Cello Art
Gathering kicks off with new band
By Danielle Switalski - dswitalski@elkodaily.com - posted Tues., Jan. 31, 2012ELKO — Playing an instrument wasn’t a choice when Michael G. Ronstadt was in the third grade.
The choice for Ronstadt, who makes up one-third of the Tucson-based band the Ronstadt Generations, was which instrument to play.
“(My teacher) played the violin, bass, viola and for the cello she sat down, and I was like, ‘I like to sit down,’” Michael G. said during an interview at the Western Folklife Center.
His affinity for sitting launched his career as a freelance musician. He is currently touring with his father Michael J. and brother Petie, who make up the family musical group.
“I just go wherever the music takes me,” said Ronstadt, who is now based out of Philadelphia, however, frequents Tucson when he is on tour with his family.
The musical trio wrapped up a three-school tour Monday afternoon before they officially kicked off the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in the G Three Bar Theater Monday night.
Although Michael G. is proficient in a number of instruments, cello is where he has focused much of his attention, logging countless hours and consistently creating new music. For him, the cello is a unique instrument as he said it creates a sound closest to the human voice and can hit a wide range of octaves.
“French horn and cello definitely have that human element, but (cello) has a huge range,” Michael G. said.
From the fourth grade on, Ronstadt has worked to perfect the instrument. He obtained his undergraduate and master’s degree in classical music. After wrapping up his education in 2008, he now focuses his efforts full-time on the craft, performing about 220 gigs every year. He mainly tours with the Ronstadt Generations, which brought him and his family to Elko for the first time this year.
With a Southwest theme for this year’s Gathering, the Tucson band was a natural fit. The theme was in light of Arizona and New Mexico’s centennial celebrations. Ronstadt Generations will be helping with that celebration Feb. 11 and 12 in Tucson before heading to the East Coast for a month-long tour.
The cello is becoming more and more common in the music scene, Michael G. said. Although he has experienced drastic highs and lows each year when it comes to show bookings, he said cello is becoming more standard, particularly in Indie Rock bands.
“All of a sudden, everyone’s using cello,” he said.
With cello, Michael G. can play fiddle parts of folk songs, strum it like a guitar or play blues and bass lines.
“That’s where cello is becoming more popular and people are bringing it to folk music, Indie, rock, metal,” he said. “You name it, there’s cello in there.”
In addition to touring with his family, Michael G. also performs solo shows on cello, mandolin and guitar. He has worked with songwriters in Phoenix, Philadelphia and New York. Michael G. said he has gradually started working in Los Angeles and Nashville.
“In my career, I’m really happy I’ve been able to make it almost a grassroots effort. Where a lot of people graduate with their master’s and start teaching or join an orchestra, I kind of want to travel and see where things take me,” Michael G. said. “It’s a lot of fun and I’ve had a lot of opportunities to play with some great people and I’m really happy with every connection.”
Michael G.’s career has not been without hardships. Although this February is stocked with shows starting in Elko, last January and February he didn’t have any gigs. His landlord helped by cutting his rent, which Michael G. paid back slowly.
“It’s kind people around to help me get through that, but like a small business owner, you have to wear about 15,000 different hats and be an entrepreneur and that’s yourself — you’re selling your musical product,” he said.
The trick, he has learned, is to not be afraid to get out and go play, and not wait idle for something to happen.
“As you make those connections, it will slowly start building because technology can only do so much. People still want to hear you and word of mouth is still probably the most powerful way to get things out there,” Michael G. said.
Despite the extreme ups and downs of the music business, Michael G. has learned to develop tools to weather the low times. They also help inspire ideas for song writing, he said.
“If I get a really high time, I’ve learned to expect an equal low, and it’s good for you to go through some hardships,” he said.
Ronstadt Generations perform at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and again at 6:30 p.m. Friday for the AZ show that also features Ross Knox and Gail Steiger.
For tickets to the Gathering, visit www.westernfolklife.org.
Michael Gilbert Ronstadt: Press
ELKO DAILY FREE PRESS - JAN. 31, 2012
UNDERCOVER NEWS - FEBRUARY 1, 2011
Michael G. Ronstadt Releases Solo CD
By Paul Cashmere
36 minutes ago (Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:24:13 +1100)Michael G. Ronstadt has released his third solo album ‘Bridging The Gap’.
