Articles and Reviews

PRESS RELEASE

May 14, 2008

McKinney, TX

Last Concert Scheduled in Around the Square Series with John Wynn

John Wynn’s next performance on Friday, June 6^th, is not part of the Around the Square series, but will take place in downtown McKinney at Yoga Balance, at 213 N. Kentucky, and will feature Beth Wood.  Wood has a large following in the metroplex and has won numerous folk and songwriting awards both in Texas and nationally.  This concert is from 9-10 pm and is $15 per person.

 Friday, June 13^th’s ‘Around the Square’ concert will feature fingerstyle guitarist, Doug Smith, of Portland, OR.  Smith has been playing professionally for over thirty years and has performed at several Texas venues.  Smith won a Grammy in 2005 for his work on the Henry Mancini tribute album, Pink Guitar.  Smith has written, arranged, and recorded many pieces for music libraries, films, and Manheim Steamroller.  Although he majored in classical guitar in college, Smith now focuses on the Travis picking technique with his students.

The last concert in the ‘Around the Square’ series will be at the Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut, McKinney, 75069.  The Bevel House is located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Anthony Street, just southeast of downtown McKinney.  The concert will begin at 7:30, with doors opening at 7pm.  Desserts and coffee will be provided. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased by calling the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993.

All proceeds from the Around the Square series directly benefit the Outreach through Music scholarship fund.

Doug Smith will also be facilitating guitar workshops and will be available for private lessons throughout the weekend of June 13^th-15^th.  Please call the McKinney Guitar Studio for details.

Saturday, June 14^th, John Wynn and Doug Smith will be playing at Laura Moore Fine Art Studio’s Second Saturday Art Night.  The studio is located at 129 S. Tennessee (just south of McKinney’s downtown square).  This event will take place from 7-10 and is FREE.

For more information about concerts and other events hosted by the McKinney Guitar Studio, please visit www.johnwynn.com.

For more information on Doug Smith’s music, please visit www.dougsmithguitar.com.

For more information on Beth Wood’s music, please visit www.bethwoodmusic.com.

PRESS RELEASE

April 19, 2008

McKinney, TX

Last Two Concerts Scheduled in Around the Square Series with John Wynn

Friday, May 9^th’s ‘Around the Square’ concert will feature classical guitarist, Michael Dailey, of Ft. Worth.  Dailey has performed professionally since the age of fourteen.  He began teaching in Phoenix, Arizona in 1984, and opened The Guitar Studio in Ft. Worth in 1986.  Dailey has also taught classes at Tarrant County College and Texas Wesleyan University.  Throughout his career, Dailey has studied under Miguel Bernal and Andres Segovia.  Dailey uses this classical training together with his experiences growing up in the folk scene of the 60’s and 70’s to provide students with a broad base of guitar instruction. 

McKinney artist, Annie Royer, will be painting during this performance.

Friday, June 13^th’s ‘Around the Square’ concert will feature fingerstyle guitarist, Doug Smith, of Portland, OR.  Smith has been playing professionally for over thirty years and has performed at several Texas venues.  Smith won a Grammy in 2005 for his work on the Henry Mancini tribute album, Pink Guitar.  Smith has written, arranged, and recorded many pieces for music libraries, films, and Manheim Steamroller.  Although he majored in classical guitar in college, Smith now focuses more on the Travis picking technique with his students.

Doug Smith will be facilitating guitar workshops and will be available for private lessons throughout the weekend of June 13^th-15^th.  Please call the McKinney Guitar Studio for details.

The remaining two concerts will be at The Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut, McKinney, 75069.  The Bevel House is located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Anthony Street, just southeast of downtown McKinney.

Concerts begin at 7:30, with doors opening at 7pm.  Desserts and coffee will be provided.

Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased by calling the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993.

All proceeds from the Around the Square series directly benefit the Outreach through Music scholarship fund.

For more information about concerts and other events hosted by the McKinney Guitar Studio, please visit www.johnwynn.com.

