-Flyer -Festinfo -Program -Photos -Membership -Instruction -Email -Links -Charlie Blacklock
Welcome to the International Musical Sawplayers Association website. Established in California in 1994, we publish the sawplayer's newsletter and also present the annual "Saw Player's Picnic and Music Festival" on the 2nd full weekend in August with a Saturday afternoon jam in Santa Cruz and the evening potluck/jam as well as the Sunday festival at Roaring Camp in Felton, California - www.roaringcamp.com
We had a wonderful festival in 2011 with our friends from the Bay Area and beyond. This year we were graced with two guests from Japan, Yoshiko Saito and Shinsaku Murakawa, and two guests from China, Liu Ya and En Wu Du. All excellent players of the musical saw and Liu Ya won first place in our contest.
Makoto Ogihara, one of the world's finest sawyers, is pictured on the right:
Here's an original selection from his cd. Piano accompaniment: Jotaro Takahashi:
Another standout, Giriko Shimizu, has brought her musicality and fun personality to the festival. A photo of her and Art Peterson is on the left and there's a YouTube link to her, with her extraordinary musical ensemble, "Hinemosu" (Giriko plays recorder and saw).
YouTube / Hinemosu with Giriko Shimizu
Referring to the photos below: The 1st photo is a picture of the Tom Scribner statue produced by artist Marghie McMahon, and permanently installed in Downtown Santa Cruz, California. Tom was the saw-playing lumberjack that the original "Festival of the Saws" was organized around in 1978 - he was a beloved and extremely talented sawyer. The 2nd picture is a photo of Tom himself. The 3rd picture is of Charlie Blacklock, legendary sawyer whose musical saws are sold world wide. Charlie organized the California Saw Players Association (which evolved into the International Musical Saw Association in 2003). Charlie is also featured in the "National Old-Time Country Music Hall of Fame.” The 4th photo changes as we feature different members, and this time it is of Rosalyn Claret, 2009 Saw Contestant.
