Almer playing his old Telecaster -Photo by Naomi Lundeen

Show time!

 

AlmaNova Duo Live at Brand Library in Glendale, CA

 

AlmaNova Duo is on Instagram @ #almanovaduo -Come by and say Hi

 

Sierra Madre Music Student Recital

Sierra Madre Music New Logo

Upcoming Concerts!

Dear Friends,

We are excited to have a couple upcoming performances!  Hopefully you can join us....we will be playing some new pieces by Almer that we are planning to record this summer!

Saturday, January 27th
222 East Plaza Concert Series
Glendale Central Library
11am
FREE
more info:  CLICK HERE

Sunday, February 11th
St. James Presbyterian Church
Spring Concert Series
4pm
more info:  CLICK HERE

NEW BIO

The award-winning ensemble, AlmaNova, is an innovative flute and guitar duo presenting an eclectic program of chamber music. Flutist Jessica Pierce and guitarist Almer Imamovic are both masters of their instruments elevating the flute and guitar ensemble to the highest level of virtuosity and artistry. Their live performances are filled with energy and passion creating a “...graceful, intuitively choreographed display of seamless connection.” (Fresno Beehive). 

AlmaNova met in France while studying at the famed Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. They continued their graduate work at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the USC Thornton School of Music. Since then they have had the privilege to perform extensively throughout the world including recitals in Paris, London, Sarajevo, Stockholm, Tijuana, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Kansas City, and San Diego. In 2014, AlmaNova will begin their first tour of Japan. 

AlmaNova’s music has been featured for various film and TV projects including Chuck, Human Target, and From Mexico with Love. Most recently, Almer’s song “Stani Draga” was chosen for the film In the Land of Blood and Honey, written and directed by Angelina Jolie. Most recently, Almer was honored to perform for former Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden and the Bosnia-Hercegovina Advisory Counsel in Washington D.C..

AlmaNova’s recordings have been described as “...pure musical pleasure” (Flute Focus Magazine) and have received much critical acclaim. Their first CD recording 'Debut' features original works by Mr. Imamovic inspired by the sounds and folk melodies of his native Bosnia. It was recently honored by the largest worldwide independent music organization, Just Plain Folks, receiving Best Instrumental Album, as well as Best Instrumental Song, for ‘Sarajevo Nights’. Their second CD, ‘Classic Giuliani’ was awarded Critic's Choice, by American Record Guide calling it “...some of the best [Giuliani] I've heard”. ‘After Hours’, explores the music of Macedonia through thoughtful arrangements and more original compositions by Mr. Imamovic and Ms. Pierce.  In2012, they released their first holiday album “AlmaNova: The Christmas Album” featuring original and inventive arrangements on beloved Christmas classics. 

AlmaNova Duo’s BLOG, “A Musical Journey” was #20 in the “Top 30 Flute Blogs on the Planet” by Feedspot.

Jessica plays Sankyo Flutes and Almer plays Jose Oribe Guitars.

JULY 2017 STUDENT OF THE MONTH: TREVOR!

JULY STUDENT OF THE MONTH

TREVOR

We are extremely proud of our Sierra Madre Music July 2017 Student of the Month, TREVOR!  Trevor is currently a drum student of Danny.  He had his heart set on participating in a Summer Rock Camp session but all the drum slots were taken!  So, instead of giving up, he accepted Almer's challenge of learning the bass guitar!  This musician-extraordinaire learned to play bass in a WEEK!  He rocked the final concert with a flawless performance!  A smile never left his face the entire week and he was up for any challenge. It was truly an amazing feat!  GO TREVOR!!!!  With drums and bass under his belt, he can now officially OWN the rhythm section :)

A little bit about Trevor: His favorite band is Led Zeppelin but also loves Vivaldi :)  He enjoys listening to music because it makes him feel happier!  His favorite part about being a musician is the point where you can really get into the song you are playing.  We also all discovered at Rock Camp that he is also an expert chef.  He and his sister Coco brought in cookies to share that they made from scratch! Delicious!

Trevor's Practice Tip:  Always work on the hardest part first before you get too tried :) And...if you love the song you're playing it won't seem like work!

