New Technology Influences the Player Piano
The style is almost strange, at first. The area is a perfectly typical studio in a part of Culver City. In one part of the room, a 6.5 foot concert grand piano with the lid removed--stands against the painted wall.
The piano keys begin to move by themselves, without human help, as if touched by an invisible master and then a spew of music pours out: delicately styled Chopin,Liszt, and a richly sounded Ellington. The sound is wonderful.
Master inventor Wayne Stahnke, having just played the computer buttons that set this piano in action, smiles. He has felt it all before: the amazed people, the shaking of the head, people looking inside the instrument.
Almost everybody has probably heard some kind of player piano, perhaps at Disneyworld, or in a grandparent's home parlor. But Mr. Stahnke's instrument, and the music it makes, are as far from the rickety ragtime of player pianos just as CD albums are from Thomas Edison's recordings. There aren't any foot pedals to move mechanical parts, no cylinder rolls of hole punched paper. The only visible parts that this is anything other than a typical grand piano are a box-like add on carefully placed under the instrument's midsection, with a slot for a computer floppy disk drive.
Classical pianist Earl Wild, whose playing has been copied in every imaginable recording medium, has high praise for Stahnke's invention.
"The reproduction is incredible," Mr. Wild said. "It reigns over any imitation piano I've ever played, and I've played every kind over the last 50+ years."
It may not even be completely accurate to refer, as Mr. Stahnke does, to his piano as an "imitation" musical instrument. Computer controlled in a way that replays the smallest nuances of a pianist's keyboard and pedal actions, it makes what can be thought of,as a virtual clone of the original performance.
Also important, it records as well as copies, making it important as a teaching tool. Students find it valuable to record a rehearsal, then have the opportunity to immediately evaluate every subtlety, every part of the music.
This technology, which took more than ten years to evolve from his hand constructed instruments is now licensed to the Yamaha Corp.
Labels: musical instrument, piano, player piano
Trombone Accessories Can Kill!
Here is a real bizzare story that Brass players may want to read!
Man Slides His Trombone & Kills Trumpeter in Front of Him!
By Randy Jeffries / Weekly World News
(January 23, 1996)
BOCHOLT, GERMANY - A band musician died of a brain injury when the trombonist behind him jerked the slide of his trombone forward and struck the trumpeter in the back of the head. Police say the tragedy occurred as the Gratzfeld College Band was rehearsing the spirited American jazz classic, When The Saints Go Marching In.
According to other band members, trombonist Peter Niemeyer, 19, “got carried away” with the music. He started gyrating and thrashing around as he played.At one point, he jerked forward and the rounded metal slide on his instrument hit trumpet player Dolph Mohr, 20, dropping him instantly to the floor.
“Niemeyer was pumping the slide very hard,” said medical examiner Dr. Max Krause. “But it wasn’t just the force of the blow that killed Mohr. The slide struck him in the worst possible place — the vulnerable spot just behind and below the left ear. Bone fragments pierced his brain, killing him instantly.”
The incident has provoked a storm of controversy over whether or not American jazz should be played in German colleges. “I believe the music is to blame,” said Gratzfeld band director Heinrich Sommer. “I was pressured to play that selection by school administrators. But I’ve always said jazz is dangerous music. Our musicians can’t control themselves when they play it. They move and rock back and forth, creating chaos. If I had my way, American Dixieland would be outlawed in Germany. I’ve been directing bands for 30 years and I’ve never heard of anyone dying while playing a German march.”
Just another example of trombone accessories gone crazy !
I learned this valuable trombone accessory while I was in the U.S. Army Band as a trombone player. Use Lemon Pledge on your trombone slide. Lemon pledge has a wax in it that makes your slide move very easily, so if you spray it on your slide it makes it move very freely. Not only that, but Lemon Pledge actually tastes much better than trombone oil, Super Slick or even Rapid Comfort. Also if you are in a real pinch you can wipe some of the residue off your slide and wax your furniture with it. What more could you want from a trombone accessory?
Elmo
Correct Embouchure for the Flute Correct Embouchure for the Flute If you really want to get a nice, clear sound on the flute, then you will have to have a proper embuchure.
There are several different factors or things, that will determine how nice of the tone the will be able to produce. The use of abdominal breathing. The direction of the air stream. How much of the hole on the mouthpiece is covered by your lower lip. We will cover each of these points in an effort to help you get the best tone possible on the flute.
The direction of the air stream is made by the stream of air directed towards the opposite edge of the mouthpiece hole. You need to understand that is the direction of the air the streaming from your mouth the controls pitch and volume. The way that you can do this is by a forward and backward movement in the corner of your lips along with the moving up and down of your lower jaw. A student will have to experiment somewhat to find out what direction of the air is produced by different methods of placing the mouth on the mouthpiece. Once you figure out the proper direction for the air to flow from your lips across the mouthpiece you can produce the sound and tones that you want to with clarity.
Since each person lips are of a different thickness, shape and size it will be different for each person. So, the only way that you could really determine what works for you is for you to practice and experiment with the way your embouchure works with the mouthpiece. Note: It is a common mistake to think of playing the flute in the same manner that you would blow across a soda bottle. A lot of teachers and music educators make this common mistake. The flute has been scientifically designed and incorporates engineering knowledge that has been accumulated for many years. The aperture hole off the mouthpiece is very different from that of a bottle. Take my word for it, it is much different.