Michael is one of the legendary Ronstadt family musicians from Tucson, Arizona. He plays cello.
The family group Ronstadt Generations dates back five generations and includes its best known name, Michael’s aunt Linda Ronstadt.
Michael G. is the son of Michael J., Linda’s brother. Michael J. has kept the family tradition alive in Ronstadt Generations with Micheal G, his other son Petie and “adopted son” Josh Hisle.
Michael G. and Josh Hisle also perform as Lost In Holland. Hisle is the American war hero who was featured in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ‘Déjà vu’ movie.
‘Bridging the Gap’ was produced by Michael G. Ronstadt and Rick Denzien and recorded in Ambler, PA.
The album is available from michaelronstadt.com
MONTGOMERY NEWS - NOVEMBER 10, 2010
RONSTADT GENERATIONS in Concert in Ambler on Nov. 20
Published: Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Ronstadt Generations, featuring the multi-talented family of legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, will be in concert in Ambler on Saturday, Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m., at an in-home “house concert” presented by Slot-1 Recording Studio. The concert is part of the group’s East Coast tour supporting its CD release “Lulo,” a mix of original songs and traditional Southwestern music.
“My sister Linda and I grew up in Tucson, Ariz., listening to the music our family loved, which ranged from the old operas and big band to songs from Mexico and the Southwest,” said Michael J. Ronstadt, who fronts Ronstadt Generations. “Our grandfather founded the Club Filarmónico de Tucson in the late 1800s, and sang on the radio in the 1920s. Our aunt, Luisa Espinel, toured all over the country in the ’30s and ’40s, presenting the music of the Southwest.”
The band grew out of Ronstadt’s desire to explore traditional roots and pass along his family’s musical heritage. Band members include sons Michael G., a classically trained cellist; Petie, trained in classical and jazz bass; and Josh Hisle, who has toured with Neil Young and brings his musical roots from the hills of Tennessee and Native American traditions.
“We want to get folks interested in finding more about their own roots through their family’s music,” said Ronstadt. “Lulo,” the title track of the band’s CD, “is an old Spanish-rooted lullaby passed from my grandfather."
Like his sister, Michael preserves the family’s musical heritage. “Linda’s album “Canciones De Mi Padre — Songs of My Father,” was modeled after a book our aunt, Luisa Espinel, put out in the ’40s,” he said. “Different influences that make up Southwestern music include traditional German, Spanish, African and Irish music.”
Though Michael’s superstar sister, Linda, has been more widely known, it’s the entire family’s involvement that continues to ensure that the multicultural music of the Southwest will never be lost.
“Our music differs from Linda’s in that we bring a whole new set of influences to the table. Having Michael G. and Petie as fifth-generation Ronstadts brings a fresh approach to the way we shape and embellish the arrangements.”
Regarding the famous Ronstadt name, he said, “It can obviously open doors. I'm incredibly proud of all of the work my sister's done. She’s very supportive and helpful, but she’s never said, ‘Let me make this happen for you.’”
Ronstadt Generations band members have toured the world with artists including Los Lobos, Mariachi Cobre, the Gatlin Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Neil Young, Walt Michael, Norah Jones, the Santa Cruz River Band and Guy Davis, among others.
This is the second East Coast tour for Ronstadt Generations, which started touring across the country in June 2010, and “had a very warm reception,” Ronstadt said.&ht;br />
Regarding house concerts, “Home concerts have become an increasingly important venue for the independent musician. They are close and intimate and give the audience a chance to connecp with the artist,” Ronstadt said. “Many folks find that hosting a home concert is a wonderful way of connecting with friends, making new ones and having great music in the comfort of your home.”
Opening for Ronstadt Generations at the Nov. 20 house concert is Lyra Project, a duo from Ambler featuring Debra Lee and Rick Denzien, with Michael G. Ronstadt sitting in on cello.
To enjoy the evening with Ronstadt Generations, advance tickets are encouraged. Tickets are $20, including light snacks and beverages, and are available online through www.SongwritersOriginalShowcase.com, or by calling Slot-1 Racording Studio at 215-643-1313.