Beth Wood Underground

John Wynn Brings Known and Unknown Musicians Out to Play at Chestnut Square

by:  Monica Issitt

“I used to hear Beth Wood when she played at Chestnut Square in McKinney.”  If Wood’s talent and current following are any indications of her future popularity, people will probably be boldly telling this to others in packed concert halls a few years from now.

 For someone who consistently books larger venues, too, and who has an impossibly full calendar, Wood could not be more humble, approachable, and most of all, kind.  She walks, lives, and breathes the songs she sings.

Beth Wood, along with the other featured performers John Wynn brings to Chestnut Square each month, are reasons enough to attend these concerts, but a solo artist does not a group concert make, and Wynn sees to it that the little stage at the Bevel House is packed with a revolving array of talent-saturated musicians like guitarist Terry Hankins, who played alongside Wood and Wynn, providing impeccable accompaniment while throwing his own style into the mix.  Taylor Peck, a 6^th grader at Chandler Elementary, opened the show, playing ‘Home on the Range’ with the adults pitching in on back-up. In a preview of this concert, Taylor was quoted as being “excited and a little nervous.”  Taylor’s nerves never got the best of her, even when the playing and singing began behind her.  Confidence and beauty ruled the night.  Wynn showcases students at every concert, as his students are really the focus of this benefit series.

Wynn and Hankins make up a large part of the ever-evolving guitar group, String Fever, and are currently working on a CD, ‘Things That Pass Between Us’, that will highlight the guitar-prowess they have exhibited during the ‘Around the Square’ series, and at other concerts they’ve played around town.

The combination of Wynn’s stories and singing, Hankins’ fancy-fingered-but-gentle accompaniment, and Wood’s embodiment of the word grace made for yet another unforgettable – and unrepeatable ‘Around the Square’ concert.

Only three chances left…

Friday, April 11^th will feature fingerstyle guitarist, Mark Hanson, of Portland, OR. Hanson won a Grammy in 2005 for the Henry Mancini tribute album, Pink Guitar, on which he recorded a duet with Doug Smith, another Portland, OR guitarist, who will perform with John Wynn at the June 13^th ‘Around the Square’ concert.

The last two ‘Around the Square’ concerts in this series will be on Friday, May 9^th, and Friday, June 13^th, and will feature Michael Dailey and Doug Smith, respectively. 

All concerts will be at The Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut, McKinney, 75069.  The Bevel House is located at the corner of Chestnut Street and Anthony Street, just southeast of downtown McKinney.

All concerts begin at 7:30, with doors opening at 7pm.  Dessert and coffee will be provided.

Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased by calling the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993.

All proceeds from the ‘Around the Square’ series directly benefit the ‘Outreach through Music’ scholarship fund.

For more information about concerts and other events hosted by the McKinney Guitar Studio, please visit www.johnwynn.com.

For more information on the music of Beth Wood, please visit www.bethwoodmusic.com.

For more information on the music of Terry Hankins, please visit www.terryhankins.com.

Mutual Admiration Society

Musical Friendships a Boon to McKinney’s Nightlife

By: Monica Issitt

“He’s doing such good work in McKinney and is so dedicated to that town,” says Mark Hanson, of guitar teacher and performer, John Wynn.  Both musicians have made teaching music their life’s work, and also have in common a love of performing, which they will do together on Friday, April 11^th, as part of Wynn’s ‘Around the Square’ concert series at Chestnut Square.

Mutual friends and musical styles brought these two together several years ago, and Hanson says he is “thrilled to be invited back”.  Back to McKinney, that is, to talk shop with Wynn, as well as act as a guest performer at the concert and a guest workshop facilitator at the McKinney Guitar Studio. 

Both musicians have successful studios based on solid teaching, and both have mighty collections of self-published arrangements and tutorials they use with their students, all in fingerstyle guitar.

Hanson alone has over one thousand tunes filed away, many stemming from his students’ requests, like a Death Cab for Cutie arrangement he came up with on the spot, to show that students can have a lot of fun even if they’re beginners, and that any kind of music – classical, jazz, rock, folk, blues, or bassanova, can be played using fingerstyle technique.  He says that it’s his love of teaching that keeps him open to all kinds of music he never would’ve heard if it weren’t for his students.