Another thing that you have to consider is which direction the air stream is moving across the aperture hole. If the air is moving downward the lower the pitch on the flute will be and consequently, the louder the volume of sound will be also. On the other hand, the more the air travels outward across the hole the higher the pitch will be and the softer the volume. The next factor to consider is how much of the mouthpiece plate is covered by the lower lip. As I said before, each person's lips are different, so the exact amount of the plate to be covered by lip is different from one individual to the next. However, there is a good starting position in each person can use this as a basis for their embouchure. This will be done and steps so that you can easily set your embouchure.
Step one: Place the inner edge of the embouchure hole at the lower edge of your lip in a line where your lip and chin meet.
Step two: Slowly roll your mouthpiece until the hole is level with your lips. Step three: Begin blowing across the aperture hole while rolling the flute toward you and then away from you. These three steps should be practiced in a mirror so that you can see where your mouth lines up with the aperture hole.
If too much of the aperture hole is covered by your lower lip than you're going to get a very thin tone. Also, other things like volume dynamics, articulation and legato passages will be very tough to perform. If too little of the aperture hole is covered by your mouthpiece, that you will really be blowing a lot of air to get any kind of sound and in effect, you will be wasting your air. Also, the same problems with dynamics, articulation and without passages will be hard to perform. If you have learned, practiced and experimented and now have a proper concept of embochure, then this next part should be easy.
Abdominal breathing is very important to all with instruments, yet band directors seem to always have a problem teaching their students to sit up straight and to breathe from the diaphragm. A lot of my students who are beginning flutists, always seem to get dizzy because they are blowing like crazy to get a sound. The reason that they are wasting so much air is because their embochure is incorrect. So, it is important to be able to breathe properly from the diaphragm, setting up straight so that you have a clear column of air and opening your throat to allow a free passage for the air to flow through. However, this will all be in vain if you did not follow the proper steps for setting your embochure!
If you are having a problem with dizziness, then you are probably blowing with to large of a hole through your lips and therefore, your'e wasting all kinds of air. Go back to the three steps we discussed earlier and practice in a mirror until you feel comfortable with blowing across the hole. It may take two a week or two practicing with just your mouthpiece to get the right embouchure, but if you practiced the basics consistently, it will be much easier for you to learn how to play the flute.
Finding Time To Practice Your Musical Instrument
Like the commercial says "Life comes at ya fast!" and it is true. You know, I heard a guy state on the radio that time seems to be speeding up. I never actually considered the metaphysics of all that, primarily because I'm not smart enough to understand most things deeper than a comic book. Anyway, I do know that you are given only so much time on this earth, so why not make the most of it. Here are just a couple of ideas on how to find more practice time.
1. Practice your instrument while watching TV. I know a couple of very fine professionals that practice and watch sports events at the same time. If you are watching an intense program, practice fundamentals while the commercials are running. It will give your chops a break and the commercials usually run longer than the actual show anyway.
2. Get a practice mut if you need to practice at a late hour. That way if you can't sleep you can always exhaust yourself playing late. I have a device called the silent brass mute and I would highly recommend it. It allows you to put ear phones on the mute via a chord. You can hear yourself play as if you were in a concert hall. I have had one for years, and it really allows you to get practice time in even when people in your house are sleeping.
3. If you drive alot you can always practice breathing or embouchure techniques. Brass players can buzz on their mouthpieces. I once saw a flute player practicing while driving fast on the interstate. I would not reccomend this but he did get alot of attention from other drivers.
4.If you are a teacher, you can always play along with your students. You won't have a challenging session, but you'll at least get in some horn time.
5. Get a book on time management. There are all kinds of excellent books on this subject. Time is your most precious commodity, don't waste it!
Bruce Campbell must be a Musician.
I don't know why, but the Old Spice commercial with Bruce Campbell just keeps sticking like a mantra in my head. I think this dissertation could be named "The Musicians Creed" It just sounds like something a Brass player would say. Here is a transcript of the entire commercial:
When you have it, you don't need it.
When you need it you don't have it.
If you have it, you need more of it.
If you have more of it, you don't need less of it.
You need it, to get it.
And you certainly need it to get more of it.
But if you already have it to begin with, you can't get any of it to get started, which means you really
don't have any idea how to get it in the first place. Do you?
You can share it,sure.
You can even stockpile it if you'd like.
But you can't fake it.
Wanting it....
Needing it...
Wishing for it...
The point is, if you have never had any of it....
Ever....
People just seem to know.
The Weird Blog of the Bagpipeby Ellistrations
This is the
the bagpipe picture of the pipes fashioned by Don Pablo de la Taco
al a Carte. They were fashioned from the skins and bladders of
two goats, a chicken and a yak. They had a characteristic odor that
was unpleasant.
No one in Spanish history is more associated with
Bagpipes than Don Pablo de la Taco al a Carte.
During the Battle of Juan Valdez, the Don,
in a moment of heroic bravery,
killed two goats, a chicken and a yak.
As he watched his men die in horrible blood shed, al a Carte
fled on foot to a nearby village and used the skins of the
animals (including
the bladders) to fashion the first bagpipes on the Iberian Peninsula.
The Dreaded Bagpipe Bird of the Yukon
Move over Bigfoot, there's a new critter in the Northwest Region of Canada
and it ain't pretty. Residents of the town of Whitehorse say that
for months they've heard the plaintive droning of this mythical bird,
but no 
one would believe them. The bird they are referring to is the
Dreaded Bagpipe Bird of the Yukon which has been spotted by the people of Whitehorse for centuries.
The alleged photo of the bird (seen to the left) was taken by local resident, Ress T. Raunt who owns and operates Whitehorse's only beauty parlor.