For more information, visit www.ronstadtgenerations.com; www.slot-1.com; or www.lyraproject.com.
SXSW - MARCH 11, 2010
LOST IN HOLLAND INTERVIEW: SXSW 2010
Posted on Mar 11th 2010 9:25AM by Steven Horowitz
Lost in Holland is a duo of acoustic musicians -- Josh Hisle on guitar and Michael G. Ronstadt on cello -- who play powerful indie alternative folk rock. Many of the group's songs were inspired by Hisle's two tours of duty in Iraq as a squad leader in the Marine Corps. The two men, who are set to appear at this year's SXSW, graciously agreed to answer a list of questions from Spinner.
Describe Lost in Holland's sound in your own words.
Josh: It's weird. If we had to describe it I'd say -- if Neil Young and Yo Yo Ma had a child, and that child hooked up with Graham Nash, we would be that child. Sorry, I never answer that question well.
Mike: I would maybe say a folk duo influenced by rock and jazz, if I could take the more serious answer.
What are the origins of Lost in Holland?
J: I started Lost In Holland in Ramadi, Iraq, during my second tour with the US Marines. We had a beat up acoustic guitar and I'd just sit and play when we had time off. I wrote a bunch of songs and came home and put it out there.
M: I concur.
What are your musical influences?
J: NOFX, Neil Young, Tommy Emmanuel, Duke Ellington, and Django.
M: My family, Les Paul, cellists Nancy Green, Gordon Epperson & Yehuda Hanani, Brahms, Bach, Prokofiev, Stephane Grappelli.
How did you come up with the name Lost in Holland?
J: My son's name is Holland. I had a song named 'Lost in Holland' and someone said, "that is really sweet, you should name your band that". So, I did.
M: I concur.
What is your biggest vice?
J: Cigarettes and whiskey and Italian subs.
M: Water and Pastel De Tres Leches cake.
What's in your festival survival kit?
J: Cigarettes and whiskey and very little cash. It's our first time at SXSW, so we just went to default on the survival kit.
M: Cello, voice, and my wallet -- filled with very little cash, too.
Who was your first celeb crush?
J: Buffy the Vampire slayer. What was her name?
M: I don't know, but I'm sure it was someone maybe on a Nickelodeon show.
What's your musical guilty pleasure?
J: t.A.T.u.,'Not Gonna Get Us.'
M: Not telling. I do like yodeling though.
What musicians have influenced the most?
J: Fat Mike of NOFX and Neil Young. I just love songwriters that have the nuts to say whatever they want. To me, that is a virtue rarely seen in today's music.
M: My cello teachers Gordon Epperson, Nancy Green & Yehuda Hanani, family's music, and all music with contrast, variety, and purpose.
Beatles or Stones?
J: Gun to my head? Beatles.
M: Beatles, no contest.
If you knew the world would only last for two more weeks, what would you do?
J: Go home and hang with Holland and Margot of course -- but, on the way home I'd spend whatever cash I had on two weeks worth of cigs and whiskey.
M: Play music with my family, and record some CD's to shoot into space.
If you could only listen to five albums for the rest of your life, which ones would they be?
J: NOFX, 'White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean,' and 'War on Errorism'; Neil Young, 'Greatest Hits'; Tommy Emanuel & Chet Atkins, 'The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World'; Tower of Power, 'Live'; Rage Against the Machine, 'Rage Against the Machine.'
M: Paul Simon, 'Graceland'; Crooked Still, 'Shaken By A Low Sound'; Abigail Washburn and The Sparrow Quartet, 'Self Titled'; Bach, 'Cello Suites 1-6' [Any great cellist]; Santa Cruz River Band, 'Volume 4.'
Steven Horowitz is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.
TUCSON CITIZEN - JANUARY 14, 2009
Buckley: Ronstadt family music circle should remain unbroken
January 14, 2009, 4:40 p.m.
DANIEL BUCKLEY
Tucson Citizen
The Old Pueblo got a major holiday treat as the latest generation of Tucson's musical first family - the Ronstadts - teamed up in venues all over town.
