's stage with their acoustic guitars in hand waiting eagerly to play.

This was the Riverside Community College's Guitar Ensemble. It's a class that meets on campus twice a week under the guidance of Peter Curtis, their instructor.

The music flowed as the ensemble played a variety of jazz and classical pieces in unison. The skill and quality of the students' guitar playing was tremendous.

At the end of the evening, Mr. Curtis introduced three of his more accomplished students who each performed solos. Each guitarist chose their own selection and displayed a variety of styles with grace and precision.
I left with a new appreciation for the guitar and what an art form it truly is.

On Saturday, May 17th over 500 lucky guests attended the 2nd annual Legends Ball, the Fender Museum’s annual fundraising event. But this wasn’t just any fundraiser. Yes, it did include a silent auction, dinner and plenty of VIP’s, but the event culminated in one great musical hour - a live concert performance by the legendary Steve Miller Band.

From the minute they arrived, guests were treated to a musical and visual experience unlike any other. With the sounds of jazz and blues playing in the background, guests were able to view two new exhibits in the Museum’s Visual Arts Gallery, In the Key of Blue by John DeMarco and Curvaceous Canvas: Art on Guitars by John Page.

As guests entered the TLC Amphitheater they were greeted by ARROW 93 FM radio personality, Uncle Joe Benson, who served as the event MC. Then, performing live in their only Southern California performance the Steve Miller Band, with a line-up that included Steve Miller on vocals and guitar, Gary Mallaber on Drums, Gerald Johnson on Bass, Norton Buffalo on Harp, Nolan Gasser on Keyboards and special guest Kenny Lewis, rocked the TLC stage. During the show, the band invited Kids Rock Free® guitar student, David Fuginami, out on stage and the lucky guy played a few songs with these rock legends.

All proceeds raised from the event benefit the Fender Museum’s Kids Rock Free® Program.

Jonathan Moffett Drum Clinic, April 12th
Jonathan Moffett's expertise isn't only limited to his impressive drumming. He is also an accomplished songwriter and producer. During his extensive career, Jonathan has recorded with many great artists such as Madonna, Diana Ross, Elton John and Lionel Richie, just to name a few. He also toured with the Jacksons during their Victory Tour in 1984.

Jonathan said that he is most proud of the call-backs that he gets from these accomplished artists. He has recorded and/or toured with Madonna in '85, '87 and '90, and different members of the Jackson family - Jermaine ('86), Janet ('93) and Michael's History tour in '96.

After sharing his list of accomplishments with the crowd, he proceeded to tuck in behind his impressive drum set. I watched in awe with the crowd as Jonathan performed a drum solo that went on for a good 10 - 15 minutes. He then went on to perform some of the drum styles that he has created himself. Some of these styles come from his New Orleans upbringing.

Jonathan wrapped up his clinic by answering questions from a very knowledgeable crowd who wanted his opinion on issues from drum set-up to drumming techniques. Everyone went away a little bit wiser about drumming and the important roll it plays in the make-up of a successful band and the music they perform.

The Fender Museum and 99.1 KGGI welcomed Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers to the Fender Museum on March 13th.
With huge hits like, "Shout", "Let's Twist Again" and "Who's that Lady?", just to name a few, the Isley Brothers have been an icon in the music industry for decades. Another one of their hits, "It's Your Thing", was the first song the trio did. Ernie said he played bass when that song was recorded though he began his music career as a drummer. Ernie is a self-taught guitarist. He said that he would listen to Sly and the Family Stone and mimic their playing style to learn.

As the doors opened to the Visual Arts Gallery, I filed in with music enthusiasts of all ages while listening and watching Ernie on stage play his custom Fender Stratocaster. Jimi Hendrix's influence was evident as he played his Strat behind his head with flair and precision. Ernie shared many stories and reminisced about his extraordinary experiences as a musician. His biggest influences were Chuck Berry, Sam Cook and, of course, a very special guitarist by the name of Jimi Hendrix.

He talked about Jimi's early days with he and his brothers and the white Fender Strat that they helped him recover from a pawn shop. Jimi stayed with the Isley family while he played with the guys.

There were 100 plus in attendance including Fender Master Builder, Art Esparza and former Fender craftsman, George Amicay, who is a carving artisan. Ernie showed off his custom Stratocaster which he calls Zeal. He personally thanked Art for his exquisite craftsmanship on his beautiful guitar. Ernie said that the name Zeal describes the burning desire he has for guitar playing. Ernie spent over two hours sharing his experiences in the music industry, answering questions from the crowd and demonstrating his guitar playing prowess. It was an incredible evening spent with a legend.

JAZZ JUNKIES CONCERT
The Fender Museum was the place to be on March 8th as the Jazz Junkies performed their infectious blend of latin, funk and pop music.

This San Bernardino quartet is made up of Art Hernandez, who plays a variety of saxes, Henry Rodriguez on drums, Phil Sanchez on bass and Mark Ferguson on keys. Their play list includes diverse covers as well as their own, creative originals which are primarily written by Mark.

The guys flowed through a new song of theirs called "Oceana", which was written by Henry, and will be on their next CD. Henry also teaches drums here at the Fender Museum. With Phil busting out his best slap technique on his favorite Fender bass guitar and Art's skillful and accomplished playing of his collection of saxes, the Jazz Junkies changed gears and performed songs from their current CD, "OftenOnIt". The guys also performed Earth, Wind & Fire's "That's the Way of the World" with vocals being shared by Henry and Phil.

The Jazz Junkies will be back on Saturday, March 22nd to perform with Jamila Ford. Click on Special Events for details.

Jamila Ford Jazz Concert
Talented artist Jamila Ford put on an incredible jazz concert at the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts on the 15th of February. Her soulful voice filled the museum's Visual Arts Gallery while a room full of fans and friends enjoyed the performance. With a voice that rivals Mariah Carey's, Jamila and her three backup singers performed songs from her first CD, "Traces of the Day", and her latest, "Fabulous", which includes one of her favorite songs "Music". The place went off when they got into the funky sound of "Goodthings"; another song from "Fabulous".

Jamila, who calls Rialto, CA home, gets her influence from Prince, Diane Krall and Michael Jackson's music from the 80's. Two more artists she looks toward for inspiration is Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. The band performed Stevie Wonder's "Another Star" and had the crowd groovin' to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On". Always a crowd favorite.

Come and see Jamila as she performs live with the Jazz Junkies at the Fender Museum on Saturday, March 22nd from 7-9 pm.

Go to www.jamilaford.com for more information about her, her CD's and where she's playing next.

DUO SESOKO PERFORMANCE
A crowd of over 50 classical guitar enthusiasts arrived at the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts on Sunday, January 12th to capture the melodious sounds of Duo Sesoko.

Mr. Zimmer and Mr. Brenton’s mesmerizing performance resonated throughout the Visual Arts Gallery while the audience enjoyed the expressive tunes. Strumming their guitars in a tuneful fashion, their harmonious songs included music from Johann Sebastian Bach to familiar songs from The Nutcracker which were arranged by Lee Zimmer himself.

You don’t have to be a guitar enthusiast to enjoy the smooth, crisp and soulful sounds of these two classical guitarists.