"Yeah I could'a swore I heard the sound of Bagpipes when I ran outside my cabin and there wuz this hideous critter trying to carry off my wife's prize poodle, Keno."
Willing to risk his wife's dog, Raunt took a picture of the creature before it flew off.
"Lord, it made a horrible sound, but it kinda looked pretty" Raunt reflected.
Zoologists are planning an expedition to Whirehorse to investigate the matter but are refusing to wear kilts in an effort to attract the animal.
Hey, if you thought that was weird...
Unusual,
new, and different is what you'll think as you look at our great Bagpipe
Apparel. Beautifully designed and rendered our high quality embroidered
bagpipe hats, shirts, and accessories will knock your socks off. To
take a look.....
CLICK
HERE!
NASA
Uses Bagpipes!
NASA,
in an effort to find newer and better methods of testing the physical
capabilities of prospective astronauts, has decided to utilize bagpipes
in its initial testing program. Bert Fernby of NASA's astronaut recruiting
program said," We find that college students find it a lot less
threatening to blow into the pipes rather than a water tube, however the sound can be a bit overwhelming at times."
Here's a crazy Picture I did for bagpiper's awhile back. 
I guess you could say that this picture has it all!
Goal Setting for Musicians Part III
From the Series: Playing in the Mental Key
Brought to you by:Ellistrations Music Apparel and Gifts
In the last segment of this series, we talked about the importance of setting down and writing out your musical goals. In this segment we would like to talk about the importance of setting down and writing out your long term goals first and then your short step by step plan to get you where you want to go.
You need two plans, one long term and one short term. I carry around with me, on a daily basis, two types of planners. One is a small day- to -day planner and the other is a long-term planner. The short term planner is from the company, At a Glance . This is a small 8 in. by 5 in. sized appointment schedule that can be used for scheduling your day and even writing down practice times and goals that you will have.
The planner is split down the middle so that I can write my day-to-day plans down on the left and on the right side I can write my specific music goals for the day. I also have a journal, which is the same size, and it has nothing in it but lines. I usually write my long-term goals in the journal and I like to write my short-term day-to-day plans in that book as well. This journal is like a sketch pad for my brain so I can write out daily ideas, plans and thoughts.
Now, to make sure that this idea works, you need to purchase these items and then use them. This plan will work for anybody or in any type of situation, be it music, art, business, etc. However, the one major factor that I talked about in a previous lesson was that in order for any of this to work YOU MUST TAKE ACTION!!! (Preferably massive amounts of it!)
Now to recap briefly what you must do let me restate the main poits of this action plan.
1. Prioritize your goals
2. Determine what they are
3. Keep a planner and plan out your music lessons from day to day.
4. Keep a journal and write daily your short and long term goals, sketching out and jotting down ideas and plans that come to you.
5. TAKE ACTION!!!!
Next week we will have more musical motivating factors to really get you rolling!!
How to Set Attainable Goals For Musicians Part II
From the Series:
The Mental Key of Music
Ellistrations Music Apparel and Gifts
In the last lesson from The Mental Key of Music, we discussed the fact that without a goal you are like a ship without any direction. The captain of the vessel (you) is a very frustrated individual without any clear objective or target. You were given a specific assignment of listing and establishing your main goal or purpose.
In this issue, our priority is to focus on the steps required to attain that goal
Notice: If you missed the last issue, please access it by going to www.ellistratioins.com and clicking on the archives page.
Ok, now you have taken the required first step and decided what it is that you want to get out of your musical life. The next step is to break down that goal into smaller attainable steps or “mini goals” An ancient Chinese proverb states, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” These mini goals, or steps, must be measurable, based on a timetable and they need to be realistic. There is no point in setting a goal of memorizing all the major and minor scales within one week, because it is too unrealistic.
Mini goals or steps must be measurable, based on a timetable and need to be realistic…
When I was in Jr. High School, (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I took private lessons on my instrument. My lesson teacher required that I purchase a copy of the Beginning Rubank Method Book. At the front of the Rubank book, there was a weekly schedule showing how many of the lines I was to learn and practice for the week. As I completed each lesson, there was a series of boxes on the schedule that an “X” was placed in as I completed each lesson. The plan took you all of the way through the entire book.
It was very effective! Many of the lessons were easier and able to be completed much quicker than the timetable established. Sometimes, the lessons had to be repeated because they required more skill to learn. The bottom line of this experience was that the Rubank book had a VISUAL set of mini steps or goals that you could actually look at and see your progress. It actually got to be a very exciting motivator, because you could actually see your progress through each lesson.
In this case, the overall goal was to complete the entire Rubank Method Book. The mini steps the lessons and lines I had to learn on a weekly basis. So here is a breakdown of the Goal Formula:
1. Determine your goal. (Discussed in the last issue)
2. Design a series of mini steps that will take you through one of your goals.
3. If you can, make a visual checklist that will chart your progress. Put this chart up where you can see it daily and keep track of your progress. Definitely look at it before each session. It will be a great motivator!!!
Assignment:
Using a weekly planner (which can be bought at any office store) or using a word processing program on your computer, make or design a chart of mini steps of action. Make sure you have room to put your assignments, dates and times. Put your chart up on a wall where you practice so you can see your results.
TIP: It is one thing to read these assignments and fantasize about them. It is a totally different experience to actually put them into action. Do yourself a favor, go out there and do them!!
In the next installment, we will cover Your Major Purpose on your instrument and how all of these smaller steps will get you there.
