Mathias Sorof from Germany is a veteran Stickist and teacher. He was with us at the seminars in Germany, Switserland and last year in Holland. This year he will be at the seminar in Holland to give a masterclass. Mathias has released several albums which can be ordered through his site or from Galaxy Gypsy. I've had the honour to interview this passionate, very talented, hardworking Stickist who has as much fire as finesse in his playing. I look forward to his participation in our seminar.
Interview March 2005
Check more pics of Mathias
Site Mathias Sorof
GGP Catalogue on this site, we also sell CDs of Mathias
Interview March 2004
1.Which Stick do you play ?
A Polycarbonate Stick Serialno. 2048
and a Ironwood Serial No. 612
2.What tuning do you use?
Mostly my own tuning you know , the "Sorof-Tuning"
..for to check out compatibilty the "Stick Standard tuning"
3.Which gauge strings?
Heavy
4.How long do you play Stick?
Since 1980
5.Which other instruments do you play and how long?
Piano/Organ since 1967
Guitar since 1972
Tapping Guitar since 1978
6.If you would have to choose to 4 levels of playing in which
4=advanced
7.Please give me also a number(1,2,3 or 4) of the level of knowledge/skill of the next subject:
-Reading Staff Notation 4
Simultan Sightreading 2/3
-Reading Tablature3
-Can you play major/minor chords? In open and close harmony? 4
-Do you know all 7 modes/scales/chords ? 4
-Can you play chordprogressions? 4
-Can you play a song?Songssss and Tunessss
8.Do you play in a band or solo?
both
9.Which specific subjects would you like the teachers to concentrate on?Rekognizing and exchange of knowledge
10.On Saturdaynight you can also play a few songs at the pubconcerts, would you like to play a few songs as well?
Yes, I will do.
11.On Sundaynight we've got the Jamsession, would you like to jam with us?
Yes, I will do so.
12.Which kind of music do you like?
All kinds of musically languages, expect music that
glorifies violence or authocraticalo dictatorial political ideas
13.How did you discover the Stick?
At the MusicMess frankfurt 1979
14.What is your goal in music?
Not to find the intelectual essence of music, but to search the spiritual essence.
15.Do you eat meat/fish or are you vegetarian ? (We've got to know this for our communal dinner)Yes, I eat meat and fish !
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Review/Thoughts on the European Stickseminar 2004 in Zaandam 28-4-2004
The Zaandam Stickseminar has been a very successful event. We contemporary have a time with unique opportunities to join such events over Europe. And , of course, these events are not expensive indeed. It's possible to sit together and talk with stickmasters. These seminars are more than lessons – they are like a focus in which you can learn many things about the musically concepts of stick players, you can watch essential ways of thinking, you can ask about the concepts and you can try to assimilate a little or everything.
In Zaandam there have been 4 Teachers, everyone an individual character in musically performance and teaching manners. Every seminar-meeting, every seminar-lessons has so much information, that you can make many one-hour-single-lessons out of that. It has been a great variety of stick and tapping-specific information, tips and concepts of thinking.
The organisation of Frank Leurs and Ron Baggermannworked perfectly, they have combined a varied program, which began with a motivately teacher-concert on Friday evening.
The seminar-planing by giving 4 lessons in 4 groups, so that everyone of the participants have had the opportunity to meet every teachers each day, has been proved one's worth. So everyone could get a maximum of knowledge for himself. I think, this didactic concept should be continued to give every participant a good quantity of stuff for exercises etc., from Beginners up to Advanced.
Another structure of concert-planning filled the Saturday evening, on which the 4 teachers gave individual concerts , everyone in another location. That opens another variety. Only it have been probably hard to decide for the participants, which concert the wanted to take part of .
And it has been possible for the participants to perform. There haven't been so many guys , who used this opportunity. Antoine Ratel, Olivier and me used the moment.
After the 4 Lessons on Sunday and the regular finish of the seminar in the afternoon, many stickplayers stayed for the evening in Zaandam to join the Sticksession in "The Blacksmith". But by the reason of less place in the pub there has been no possibility to join a bigger session. So the 4 teachers played some tunes , one after the other, to show their virtuosity and musicality, supported by the professional, variedly drummer Carel Vierling. From the participants Antoine Ratel, Francoise Becot and me played some tunes and Frank Leurs sang repeatedly with his great voice.
For the future I hope, (Frank promised it ..) that the Seminar will be continued next years. The stickcommunity shows once more, that there is a brotherhood between stickplayers without vain and competition, that will be exemplary. Beginners sit and talk together with Stickmasters without fear. And it's a great opportunity to get essentials of big much knowledge. Let's have attention and let's keep that way of friendly exchange.
All my thanks I spend to Frank and Ron for the organisation , and especially for Frank, who made it possible to lodge in the rooms of his practice for free, what makes the costs cheaper. That has not been natural !
See you next year.
Mathias Sorof 2004, April , 26
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