A wealth of experience

Ascolta! is a collection of pieces, multicultural folk music from Argentina via Ireland, Western Europe and the Balkans to Russia. It was created as part of the many years of work by the editor Axel Genannt with folk ensembles at the music school in Bad Vilbel near Frankfurt am Main. The 14 pieces have therefore been tried and tested many times and are guaranteed to be well received by the pupils.

Thanks to the included CD-ROM, sheet music in C or Bb can be printed out, and guitar tablatures and song lyrics can also be called up. The instrumentation is variable: the author makes suggestions, and some styles require certain instruments - but there are no limits to the imagination! Balalaika or charango can also be played on octave guitars and for the percussion instruments the booklet gives instructions for playing with the tambourine or with soup spoons or recommends buying a washboard at a flea market. You can also improvise over the musical text. All pieces are placed on a music stand (in score form) and can be repeated at will, which encourages individual variations. The accompanying booklet, which also contains the printed music text along with ethnomusicological explanations of the individual pieces, provides suggestions and tips.

Axel Genannt is a classical guitarist by training and has a wealth of pedagogical experience in leading mixed playing groups. He has also performed with his students at the European Youth Music Festivals in Budapest, Linz and Rimini.

The title Ascolta! is intended to encourage people to listen to each other. This collection offers a fun introduction to the world of improvisation.

Axel Genannt, Ascolta! Folklore for variable instrumental ensemble, playing material on CD-ROM, KM 2285, € 26.00, Breitkopf & Härtel 2012