Goal Setting for Musicians Part I
From the Series:
Playing in the Mental Key
Ellistrations Music Apparel and Gifts
Imagine if you will, that you are on a trip and you are traveling on foot. On this journey, you take along all of the provisions that you need; you packed up a certain amount of food, and water and put shoes on your feet of course, clothe yourself. You carry maps, and a compass and even an inventory of everything that you will need. You have also prepared yourself physically for this by walking every single day and even running. Wow, you are totally ready for this trip and you stick your chest out with pride, as you head out the door and down the street. This is going to be the most awesome excursion that you have ever taken in your entire life……NOT !!!
You forgot one simple element! Even though you took everything that you needed and you prepared yourself for this event, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE YOU ARE GOING!!! Now, I know at this point that you are probably saying,” Well, duh, I knew he was gonna say that.” However, I can guarantee that you are among the 95% of the musicians out there that have not defined any goals or objectives for themselves.
I have known musicians that buy the best instruction books, the finest instruments and have access to the greatest educational services in the world, but have not grown one single bit!!!
If you don’t have a target or an objective, how do you know where you are going? How can you measure your success on your instrument or even tell if you are growing as a musician? I have known musicians (and business people for that matter) that buy the best books, instruments and have access to the best educational services in the world, but have not grown one single bit!
It is a strange dichotomy that we expect these qualities from our politicians and leadership in America, yet the majority of us do not set goals ourselves. Can you imagine what success you would have as a musician if you had an actual plan for yourself? Have you wondered why some people effortlessly master their craft and music while others seem to flounder and loose interest in what they are doing?
Well, wonder no more! The reason you are not motivated to practice or improve your musicianship is because you do not have a target or goal in the first place. By placing a goal in front of yourself and a definite time limit, you are not only greatly increasing your chances of success, but you are creating motivation.
Motivation is basically the desire to do what you need to improve (practice). So, in reality, both goal setting and motivation are essential elements that create the necessary desire to improve.
As you may have noticed in the first paragraph, that without a sense of direction you are really in big trouble. So easily, the first thing you have to decide upon as a musician is which direction that you want to go. Do you want to learn how to perform jazz improvisation? How about developing a better range or tone on your instrument? Would you like to be the first chair flutist in your school or play in a major orchestra?
The very first thing you absolutely must do to begin your journey is DECIDE WHERE YOU ARE GOING!!!
Assignment: This week take some time to sit down, think and ponder what do you really want to get out of music. You may want to take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to think about it. Take out a piece of paper and write out as many goals as you can. Get real serious and aggressive about this. When you have a list, put the letter “A” next to the goal that is most important to you. After you have done that, you can place a “B” next to the next most important goal and so on down the list until you have listed those musical goals that you want to accomplish. For now, we will focus on the letter “A” goal because we want to focus on one thing at a time.
After you are finished with this assignment, pat yourself on the back because you have just done something that 95% of the musicians out in the world have not done….SET A GOAL!!!
Next Week
How to set attainable goals and actually improve your musicianship in just a few weeks!!!
Bassoonist.... Reinvent Yourself !
by
Ellistrations Music Apparel and Gifts
Go ahead, take inventory. You've been laughed at. Ridiculed. Youv'e been called "bed post holder", "double reed geek" and the worst insult of all..."sewage pipe sucker". It's not your parent's fault and it certainly isn't the bassoon's fault. You really can't blame anyone but yourself. Look at your appearance, you look like a reject from "Leave it to Beaver".Yeah, sure, you know all of the answers to Jeopardy and you probably have a clean driving record, but that does not cut it in today's world. You have talent, there's no doubt about that. But talent isn't required anymore, because it's all about image. (If you don't believe me, watch a few reality shows on TV and you'll see what I'm saying is true.)We know what you need. You need an image change and a check up from the neck up. To make it simple, you need a personality enema. Take a good long look at the image below. Isn't this the way it is? (Unless you're a female bassoonist, then just add a purse.) All nice and polite. A real dream boat. At this rate you'll probably wind up as an Accountant or a Human Resource Specialist, a fate worse than death.Now, scroll down the page to see the new direction that your life is going to take. Don't be afraid, you can always resume your Clark Kent lifestyle when you go home to Mommy every night.
From the mild mannered you, to.......
The New You !
You are no longer unsure of yourself. You swagger down the the street of life with a renewed confidence that says, "Yeah, I'm a double reed player, a BASSOONIST in fact. Wanna rumble, huh? I've got a nice, sharp reed shaving knife in my back pocket and I'm not afraid to use it either, punk!"
You have all kinds of new biker buddies to hang out with. The opposite sex that is now attracted to you, is no longer the variety that takes a dump in your front yard. No longer do you hear snotty little nicknames like, "bazooka blower". Now, your neighbors refer to you with cool monikers like "Buzz" or "Reed Double X"
As if you haven't noticed, your clothes have changed too. Now, you are wearing the hippest new apparel. Click here to see what I mean. Not only have your clothes changed, now you are listening to different kinds of bassoon music. Music that you probably never knew existed. What kind of music am I refering to? Well, click here you radical!
Now, you are ready to take on the world, or at least the rehearsal hall and never forget that you heard it at Ellistrations Music Apparel first!
The Violent History of the Bassoon
By ELMO
copyright 2005 Ellistrations
Most people know nothing about the brave and distinguished history of the Bassoon and the role it has played in the Marital Arts.
During the feudal Heiji War in Japan(c. 900 AD) it was not uncommon to see Samurai Warriors carrying Bassoons.
Later, China would pick up the mantle with the little known "Bassoo
n
Revolt" in which bassoons were fitted with a sharp, spear like
projection.