Great words of advice from this Renaissance Man.

Almer visits great guitar luthier Mr. Jose Oribe

Recently I had the great pleasure to spend a day with Master luthier Mr. Jose Oribe and his wife Juanita playing some of their amazing guitars. I was just blown away by the quality and sounds of their guitars-truly the best instruments I played in my life 😎

It was fun and I really enjoyed visiting Mr Oribe shop. He is one of the world leading guitar makers and wonderful person. 

It's so nice to see husband and wife building guitars together for over 55 years side-by-side and then playing their creation. It's very beautiful and special 😎 their love and care comes trough the guitar the moment you play it ❤️

Thank you for a beautiful day!

Student of the Month: Evan!

We are excited to announce our Sierra Madre Music, January 2017 Student of the Month:

EVAN! 

Evan has been a guitar student here for a few years already and has blossomed into an amazing musician! He is a founding member of the rock band "The Golden Aces" where he plays lead guitar alongside his band mate Charlie.  They are an amazing duo within the group....working together like real side-by-side guitarists, trading riffs, having fun and encouraging each other.  Evan studies with our master guitar instructor, Tyler.  Tyler is always impressed with Evan's drive, focus and positive attitude.  He is a Sierra Madre Music SUPERSTAR!!!

We had a chance to speak with Evan and here's a little bit more from our Student of the Month!!!!


Q: WHAY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR INSTRUMENT?
A: When I was 8 yrs.old I chose the guitar because I felt like it was an instrument that really stood out and felt it was important to music.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR INSTRUMENT?
A: I love th freedom and the diversity to be able to stumble upon something new and create a whole new sound.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STYLE OF MUSIC?
A: Classic rock like Led Zeppelin and older pop/rock like ELO

Q: HOW HAS MUSIC CHANGED YOUR ROUTINE/ DAILY LIFE?
A: It has given me an appreciation for the opportune city I have to play guitar and learn more about music.  I also have met some great friends like my bandmates and teacher at Sierra Madre Music!

Q: PRACTICE TIPS???
A: This can always be something I could do more of!  Make the time to practice...it's the only way you can become better because you can always improve!


AWESOME!  THANKS EVAN!

And the Coolest Kid Award goes to...... KASEY!!!

One of the wonderful things about running music school is the opportunity to get to know so many amazing young people!  Aside from being musical, the amount of talent and achievement in all areas is astounding!  I was yet again taken by surprise when one of our favorite pianists, Kasey,  came back from a trip to NYC.....little did I know the trip was because she and her production partner Makenna tied for second place in the 9 to 13 category in the Peace in the Street Global Film Festival Competition for their video, KINDNESS. They were invited to the UN for the award ceremony which took place on October 28.

Please take the time to celebrate with me this amazing accomplishment by CLICKING HERE to watch her creation!  It will give you hope for a better world to come with a whole new generation of young people already making their mark and creating their positive future!  

Kasey, you are a ROCK STAR!!!

September 2016 Student of the Month: Violist, CLAIRE!

We are especially excited about this month's Student of the Month!  Claire is a VIOLIST...not a VIOLINIST....the viola is the alto voice within an orchestra and right now, Claire is our only viola student.  She has been taking lessons regularly for over a year and is extremely committed to her craft and choice to be an amazing violist...and she is well on her way.  We would like to share a few things she said about being a violist and musician:

1. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE VIOLA?
I was really drawn to the sound...it wasn't as screechy as a violin :)

2. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE VIOLA?
The rich, dark sound.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE STYLES OF MUSIC?
 Rock!!!  I love Evanescence!  It's especially cool that the lead singer is a woman!

4. HOW HAS MUSIC CHANGED YOUR DAILY ROUTINE?
I feel like it's great to know how to play any instrument...that makes me proud!  Plus, I feel like my ears are better and I am developing my sense of relative pitch.

5. ANY PRACTICE TIPS?
Practice early!  Don't wait until the end of the day when you are already tired.  If you are tired, take small breaks instead of just powering through!

How cool is this violist!?!?  What great advice from a budding musician who respects and loves her art but can still rock out to all sorts of music!!!!