Through his company, Accent on Music, Hanson has published over two dozen guitar teaching items, and for over twenty years, Hanson has gained experience in self-publishing, experience that has led to The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking being one of the most popular books available on this style of playing.

After slogging through and triumphing in the self-publishing world, Hanson has great respect for Wynn, who is also putting his own tutorials and arrangements into the public’s hands, through his publishing company, Lone Prairie Music.

If it weren’t for Wynn’s friendship with Doug Smith, Wynn and Hanson would probably have never met, and McKinney might never have gotten the chance to welcome yet another dripping-with-talent performer to Chestnut Square.

Doug Smith and Mark Hanson, both based in Portland, have also known each other for longer than they can remember.  They often play gigs together in the Pacific Northwest, and together received a burst of fame when they won a Grammy for their duet on the Henry Mancini tribute album, Pink Guitar, in 2005. 

Hanson’s love of music, and of the guitar, is contagious.  Wynn’s love of McKinney and bringing music here is, too.  McKinney has a lot to gain from this concert series.

Friday, April 11^th, 7:30 (Doors open at 7pm)

John Wynn and String Fever, featuring Grammy Award winner, Mark Hanson

Concert will take place at The Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut, McKinney, 75069.

Tickets are $20 per person, and can be purchased by calling the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993.  All proceeds benefit the ‘Outreach through Music’ scholarship fund.

Saturday, April 12^th

Guitar Workshops with Mark Hanson, at the McKinney Guitar Studio

9-11 a.m. Guitar Workshop for Kids

12-2 p.m. Guitar Workshop for Adults

To make reservations for one of these workshops, please call The McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993. 

A few private lessons with Mark are also available.  Please call The McKinney Guitar Studio to schedule.

THE LAST TWO CONCERTS IN THIS SERIES WILL BE:

Friday, May 9^th and Friday, June 13^th

For more information about the music of John Wynn, lessons, and the McKinney Guitar Studio, please visit www.johnwynn.com.

For more information about the music of Mark Hanson, please visit www.accentonmusic.com.

PRESS RELEASE

January 31, 2008

McKinney, TX

John Wynn’s ‘Around the Square’ Concert Series Continues at Chestnut Square

Wynn’s guitar trio, String Fever, will be featured at the Friday, March 14^th concert at The Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut St.  The concert will begin at 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 7:00.

String Fever is comprised of John Wynn, Mack Price, and Terry Hankins, with other performers being featured on some occasions.

The $20 ticket price has been waived for the March 14^th concert, but donations are gladly accepted and will benefit ‘Outreach through Music’, Wynn’s guitar student scholarship program.

Reservations are required for the March 14^th concert to ensure a proper count for seating and dessert.

The trio will be releasing a CD, ‘Things That Pass Between Us’, this year, paying tribute to some of their favorite artists like John Denver, John Gorka, and David Wilcox.  The group will record their own versions of several pieces by these musicians and some of their own original instrumentals as well.

String Fever will be playing prior to the Friday, March 14^th concert, at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 8^th at La Misha coffeehouse in downtown McKinney.  Beth Wood will be the featured artist at this bonus event with the trio.  This is also a free event, with donations going to ‘Outreach through Music’. 

The McKinney visual artist, Annie Royer, has been painting a “live” piece at several of Wynn’s concerts and there has been much positive feedback about the effect.  The two plan to take the music/painting show to other cafés and coffeehouses in the metroplex and are available for bookings.

Please call the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3663 for more information on ‘Outreach through Music’, to reserve seats for the March 14^th ‘Around the Square’ concert, to inquire about the March 8^th concert with Beth Wood at La Misha, or to plan an event with John Wynn and Annie Royer.

PRESS RELEASE
December 14, 2007
McKINNEY, TX

TRIO, ‘STRING FEVER’, TO PERFORM FOR NEXT THREE CONCERTS IN SERIES

John Wynn’s ‘Around the Square’ Concert Series continues in 2008 with three more shows on January 11^th, February 8^th, and March 14^th that will feature John Wynn, Mack Price, and Terry Hankins of ‘String Fever’, a guitar group that has played in the area for several years.