Many cultures throughout Asia, to include the continent of Africa, have
used the bassoon in the past to use as a blow gun. Certain parts of the bassoon were blown through, launching a deadly, poison dart which could instantly cripple any prey or enemy.
The tradition of launching projectiles from bassoons was not used in modern times until World war II when the United States 6th Infantry was deployed
in what would become known as the "Battle of Beer Tent Hill".
So, bassoonists be proud of your heritage because it was forged by blood and double reeds!
The Basics of Breathing For Wind Players ...By ElmoOriginally Posted 01/13/06Students always seem to neglect the importance of the air ?stream and therefore suffer from consequential problems; poor sound production, lousy intonation, limited range and the inability to phrase efficiently. Any woodwind player or brass player can eliminate these problems by developing the ability to control breathing while playing . Usually the proper application of correct breathing can correct problems such as these.
Believe it or not, we don't use very much of our breathing capacity ! Usually when you breathe, you only use about 28 per cent of your full breathing capacity. The real problem is when you need to increase the capacity sufficiently to fill your instrument. When you inhale you use two forms a vacuum. One created by the diaphragm, the other by the muscles around the rib cage. Diaphramatic Breathing Here is a good demonstration of Diaphragmatic Breathing : Exhale all the air from your system, open your throat as if yawning and pant rapidly using the diaphragm ensuring the upper part of your body and chest area stays perfectly still. This rapid panting action creates a vacuum that sucks air into the lungs. If this is done correctly you will feel not only the stomach area expand, the top of your hips and back of your trunk will expand also. Costal Breathing ? The costal muscles are situated around the rib cage and they can create a vacuum when inhaling. An easy way to demonstrate this method is to follow the these simple instructions: Exhale all the air in your body and form a slightly stooped position, drooping the shoulders and leaning forward slightly. Pinch your nose with your fingers and keep your mouth closed. Then, straighten your body, as if a standing to attention. Once you are in a fully upright position, quickly open your mouth. You will feel an immediate suction of air into the chest cavity demonstrating that the costal muscles create a substantial vacuum. 1. Continuous Breathing First of all set your metronome to 60 beats per minute, release all the air from your system like a deflated balloon. Slowly breathe in through your nose to the count of 10 (if you can hear yourself breathing in you are inhaling too quickly), then exhale through your mouth for a count of 10 then immediately repeat the exercise ensuring an even and smooth inhalation and exhalation of air. 2. Yoga Breathing Again, set a metronome to 60 beats per minute, inhale to the count of 10, hold the breath for a further count of 10, then exhale for another account of 10. If you do this slowly and evenly, over a period of time you will increase your breathing capacity substantially. You will also find that if you suffer with nerves these exercises will help relax your body and reduce those unwanted tense and stressful performances. By studying the styles and teachings of some of the world's finest performers I have learned that the ability to control your breathing is the most important fundamental of playing a wind instrument. Spend at least 10 minutes a day doing simple breathing exercises with and without the instrument and you'll find that your control of the basic elements of your playing will improve dramatically. Alternatively, if you lose sight of your fundamentals they will some day come back to haunt you!
What inspires you?By Elmo
Originally Posted 12/22/05
Ellistrations Music Apparel and Gifts
We all know the music is pretty inspirational thing. We you’re in a parade or on a stage, maybe even marching on a football field…people take notice. The melody of an instrument or the smooth sound of a singer’s voice can often times leave people standing in their tracks. And in many situations it can lift a person’s spirits, bring pride to a community or even increase the enthusiasm of fans watching a football game.
But to inspire, one must first be inspired. Very few musicians have the natural talent of a legendary guy like Mozart, a man who seemed born to create beautiful music. But most of us (including the mega-popular Christina Aguilera who debuted on the talent Show “Star Search” at a very young age) need endless practicing to get our music to the level of performance quality art. But that takes work…A LOT of work.
What exactly is it that motivates musicians to work tirelessly to improve their musical talent? What inspires them? What inspires you? Somewhere along the way you’ve been encouraged, inspired and motivated. What happened to make you endure the countless weekends and summers spent with band mates, participating in band camp? Was there a role model in your life that made you want to be a musician? Maybe a parent, a friend or an older brother or sister who has had a big impact on your life? Or was it something entirely different? Maybe it’s simply the music itself that inspires you to practice and improve day after day.
Whatever the reason, share with us some stories of the people and things that inspired you to become a musician. We’ll share your feedback with other readers on the next newsletter. You never know, your words might just be inspirational to someone else.
KEEPING THE FIRE IN YOUR BELLY:
A summertime guide to motivation
Originally Posted 12/12/05
Summer stretches ahead, enticing you with sleeping in and hanging out with friends. Who wants to mess with practicing music or guard work for a marching show that doesn’t mean squat to you now? That sheet music tucked neatly inside your instrument case is probably the last thing on your mind…. right up until the night before band camp despite your good intentions. So how do you keep musically motivated over the summer?
Famous, successful people are masters at being motivated. They weren’t born that way! What is their secret? Let’s look at two things that are the cornerstones for motivation. First, think about why you chose band in the first place. Was it a fascination with music? A form of expression? Did you take up band because it was a good way to get out of gym? Let’s assume you’re in this for the right reasons: the love of playing, the joy of creating, and the satisfaction of mastery. When you've lost motivation to practice, keep in mind what got you here to begin with. Dig down deep and ask yourself why. To keep the fire in your belly, you must have passion for what you are doing. Then write the reason(s) somewhere you can see it and refer to it. Keep the "I" in why you are in band: I love to pay; I want a music scholarship; I love being section leader; I want to make finals at BOA. No one can motivate you better than yourself!
