There are times in life, when you meet another human being and instantly you sense a specialness, something extraordinary.
Being part of the Stick community, circumstances brought me to know Virna Splendore and I am so grateful for it.
Virna was that special person, a good soul, a deep spirit and a friend from the heart. What always grabbed me most was her sincerity, her emotions toward music and her environment.
You could see it in her eyes, you could sense it in her being.
I had the pleasure of hanging and chatting with Virna on three or four different occassions and she left a big impression on me.
She was so wonderful at Bob Culbertson's World Stick Extravaganza in 2003. She was very proud to be one of the "gurus" for the attending students.
At the evening concert, she asked me to join her on one of her performance songs. During my solo on her compostion (in G minor), it was very gratifying to see her glance in approval, give an affirmative nod and share a musical linking bond.
I remember her excitement at meeting Joe Zawinul at a NAMM convention. Virna was a fan and she did a great solo Stick version of his tune "Birdland".
I loved listening to her speak, the Italian accent, the sincerity, the emotion in her voice. And of course she had that famous Italian awareness of style. Check out the profile photo with long shadow.
It's rare to meet someone in your lifetime who can leave such a positive impression in just a few encounters. We communicated via Facebook recently and we had a joyous conversation.
It was shocking to hear the news. Virna will be missed for what she brought to all she met and for the person she was. I send love to her spirit which will be eternal.
Steve Adelson

Everyone seems to have said everything already... not much I can add... so I'll go with what Eric said which applies to me just as much :

3~

Thanks so much for sending in your memories and thoughts about Virginia, everyone, and especially you, Dan, for taking the time to edit the film.

I've learned a lot of things about her I didn't know, and I'm grateful to all of you for sharing the close things you had with her.

There are some links to interesting tv and print interviews with her at the bottom of the page as well.

Greg you did a great job with the page, and Dan with video.

Brett

Thanks Greg and Brett.

Steve, I'm so glad to say I recorded that San Jose duet with you. I also shot her playing Birdland with Tom among other great moments. The moment when you guys and her are all taking a bow is iconic to me.

Dan, your documentation of Stick events through the years is invaluable. For entertainment value, for educational purposes, for historical reference, for good memories, these videos are very important. Thanks for putting them together over the years and for being the major documentarian of the Stick community. I'm honored to be in the cast.

I too have been waiting to gather my thoughts on the loss of Virna. I met her at a Stick Night in LA, and I remember listening to her CD "Guilty" on the way home from the show. Sweet jesus...no one plays the Stick like her. Her compositions are so finely crafted, each one a jewel.

One of our own has left us, folks. Let's all of us learn a favorite piece of hers and share it with others, so that she remains immortal.

I vote for the "Guilty" to be part of a "standard" Stick repertoire, encouraged perhaps for many of us who were fortunate enough to meet her, and to acknowledge Virna's artistic mastery.

Peace everyone.

Patrick B.

My video begins with a brief excerpt from her "Etude N. 5" then goes to the truly lovely "I've Been Travelling," both from Virna's first album, titled "Guily."

When I asked her about where she got the tile of that album, she explained:

"it's because somehow we always feel guilty of something. We grow up with the idea of being guilty of something. They teach us, from religion, to parents to the schools to be guilty for something. So 'Guilty' was the right title. We were feeling guilty for making music, instead of working with other jobs.

When we grow up in a Catholic society, the first thing is that you are guilty. And if you are guilty, you go to hell. If you're not guilty you go to heaven, but you are guilty from the beginning of the world, because Eve stole an apple from the tree. So you are guilty only because you are human."

Which just goes to show us how crazy this world really is!

It is hard enough without all that original guilt. Maybe the Pope could have a think about that one!