All three musicians are well-known in the area and have each been playing professionally for a number of years.

‘String Fever’ is an ever-changing group of individuals that plays an eclectic mix of acoustic folk, and blues music.

Mr. Wynn says of these next three concerts, “This has been a great series and I can’t think of a better way to start off 2008 than with the music of ‘String Fever’.”

These concerts have been well-received, and McKinney residents have not been the only ones in attendance, as people from Richardson, Plano, Dallas, Arlington, and East Texas have also enjoyed the shows.  Downtown McKinney’s Coffee and Cream provides coffee for the audience and parents of McKinney Guitar Studio’s students supply dessert.

All concerts will take place in the Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut, McKinney, 75069.

The January concert is a FREE community event and coffee and dessert will be provided.  Donations for the ‘Outreach through Music’ Scholarship Fund will be accepted.  More information can be obtained by calling the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993.

For more information about the musicians of ‘String Fever’, visit www.johnwynn.com, www.bigbrainmusic.com, and www.terryhankins.com.

PRESS RELEASE
November 18, 2007
McKinney, TX

Is McKinney Missing Out?

‘Around the Square’ Concert Series Amazes Once Again

There is something incredible going on each second Friday of the month, at Chestnut Square in McKinney.  On Friday, November 9^th, for instance, two phenomenal performers, Lynn Adler and Roland Elbert, lit up the night with torch songs that transported the audience to places set aside for treasured memories.  Like listening to old jazz records while looking out the window on shorter days, these autumn-themed melodic stories brought to life by a fiery free spirit and a reserved humorist were small gifts given to the hearts of the concertgoers.  Everyone in McKinney should be enjoying these concerts.

Not only was there talent aged to perfection, but new musical abilities to witness, too, as Spencer Hope, 16, performed three classical pieces for a room full of adults, after being a student of John Wynn for only one year.  In his sincere performance, Spencer gave a glimpse of the musician he will one day become.

It is always surprising that incredibly gifted musicians can adapt to so many different styles.  With her acoustic guitar propped in a corner, folk singer/songwriter, Lynn Adler, relied on her soft and sultry voice to carry her through the detailed nuances of love ballads like ‘My Funny Valentine’ and ‘The Nearness of You’.

Because she is a folk singer to her core, Ms. Adler satisfied the crowd by letting a couple of her own songs leak into the set list, namely, ‘Lullaby’, which proved, much as the torch songs the concert was comprised of, do, that, as Lynn says, “None of us ever grows too old to need a tender lullaby.”  The second original piece she played, “Goolsby’s Pool” was another example of the stories music brings us, and alluded to Ms. Adler’s own sense of place in her town of Winnsboro, where she manages Crossroads Café, with partner, Lindy Hearne.  These two songs make at least one person very glad that Lynn has all but left her old corporate life for one of song and story.  ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Goolsby’s Pool’ fit right in with the torch song genre, since, as Louis Armstrong says, “All music is folk music.”

The two folk songs also showcased the brilliance of Roland Elbert, as he ad libbed the accompaniment with grace and a steady style.  “Talented” doesn’t cover it when you’re speaking of Roland, as this true professional plays with the spontaneity that only a handful of expert jazz musicians can muster.  It was a once-in-a –lifetime treat to see Roland Elbert playing not ten feet away.   The audience also got the chance to hear two of Roland’s original pieces, which left some audience members wondering at how the music literally flowed from his fingertips, seemingly without him even thinking about it.

It was not only a noteworthy night of music, but one of visual art as well, as Anne Royer, of The Historic McKinney Art House, with music as her backdrop, created a painting of a Phoenix rising out of the ashes.   The immortal firebird was a hauntingly appropriate symbol of the torch songs which stay alive in our hearts and memories.  It was thrilling to watch an artist at work during a musical performance.

A person is lucky if they can catch just one show like this in their lifetime – a casual, intimate, and genuine display of raw talent and charm.  So, lucky for everyone in McKinney, this series continues through March.   Don’t miss another one.