Second, find out what is making you unmotivated. Is it because you don’t know the part and hate what you’re trying to play? Get a recording of the entire song/show. Listen to it from the standpoint of the whole piece, not just your part. Listen to it to enjoy it. Learn to feel the music and anticipate what's going to happen. Then listen just to hear your part. Is the music too difficult? Don’t tackle it all at once. Master a little bit each day and add to it. Before you know it, you will have learned it. Next, you can't create if you don't understand the show. Figure out what the director's concept is. Is it just playing music, or an interpretation of the music, or telling a story on the field? If you're using movie music, rent the movie and understand the story behind the music. Learn all you can about what you are being asked. Take away the fear of the unknown. Finally, if you're not motivated because you think you've got all summer, think again. Life gives you no summers off. Musical mastery and creation is a daily, never-ending road. Don’t put off learning your music. Do a little at a time-today. If you keep delaying until "tomorrow", pretty soon all you will have is a lot of empty yesterdays.
Chopsticks for Dummies"
Originally Posted 11/04/2005
By Elmo As all percussionists know, how well you play is directly influenced byyour wrist strength and your ability to control that strength. Manypercussionists develop this strength by doing many repetitive exercises thatstrengthen the wrist. These exercises are called "chop builders". In thisarticle we will talk about building chops and controlling your hands. The first part of chop building is stick height. A stick should never bemore then 4 inches off the drum in my opinion. By never letting the stick goabove this point you can easily move the stick in the right stickings andright rhythms without struggling to get back on beat on time. Remember stickheight is the key. To maintain a steady stick height stand in front of amirror, and make a mark about 4 inches above your snare on your mirror withan expo marker(these are erasable). Next practice with just one stick. Letthe stick freely bounce on the head, but do not let it pass the line on themirror. Every time you pass it start over and do it again. I recommend doingthis for around 20 minutes on each hand. Your hand may be tired after thisthe first couple of times but I guarantee it will make your stick heightuniform. The second part of chops building is hand control. Your hand shouldnever move the stick, that is the job of your strong wrist. Moving yourwrist and not your hand increases speed. I know this by experience my firstyear in marching band I used my hand to move the sticks...it drasticallyslows down your response time and playing ability. The best way to practice on improving your wrist is to play a simple rhythm on a pillow. The pillowstrengthens your wrist because of the no rebound property of the pillow. Irecommend doing this in an 8 beat one handed pattern.RRRRRRRR LLLLLLLL...etc.And when you can do the quarter notes with out moving yourwrists, move to a new patter.RRLLRRLL LLRRLLRR...etc.After one week ofthis simple exercise you should start to notice and change in your wrists.If at anytime your wrists begin to hurt, discontinue that exercise until themuscles in your wrists heal. It is very easy to strain your wrists if youmove to fast through this exercise. I recommend doing it for at move 10minutes a day for a week and then gradually move up. Practice is the key. If you practice these exercises at least 3 times aweek your chops will begin to become stronger. To maintain strong chops, youmust have a steady practice schedule. I recommend practicing using thisschedule: Monday #1, Wednesday #2, Friday and Sunday-do both exercises.Until next time drummers, play that drum with all of your spiritand heart.
Originally Posted 09/15 /2005A Brief Dissertation onTrumpet Historyby Mark EllisHistory is sometimes a very difficult subject cover because events, ideas, inventions and civilizations are not always compartmentalized into one geographical area or one particular time frame. For example, the history of something like, let’s say umbrellas, may have been a scattering of different ideas, in many different cultures, in several time frames throughout the world. You could have had a development of umbrellas in ancient China around 1000 B.C., while there may have been a similar development in Africa at a much earlier time. This device could have possibly developed in many different places at many other eras.The other problem with tracing an invention like the trumpet, is that once certain civilizations began to become aware of each other, they began to adopt these inventions and modify them.I heard a joke on America’s funniest Home Videos the other night wherein the host of the show said in a humorous tone, that Thomas Crapper (Yes that was really his name and yes, that is where we get the wonderful term “crap” from) around 1860’s in England, was the inventor of the toilet. In reality, Thomas Crapper simply took an idea that had been around for a long time and modified it.The Tale of the TrumpetHistorians do know that before1900 BC, (a time known as the Bronze Age) that ancient civilizations began to use something similar to the trumpet in one form or another. Some of the earliest trumpets in history were used for magical and religious reasons. Sometimes they were sung into (it was always a better sound if you had a good voice) or shouted into. I think there may even have been a man that tried to blow his nose through one, but don’t quote me on that!The earliest of trumpets were made of wood and some were even made of conch shells with holes carved into them. These kinds were found in Africa, South America and the wooden ones were found in places like Switzerland, France and even Brazil.The ShofarThe ancient Hebrews called their horns keren and they were usually made of the horn of a ram or an ox and could emit a few different pitches. The Hebrews eventually used these as ritual signal horns called shofar.
Note!******************************************************************It is a strange fact that these instruments are still made and in use today in the same form that it was in way back in ancient times.******************************************************************The shofar produces only two tones and they are really not that clear. In parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a reference of using the shofar as a war cry and they were litterally called “the trumpets of killing”Sometime around 70 AD the use of all instruments by the Hebrews were banned except for the shofar. There were all sorts of restrictions on this instrument as well. there could be no improvement (modification) on it and decorating or painting it was restricted. Also you couldn’t use the horn’s of a cow (maybe the Hebrews were lactose intolerant) and you could not fix or repair a cracked or broken one.Later metal trumpets of the ancient Hebrews were fashioned and called hatzoroth. They were made of silver, short straight and ended in a slight bell shape.
