ALL FRETS - July/August 2018 ENTIRE ISSUE | Page 10

interest in their group hosting an upcoming ALL FRETS convention. With the Nashville event already in the
works for 2017, Keith was asked to peruse hotel properties in and around Buffalo with hopes of finding a good
match for 2018. This task in itself can be very challenging. Given the specific needs of our membership and
convention, not every hotel is ready, willing, nor able to accept the influx of a large group of musicians who
arrive and begin playing music in every nook and cranny of the property. After reviewing many properties and
negotiating all of our needs both physically and financially, the Millennium Hotel in Buffalo, New York proved
to be the best option. With a contract in place, planning in earnest for ALL FRETS 2018 BUFFALO began.
While our members enjoy several days of music and socializing, the coordination of the details to allow all of
this to transpire takes at least a year of preparation by a totally volunteer host and committee. Once the hotel
had been secured, area attractions were explored to offer attendees the opportunity to experience nearby
tourist and cultural attractions. Part of this search included opportunities for our popular FLASHMOB to take
our music to the “streets” with performances included as part of scheduled convention tours. Getting into the
nitty-gritty, arrangements need to be made for appropriate meeting space for workshops, vendors, rehearsals,
jamming and, of course, meetings. Securing of concert sound and lighting and other technical aspects of
hosting a music convention is also a major annual task which must be addressed. As convention time draws
closer, registrations are processed and, based on information received, workshop presenters and concert
performers need to be scheduled and music for both the FLASHMOB as well as the ALL FRETS orchestra must
be selected, scanned and distributed. Thankfully, Keith Konopa and his volunteers were on top of every
aspect of hosting the event and when our members began arriving on Tuesday (even though there were no
scheduled convention events until the following day!), it was clear that preparations were well coordinated,
with the organizers waiting for the event to take on a life of its own.
And so it did. As attendees arrived and found the “lay of the land,” the typical first order of business was an
impromptu Tuesday evening jam session in the hotel lobby which lasted well past 2AM. Granted, new arrivals
were full of enthusiasm and energy, but the longevity of this session set the tone for a really full weekend of
such impromptu sessions (which, by the way, delighted the hotel staff and guests).
The first scheduled activity took place on Wednesday morning when a sizable contingent of ALL FRETS
members – instruments in hand – journeyed to nearby Lockport to embark on a relaxing cruise on the 100
year old Erie Canal. Before shoving off, the ALL FRETS FLASHMOB performed on the dock for other
passengers. After lunch, it was time to board the LOCKVIEW VI, a Mississippi-style paddle-wheeler where – in
addition to jamming – attendees were educated about the Canal’s history and lore while locking up and down
the Niagara Escarpment. Highlights of the tour included seeing 20-foot high stone walls built in the 1800s,
“Deep Rock Cut,” and stone tow path blasted out of solid stone with gun powder left over from the War of
1812. After traveling under the widest bridge in the U.S. and jamming to their heart’s content it was time to
head back to the hotel.
A big plus for any convention venue is the nearby access to shopping and dining – and with the Millennium
Galleria Mall adjacent to the hotel – there were ample choices for both. After recharging at the mall or one of
countless restaurants, our members again gathered at the hotel to take part in either the big jam session
taking place in the lobby or one of many smaller such sessions springing up around the hotel.
One of the major attractions at our conventions is the attendance of instrument and musical accessory
vendors who give members a chance to see or try – in person – many of the instruments and gadgets that
they have seen or heard about. This year was different from most in that certain perennial dealers who could
not attend were replaced by new vendors who were showing off their wares. Of particular note were ALL
FRETS raffle donors, John and Julie Bernunzio of Bernunzio Uptown Music in Rochester, New York who
brought a massive exhibit of vintages banjos and other fretted instruments for our members to try. It was also
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ALL FRETS JULY/AUGUST 2018