Back in the late 1800s when Federico Ronstadt moved here from Mexico he created Tucson's first symphonic institution - the Club Filarmonico. Later he would be a founding board member of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. His daughter, Luisa Espinel, would become the city's first operatic diva, and would gather the Mexican folk songs her father sang to her in a collection, "Canciones de Mi Padre."
A son of Federico, Gilbert Ronstadt, would have a daughter who would be the most famous family musician yet - versatile pop singer Linda Ronstadt, who would borrow her Aunt Luisa's title "Canciones de Mi Padre" for her own mariachi tribute to Gilbert. That collection would go on to be a global smash and revive the whole mariachi culture.
Linda's generation of musical Ronstadts is well represented by Bill, John and Michael J. Ronstadt (the latter Linda's brother), and it goes on with the next generation through flamenco guitarist Chris Burton Jácome and singer Mindy Ronstadt.
But now the sons of Michael J. Ronstadt - bassist/singer/songwriter Petie and cellist/composer/singer Michael G. Ronstadt - have grown into fine professional musicians as well. And throughout late December and early January, the brothers teamed up with their dad for concerts back in the home city, including gigs with their dad's musical partner, Ted Ramirez, in the Santa Cruz River Band.
All of the recent performances were eclectic showcases of the considerable talent that has seeped into this next batch of Ronstadts. From folkie family favorites and original tunes to Mexican standards passed down from their great-grandparents, the younger Ronstadts anchored and carried the varied fare to new heights. It's what Ronstadts do.
"It's music I've heard my whole life," Petie says. "I had to learn some rhythmic patterns that were a little different from what I'm used to but aside from that it was a pretty easy jump."
"Every family gathering there'd be tons of guitars," adds Michael G. Ronstadt. "Bill Ronstadt would have his bass oftentimes, my uncle Peter would have a guitar. My cousin Kiko (Jácome) always played music. If he didn't have an instrument he sang. I guess I was the only cellist the family ever had."
And it's always been that way.
"There's a picture that we have in an old family album that a photographer friend of my family took when I was in diapers and I was playing my father's old Martin guitar," Michael J. Ronstadt recalls. "I think it was pretty well set at that point. It's just always been something that's been around."
Asked how he thought his dad and grandfather would feel seeing him playing with his kids, Michael J. says, "I think they would be very pleased and proud. Sometimes I wish my dad would have been around to see these guys. The fact that both of them are embracing that kind of music couldn't make him anything but proud and happy."
The only bad thing is that it was short-lived. Petie will join his dad and Ted Ramirez in the Santa Cruz River Band for the next few months, and there will be a few dates along the way where paths will converge. But for the most part, cellist Michael G. Ronstadt returns to his own road, supporting his CDs, backing singer Lisa Biales and working in a rock project.
Check out video of the trio, as well as the Santa Cruz River Band, online at tucsoncitizen.com. And while you're at it, run down Petie's Indie Rock group Goodbye Kiss' self-titled EP, Michael G. Ronstadt's "Cotton Dreams Parts 1 & 2" and the several Santa Cruz River Band CDs.
TUCSON CITIZEN - NOVEMBER 19, 2008
Tucsonans offer eclectic grab bag of CDs
November 19, 2008, 3:12 p.m.
DAN BUCKLEY
Tucson Citizen
...Michael G. Ronstadt: Cotton Dreams Parts 1 and 2
The son of Santa Cruz River member Mike Ronstadt and nephew of singer Linda Ronstadt, cellist Michael G. Ronstadt takes the family's musical tradition in a whole different direction. A student locally of Gordon Epperson, Nancy Green and Nelzimar Neves, Ronstadt earned his master's degree from the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studied with Yehuda Hanani.
As these two very different discs attest, Ronstadt has learned his prime instrument (he also plays guitar) very well. Disc two is a collection of contemporary classical works, most of them written by Ronstadt, that show him to be a performer with an amazing command of the typical and exotic sounds of the cello, a true virtuoso and a man of instinctive musicality. As a composer Ronstadt is well qualified, creating moody soundscapes that reference a broad range of global and contemporary currents while generating something distinctively his own.