Greek and Roman TrumpetsThe Greeks and the Romans both had their own versions of the trumpet. The Greeks had a thing called the salphinx and the Romans had something similar to that later on which was called a called a tuba. (Which, of course, is not to be confused with the modern day tuba.) These horns were made of silver and other metals similar to brass and were long funnel like instruments that had a straight bore. Similar instruments like these were found in the tomb of Tutenkhaman’s tomb.Another trumpet that the Romans used was called a buccina and it was a bent instrument usually used by the Roman army.Note!******************************************************************Have you ever watched movies about the Roman Empire like Cleopatra or even Gladiator? Pay attention to the incredible trumpet fanfares that you will hear in these movies. They may make the move sound incredible and a lot more dramatic, but they are very far from reality. In order to play fanfares on trumpet like that you would have to have trumpets with valves, which did not come along until somewhere around 1840 AD.******************************************************************Mouth pieces on the earlier Greek horns were removable while the adopted Roman version were not for some reason. The Eutruscans had an instrument which was a forerunner to another Roman trumpet called the litui and kind if resembled a slightly hooked “J”.The Roman litui served as a calvary signal instrument and they are also mentioned quite a bit in Roman literature. However, they are rarely depicted in pictures or talked about in roman military campaigns.The Roman tuba which I mentioned earlier, looked a lot like a modern bugle that had two bends to it which made it a lot easier for a cavalry man to carry it on horseback during battle. This modification made it about one third its former size.
The Celtic TrumpetCeltic peoples who invaded the fertile northern part of the Roman territory called the Po Valley around the 6th century AD, carried a martial trumpet around with them called a carnyx. This was a long, form with a straight tube and the bell end of it resembled the open mouth of an animal. Scholars believe that the Celts had adopted this desig and horn from Italy. The bell of the instrument is usually held well above the players head as was depicted on a silver cauldron found in northern Germany.Note!**********************************The bell or mouth of the carnyx had a movable tounge that made it sound even worse than it already did. But this was used to really scare the Celts enemy in a time of battle. Think of that the next time someone tells you have lousy tone!***************************************************************any of the things that we still use in the world today are a result of the advancements made during the Roman Empire.
The Basics of Purchasing an Instrument
Ok, I know that I’m usually dealing with musicians here, so here are a few tips on how you can buy an instrument with out spending a ton of dough. Also, if you do not purchase instruments regularly, here are a couple tips to help you out with the process.
Buying a Musical Instrument as a Gift.
First of all, do not buy a person a musical instrument for a birthday or holiday without finding out from them personally what they want. Musicians are usually very touchy about what type of instrument they use. I personally prefer to play on a professional level trombone, usually a Bach Stradavarious 42 series professional instrument. I also like to use a 6 1/2 AL mouthpiece. The point of all of this is that without having specific information you should never purchase a instrument for someone else.
Having said that, there are of course other gifts that you could easily purchase for musicians though, such as the music apparel at our Web site. (www.Ellistrations.com)
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New or Used ?
Before you do anything, sit down and think about who you are buying for. If you are buying a musical instrument for a person who has been playing for awhile, you can then consider buying a more professional model. As I stated before, you may need to sit down and discuss with the person you are buying for what type of model and make they would like to have.
Of course, if you're buying for yourself you already know this information. The question then becomes, should I buy a new instrument or a used instrument? Even if you have been playing for awhile and would like a decent instrument, you should consider buying a used one.
I have a personal story about how I was thumbing through the newspaper and came upon a brand-new Bach trombone. Now, I don't know why I drug my feet on contacting the people that were selling the instrument, but I did not pursue the instrument for couple days. When I called the lady to selling the trombone, I found out that the floor was brand-new. And to make matters even worse, she had just sold the before I called her. When I asked her how much she let the instrument go for, she replied $600! I was absolutely stunned and upset that I did not call her sooner. When I went on eBay later on that day, I saw the same model trombone being sold for $1800! Oh, how I wanted to kick myself!
So you can find good instruments that are in excellent shape, for very reasonable prices. As I briefly mentioned earlier, the advent of eBay has changed everything. You can now go on eBay and look at all kinds of different musical instruments being sold for very reasonable prices.
Here's a technique I use for purchasing things on eBay that help me get great bargains. Whenever I am looking for an item on eBay, the first place I check of the newly listed instruments. Many times on auction sites people who do not understand what they are doing, list items at a very cheap price. Sometimes they put them at BUY IT NOW prices, which are prices that you can purchase immediately the item you want without waiting for the auction to end. These BUY IT NOW items that are sold by people who really don't know what they are doing yet, are where you will find your bargains.
I have bought cell phones this way as well as many other things and dirt cheap prices. So by watching the BUY IT NOW prices, you can many times find a good sale.
If you really want to find bargain music instruments, go to a lot of yard sales and even off-line regular auctions. Many times businesses will go bankrupt go to sleep and had and they will auction off their wares and this is a great place to find good musical instruments which are high-quality at unusually low prices
How Much do You Want to Spend?
