Back in January 2022, I was checking out www.treysguitarrig.com (as usual) and noticed a post about a new guitar of Trey’s. But it wasn’t a Languedoc. It was by a maker named Circle Strings, also from Burlington. The guitar itself was absolutely gorgeous: a brilliant Koa flame on the back and sides and a beautiful classic Spruce on top.

Whoever built this guitar must have a pretty impressive resume and backstory. That someone turned out to be Adam Buchwald who I have been fortunate to get to know this past year. I presumed there was more of a story for Adam to tell besides making a few guitars for Trey. I also figured others might be interested as well.

In addition to Circle Strings which builds custom instruments, Adam runs IRIS Guitar Company which makes an affordable line of acoustic instruments, Allied Lutherie which sells top quality vintage and new woods to builders around the world and Ben & Bucky’s Guitar Boutique which is Vermont’s top guitar store – an impressive resume indeed!

Hope you enjoy learning more about these amazing guitars and the people behind them!

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Time machines and memories can sometimes go hand in hand. Once something is stored in your memory bank, when it occurred can often feel irrelevant. Did this happen last month? Last year? Last decade? You see it in your mind almost like it was yesterday. Because to your memory bank, it very well could be. Once it’s stored, your mind can play tricks on you like that. Therefore, in a way, your memory bank *is* a time machine that you can access anytime.

That’s why we as humans want to create experiences that translate to memories. Sitting back and taking in the wondrous glow of memories with smiles on our faces is part what this is all about; part of what *life* is all about! We can then recap those memories like pages in a photo album or clips of a film. The memories themselves can act like our very own show of life.

But anyway, let’s get back to the task at a hand. A time machine recap of a past Phish show. This one happens to be 8-13-96 Deer Creek. Now, I’m not a believer in perfection, but to my ears, this show is about as close to perfect as it gets. And because it was officially released, we can all have an even clearer insight into what occurred this night while creating our own new memories as we listen.

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We hope everyone is doing well and that you had a great Thanksgiving. This year for The Mockingbird's Foundation's Giving Tuesday, we thought it would be fun to do it in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of Phish's legendary 1997 Fall Tour.

If you are able, we ask that you consider donating $25 for the 25th. You can do so at the link here.

And if you happen to have attended shows that tour and are feeling able, you are welcome to donate $25 per show attended.

Thank you so much for your continued support of children's music education!

PS - everyone who donates $25+ will receive a Mockingbird magnet while supplies last!

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At some point last year, I was scrolling through Instagram and stumbled upon a unique account titled “Trey99rig.” I was immediately intrigued as I read the posts which had an incredible amount of detail and thought put into them. Was this guy really going to recreate Trey’s actual rig from over 20 years ago? If so, how would it be possible?

I began following the account and soon realized that Mr. Trey-99-Rig was actually my old friend Tyler! We‘ve known each other since the early 2000’s when we used to catch every RANA show we could at venues like The Wetlands, The Knitting Factory and CBGB’s. Fast forward a few decades later and here we are still in the game of live music meaning so much to us.

Tyler has always been very tech savvy so I knew that if someone could make this project happen it would be him. Safe to say he succeeded admirably! I was lucky enough to hear the rig in person and it really does capture the sounds of that era perfectly. Not only does it have the tone, it has the power!

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Hi Gang,

Hope all is well! We at The Mockingbird Foundation hope you are enjoying the Summer and staying healthy and safe. We are currently in the midst of a Back to School Campaign running through Labor Day to help ensure that music programs will be coming back on the right track. We aim to raise $50,000 to help support children’s music education throughout the country.

An incredibly generous donor has once again agreed to match the first $25,000 of donations that are made. You can make your donation by clicking on this link. Any amount - big or small - will help us reach our goal.

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Happy New Year, everyone! Like all of us, I was astounded while watching the recent run of shows Trey and friends put on at The Beacon Theatre. It meant so much to us, and you could see how deeply it affected Trey on a personal level. Yet while watching, it seemed like that was only part of the story. The other musicians contributing were equal parts of this grand adventure. How did they come to be a part of this run? How did it make them feel? Besides being able to work and play music again, how did it affect them on an emotional level to be a part of something so unique and special?

I decided to try and find out. I reached out to Katie Kresek – violinist in the Rescue Squad – who graciously agreed to answer some questions on the topic. Hope you enjoy what she had to say as much as I did!

Stay safe and healthy and cheers to 2021!!!

Kind Regards,
David Beckwith
(@slewfoot)

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DB: How long have you been playing the violin?

KK: I've been playing since the age of five. I come from a long line of professional and amateur musicians, many of whom played the violin.

DB: Have you played with rock n roll musicians in concerts before?

KK: Definitely. I've spent most of my career playing for songwriters and with a variety of musical artists either on tour or in recording studios. There is a full bio of the artists I've worked with on my website, but some favorites include David Byrne, St. Vincent, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Adele, and Diana Krall. I also play on Broadway, which incorporates many different musical styles into the mix.

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