Disc one finds him with his group, the Gypsum Ensemble - a cello- and bass-dominated (plus flute) kind of experimental pop band that pulls in an equally broad slice of the musical spectrum. Neither is easy listening music, but both discs are worth the journey, taking the listener on unexpected, worthwhile musical journeys. ...
REGISTER-STAR (HUDSON, NY) - SEPTEMBER 8, 2008
Michael Ronstadt on the cello at Valatie Community Theatre
By Andrew Amelinckx
( HYPERLINK "http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2008/09/08/news/news02.txt" http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2008/09/08/news/news02.txt accessed 9/8/08)
Hudson-Catskill newspapers
VALATIE - A cellist from Philadelphia performed at the Valatie Community Theatre Sunday, mixing classical and contemporary works for a small but appreciative crowd.
Michael Ronstadt, 24, played pieces by composers as varied as Johann Sebastian Bach, Consuelo Vel‡zquez - a Mexican songwriter of 1940s popular music and Liz Malys - a Valatie native now living in Alaska. He performed an original piece of his own as well.
Ronstadt said he liked to "break down the barriers" between classical and other types of music.
"Good music is good music," he said.
The concert began with Bach's Suite Number One for Unaccompanied Cello.
"It's great coming back to it with more Bach suites under your belt," Ronstadt said.
The suite is one of six, with six movements each. It is considered the least difficult of the six.
His next piece was "Idego" written by Malys for Ronstadt's senior undergraduate recital at the University of Arizona where they both studied. "I was her cello teacher for a little while," said Ronstadt. "She's a great composer."
"'Idego' ... is a musical narrative of the struggle between one's id and ego," stated Malys vie e-mail.
The piece contained passages that are dissonant paired with others that were melodic. "Let me know if you figure out which part is the ego and which part is the id," quipped Ronstadt during the performance.
Next was another contemporary composer's work - Mark Summer's "Julie-O."
"This is a lighter piece," Ronstadt told the crowd.
Summer is a Southern California native who performs with the Turtle Island Quartet. Ronstadt seemed to enjoy himself as he plucked, slapped and bowed the cello while performing the piece.
Ronstadt surprised the audience with his next selection. He belted out the lyrics to "B/same Mucho," a Spanish language song written in 1940 by Vel‡zquez, while strumming his instrument more like a guitar than a cello.
Afterwards he said that his family played Mexican folk music and that his musical influences include mariachi, "South West folk" as well as bluegrass and jazz.
"I'm also influenced by rock," he said.
The final piece was written by Ronstadt and also included lyrics. "Haunted" contained elements from many musical styles with as many tempo changes. Ronstadt again used a variety of playing techniques, including strumming, plucking and slapping.
Ronstadt said that when he switches gears during a performance the audience is often surprised.
He has been in Columbia County for the last week for an annual week-long seminar for cellists held in Columbia County with Yehuda Hanani, an acclaimed cellist and Spencertown resident. Ronstadt is also studying under Hanani at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where Ronstadt is working towards his Masters degree.
The Valatie Community Theatre, located on Main Street in Valatie, is a not-for-profit created to rehabilitate and preserve the Theatre which was opened in 1921 and is in the midst of renovations according to the theater's Web site.
To reach reporter, Andrew Amelinckx please call (518) 828-1616 or e-mail aamelinckx@registerstar.com.
ARIZONA DAILY STAR - JULY 27, 2006
A Ronstadt is mastering the cello.
Article from: AZ Daily Star (Tucson, AZ) Article date: July 27, 2006 More results for: Michael G. Ronstadt Cello July Tucson AZ | Copyright information
Byline: Cathalena E. Burch
Jul. 27--Michael G. Ronstadt is carrying on the family business, but his path will veer somewhat from his famous country-singing aunt (Linda) and troubadour father (Michael J.).
The latest member of Tucson's musical dynasty is taking a left turn at Pop Avenue and heading east to Classical Corner, with a couple detours along the route.
Ronstadt, a recent University of Arizona music school grad, leaves next month for Ohio's University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, where he will pursue a master's degree in cello performance.
On Saturday, he and his Rillito Duo partner, pianist Aryo Wicaksono, will play what could be one ... (more online)