 For more information on the musicians,

go to cdbaby.com/cd/lynnadler and rolandelbertmusic.com

All proceeds from the 'Around the Square Concert Series' benefit the Outreach Through Music Scholarship Fund.

For more information about the concerts or to purchase tickets, please call the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993

Tickets are $20 per person (includes dessert and coffee)

NEXT CONCERT: Friday, December 12th at 7:30 (doors open at 7:00)

PRESS RELEASE
October 14, 2007
McKinney, TX

John Wynn, musician and guitar teacher, continues 'Around the Square Concert Series'.

The third concert in this series will be held Friday, November 9th, at 7:30 pm, at the Bevel House at Chestnut Square, 405 S. Chestnut St., McKinney, 75069. Doors will open at 7:00 and complimentary desserts will be offered during the performance. This concert will feature Lynn Adler, a folk singer/songwriter and acoustic guitar player, and Roland Elbert, a gifted pianist.

Lynn Adler, a two-time NewFolk semifinalist of the Kerrville Folk Festival, and part-owner of Crossroads, a live music venue in Winnsboro, TX, will be the featured musician at November’s concert. She is excited about performing in McKinney, calling it “a special place with a rural heart.”

Roland Elbert, one of the most sought- after pianists in the DFW area, will be accompanying Ms. Adler, adding a jazz element to this evening of torch songs in McKinney.

The pair will also be playing familiar jazz standards as well as contemporary pieces, drawing inspiration from contemporary popular music, folk, and, of course, jazz.

Mr. Elbert says of John Wynn’s series of concerts, “John always has big dreams. Few people can actually make something like this happen. It is our good luck to have John to bring these things about.”

John Wynn enjoys bringing many different styles of music to McKinney, as, so far in this series, there have been popular standards, folk and Flamenco, with future concerts bringing jazz, different varieties of folk, as well as several additional featured instrumental performers. Music is not the only artistic medium to enjoy at these concerts, as local visual artists are also a part of the evenings.

The first two concerts of this series were a huge success, and McKinney residents were not the only attendees, as many from Richardson, Plano, and Dallas also enjoyed the concerts. Downtown McKinney’s Coffee and Cream provided coffee for the audience and parents of McKinney Guitar Studio’s students supplied dessert.

All proceeds from the Around the Square Concert Series benefit the Outreach Through Music Scholarship Fund.

Ticket prices for the November 9th concert are $20 per person. Tickets and more information can be obtained by calling McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993

Folk Singer and Jazz Pianist Partner for an Evening of Music in McKinney

The third concert of the ‘Around the Square Concert Series’ will be held Friday, November 9^th at Chestnut Square in McKinney.  The series is the brainchild of John Wynn, guitar player and teacher, who is dedicated to bringing a variety of music to downtown McKinney, and has done so already with the first two performances, one celebrating the music of James Taylor, and the other showcasing tremendous talent in Flamenco guitar.

The popularity of this series rests on each concert being entirely different from the last and this trend continues with the November concert, featuring Lynn Adler and Roland Elbert.  Having known each other for years, the two were reconnected musically when Adler heard Elbert playing ‘My Funny Valentine’ at a house concert.  Adler says of Elbert’s talent as a pianist, “Roland has a fresh style and delivers incredible interpretations of familiar standards, but is definitely an artist in his own right.”

Having worked as a musician for over thirty years, Roland Elbert is one of the most popular pianists in the metroplex.  He has a staggering amount of experience playing at public occasions such as parties, weddings, and political events, as well as in the studio, recording radio jingles for some very successful international corporations.

Playing in diverse venues, Roland looks forward to the uniqueness of each performance and is particularly excited about this night of torch songs, saying, “I have a deep affinity for this music; music that goes back to my earliest years.  We get the chance to present it the way we want to and in a venue that allows us direct contact with the audience.  They will be able to hear in greater detail and to tune in to the feeling that we, as performers, bring to it.”

Lynn Adler and Roland Elbert both respect John Wynn and the other McKinney musicians and artists who make this a noteworthy community, one different from nearby towns in its support for the arts.