Do I see Rock-Viola in her future?????????

Congrats, Claire!!!!!

Sierra Madre Music: STUDENT OF THE MONTH....ELLA CLAYTON

We are so excited to announce the Student of the Month for March...ELLA CLAYTON!!!

Ella is an amazing young musician to say the least!  We first met her at our Rock Camp Band session about 2 years ago.  She came in as a singer and we were amazed at her beautiful voice, incredible intonation and harmonizing skills!  She was a stand-out student then and still is!

She now is a drum student here at Sierra Madre Music studying with Jose Garcia.  She also is in a Rock Band where she drums and sings.  She recently impressed us all by filling in at the last moment when another band needed a drummer for a gig.  She did an amazing job and rocked the house!  She acted and performed like the true professional she is and for that we are so proud the is a student here at Sierra Madre Music!  GO ELLA!!!

Adult Student recital at the Kensington!

The holiday season and season of recitals got off to a great start last week!  We hosted an Adult-Recital at the Kensington!  All the performers did an amazing job and once again proved it's never too late to take up a musical instrument!  We had all levels of players...from beginners to advanced.  It was a fun evening and we look forward to the next!

Our next student recitals are scheduled as follows:

Bands, Drums and Vocals
Friday, December 18
6pm
The Peppertree Grill
Sierra Madre

All Acoustic Instruments
Saturday, January 16
4pm and 6pm
Church of the Ascension
Sierra Madre

If you need further info, please stop by the store or email/call!

Happy Holidays!

AlmaNova World Music Collective recording new abum!

Great news!
AWMC is working on a new album this summer. It should be out by the fall this year!
In the mean time here are few photos of the band from Bosana event on May 30th in Los Angeles.
It was amazing concert and we loved being part of it!
Thank you for the great photos taken by Mediha Fejzagic DiMartino and Maja Gerbic

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: White Noise amazing student Rock Band from Sierra Madre Music

This month, we would like to shine a light on one of our premier Rock Bands! White Noise (formerly known as "Tuesday Nights") has been a musical powerhouse here at Sierra Madre Music. Each member (Sam, Blake, Eddie and Stephanie) are consummate musicians in their own right but together are truly something special! They are more than just an amazing cover band...they even create their own unique an innovative mash-ups! They play and entertain like pros! They have been featured in various venues around the LA area including Peppertree Grill, Sierra Madre ArtsFest, SMCP Carnival, and the Sierra Madre Summer Music in the Park series

They are coached by our wonderful new faculty member, Till Richter. Till's expertise and musicianship is bringing this already stellar group to new heights! Check them out at the end of March where all our bands will be performing at PepperTree! more info follow....

Enjoy WHITE NOISE!!!......

Visit from Billy of LACG....AlmaNova's favorite guitar shop!!!

For those of you who are not familiar with the amazing shop, Los Angeles Classical Guitars, we thought we'd introduce you to what they have to offer.  It is a classical guitar haven with everything one would need!  At the head of the operation is Billy Arcila, a great guy and friend of many years who is extremely knowledgeable about all things guitar.  He recently remodeled his guitar showroom where he houses some of the finest spanish classical guitars out there.  If you are in the market for a great classical guitar, don't forget to check out what LACG has in stock....you won't be disappointed!

Here's a recent photo of Billy meeting little Rocco!

In addition to running his own business, he is also a great guitarist himself and composes some wonderful pieces for the guitar....enjoy the video below......

Sierra Madre Music Spring Recital 2014

A big CONGRATULATIONS to all of our Sierra Madre Music superstar young musicians who performed at our Spring 2014 Student Recital!  We are all so proud of all you've accomplished since the last recital in December!  Keep up the great work and keep practicing!!!!

Beautiful concert featuring Jesse Freedman at Sierra Madre Music

What a wonderful inaugural event at Sierra Madre Music last night! Jesse Freedman captivated the audience with his incredible musicianship! Thanks to Jesse for making our first concert of our new series "After Hours" so special!
Here are few photos of the event!

Warming up:

Table of goodies :)

Full house at "Sierra Madre Music"