Here is the Ellis method for spending money on musical instruments. First of all, if I am buying for a young person who is just learning, I will try to purchase a used instrument. The reason for doing this is because you do not know if a beginner is going to continue on with music or not. Kids have a very romantic idea of what it takes to be a musician. They see the instrument, whether it is a shiny new trumpet or a neat looking Drum set and their eyes get extremely wide and their pulse starts to race. But, once they set their tailfeathers into a chair and begin to practice and do the work that is required, the honeymoon is over, so to speak. Kids get very discouraged, and for whatever reason fall of love with the instrument. If you have purchased a brand-new instrument now your task is to sell that instrument again as much money back as you can. However, I have bought clarinets that are good-quality for beginners off of eBay or out of the newspaper at a fraction of the cost of a new instrument. Later, when the student does not want the instrument anymore, I can sell it and get most of my money back.
If you're looking for a musical instrument for yourself as a professional model, depending on what instrument you are performing on, things can get very expensive very quickly. As I said before there are different channels for finding instruments. But, be that as it may, if you're purchasing an instrument for serious musician or yourself you can expect to pay anywhere from $2000-$5000 for breast instrument (unless it's a large instrument like a tuba ). If you're playing a bassoon you can actually get into the $20-$30000 range very quickly.
Manufacturer & Model
Since musical instruments are significant purchases that can last a lifetime, researching the quality of the manufacturer and model is imperative. Asking experienced musicians in person and in online music communities are the best means of gathering information. The reviews available from retailers are also useful, although they sometimes downplay negative features.
Where To Buy
There are three primary sources of musical equipment: retailers, auctions, and one-on-one sales like newspaper classifieds. If you're willing to spend some time sifting through auction or personal listings for a diamond in the rough, you are likely to find a good deal. If you need the gear now and want to go retail, a price-comparison service like MySimon is invaluable.
News! News! News! We now have the Flute section page up and running and its alternate name is the Flute Note Page.We are going to have an ongoing Flute lesson Page with FREE flute lessons on them and we have a Native American Flute page as well. I have just finished designing a beautiful Native American Flute pullover to our inventory. Keep checking our site for new updates and new products!God Bless,Mark
The Flute Note is Coming! Well, I at least got the Trumpet and Trombone Sections of our site up, now I am working on the Flute Section which will also be called "The Flute Note" This section will have brand new Ellistrated apparel such as flute shirts, hats and even purses. So, all of you flute players keep an eye out for the Flute Note Section which will be out in a few days. We will have a section on exotic flutes as well as a flute lesson section of the site as well. If anyone can write well about instrument performance we can use it on our site. We will try to post it if it is written well. We get hundreds of people through our site and we will even provide a link to your site if it is relevant to music. Mark
Ellistrations Web Site UpdatesIn case any of our subscribers have been wondering what has happened to the Ellistrations Newsletter, let me just send you this note to let you know what has happened to us. First of all, if anybody tells you that it is easy to make money on the Internet and all you have to do is set up a Web site and get products and yadda, yadda, yadda, just tell them if they don't leave you alone you'll attach yourself to their lower lip until they beg for mercy. I have had my site (www.ellistrations.com) for several years now and have not had that kind of success. I have followed all kinds of advice from "the marketing experts" and have purchased an expensive course or two and have had very little success. If anybody REALLY knows where I'm going wrong, please email me at: mark.ellis@insightbb.com, but I'm just not getting it.This is not to say that I have made no money. Yes, I do make some money off of this site, but not enough to quit my day job. The point I'm trying to make here is that this Web site has been a lot of work and I have had to do a lot of research to make our site more interesting. Just for one page I have had to put in 3 hours of research just to find subjects that are interesting to our readers.The problem with our site (in the past) has been that it has been extremely static. You come to out site, and right off the bat I'm selling you something. Not anymore. Not only is that boring, it is no fun for me or more importantly YOU!And that's why you haven't gotten our Ellistrations Newsletter lately. I'm loading the site with content, new products, funny pictures, jokes free Ebooks and as much cool stuff as I can find. Here are some of the new updates that we now have:A new Trumpet Section pageTrumpet History PageTrumpet Accessory PageTrumpet Section PageNew Trombone Section PageTrombone Mouthpieces PageTrombone Accessory PageNow this may not look like much, but with all of the research and pictures that I had to do, it requires a lot of time. I am adding content to these pages . Our readers and clients want content, not just products and that is what we are trying to do.For example, you can get a free ebook on the History of the Trumpet and there are all sorts of new product ideas and reviews.Anyway, to cut this a little short, go to our site www.ellistrations.com and take a look at these new updates and tell me what you think. I'd be interested in hearing from you.Mark EllisWeb site guy , manager, and product creatorwww.ellistrations.com
The New Newsletter Archive From Ellistrations! We have now added a Newsletter archive on our Web site with a lot of our past articles. You'll find motivation practice information as well as practice techniques for instrumentalists. We have also recently updated our Trumpet Section which should be more entertaining as well as informative. There is also a link to our free Ebook on Trumpet History there as well. I stayed up until 3 ahem last night trying to put together the Trombeone Section...I hope accordian players will have a sense of humor when they read that page. We'll also have a unique Trombone Accessory page as well as a Jazz Trombone Transcription page. Please stay tuned for more update information!
The Trumpet Section is Here !!!Well, I finally got our trumpet pages up and running. There is now a Trumpet Page which is nothing more than a starting page for all of the other pages I'm about to add. There is also a Trumpet History Page that has information about my new and FREE Ebook on the history of the trumpet. (There seems to be a lot of confusion about who invented the trumpet, this little Ebook will clear that up.) I have also completed The Trumpet Accessory Page as well. This is where you can find new and exciting things to accessorize with your trumpet. I have also thrown in a few jokes and crazy pictures as well!Please stay tuned because in the next couple of weeks, I'm gonna revamp the whole web site!Se ya around,Markwww.ellistrations.com