Adler likes it here so much that she recently convinced her brother and his family to move to McKinney, touting it as one of her favorite places in Texas.  She would be quick to also include her current place of residence on that list, as she loves her life in historic Winnsboro, where she manages a live music venue, Crossroads Coffeehouse and Music Company, with her partner, Lindy Hearne.  This labor of love is thriving as well, hosting some of the top folk performers in the country every Saturday night.

Passionate about music, writing, and life, Adler considers every opportunity a chance to evolve as an artist.  This concert is no different, and in an excited voice, she depicts it as, “a lovely and familiar blend of folk and jazz, the old and the new, and a whole lot of fun!” 

Adler and Elbert are preparing to play sets of contemporary music and a few original pieces as well, making for a truly varied and exciting night of music in historic downtown McKinney.

For more information on these two talented musicians,

go to www.cdbaby.com/cd/lynnadler or www.lawriter.com

 and www.rolandelbertmusic.com

All proceeds from the 'Around the Square Concert Series' benefit the Outreach Through Music Scholarship Fund.

For more information about the concert or to purchase tickets, please call the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993

Tickets are $20 per person (includes dessert)

Friday, November 9th at 7:30 (doors open at 7:00)

Bevel House at Chestnut Square

405 S. Chestnut

McKinney 75069

Flamenco Guitar Finds McKinney through John Wynn’s Concert Series at Chestnut Square

Concertgoers were in for a rare treat when they assembled in the Bevel House at Chestnut Square on October 12^th.  A chance to hear one of the most widely acclaimed Flamenco guitar players in the country is not something one quickly forgets, and the student who played with Miguel Antonio, is, well, unforgettable.

Eleven year old Preetam Palchuru, a TAG student in 6^th grade at Scott Johnson Middle School, is an incredible example of what work, talent, and curiosity can bring to a performance.  Not only did Preetam open the show with three intricate showstoppers, but also talked with the audience about each piece, its history, and the life of its composer, which speaks to his interest and passion for his music.   Playing ‘Andantino’ by Matteo Carcassi, ‘Andante’ by Fernando Sor, and ‘Habanera’ by Joseph Castle (the latter, Preetam is excited to tell you, is one of “Mr. John’s favorite pieces”), you would never know that this boy is just as passionate about drawing comics, playing tennis, and taking Taekwando, as he is about playing guitar.  And after playing for three years, half of that as a student of John Wynn, he not only enjoys Spanish guitar, but other kinds of music as well, saying, “I like to play lots of songs - classical, rock, jazz; it doesn’t really matter – I just like to play.”

Preetam’s attitude about performing is refreshing, and he explains what it was like playing for a room of adults, “Even if I’m a little nervous before I play, I always feel proud after a concert.  I know I did well even if my fingers slipped or if I played a wrong note.”  He says that his parents, Siva and Sree, have taught him many life lessons, among them how to stay calm and think positively.

With the honesty of an eleven year old, Preetam says that if he was the appetizer of the event, then Miguel Antonio was the main entrée.  Hearing Miguel Antonio in such an intimate venue is something the audience will never forget.  John Wynn feels that people have caught on to these concerts, in part because of their ability to provide a dialog between the performers and the audience.  “People learned a great deal that night, and that is what a community concert is all about, bringing people together, at first through the music, and then through conversation. “

John Wynn has every reason to feel proud of this series, as it is bringing so many different people together,  to hear an amazing array of musical styles, in a venue that couldn’t be more perfect, highlighting students who are passionate about music and life. 

Wynn is as proud of his students as his students are to be taught by him.  Preetam is quick to make it known that he is gaining a great deal from his guitar teacher, saying, “I love the way Mr. John teaches.  He teaches in a style that makes you want to learn.”

The music…..the people….the place….the teaching….There is a lot to learn about in this special concert series in McKinney.

All proceeds from the 'Around the Square Concert Series' benefit the Outreach through Music Scholarship Fund.

For more information about the concert series or to purchase tickets, please call the McKinney Guitar Studio at (972) 562-3993

Last modified: May 21, 2008