Music Factory

When I was in the fifth grade I was given an ultimatum: join the choir or join the band. As a shy and sometime awkward child, singing in front of a large group of people was out of the question. Not knowing what instrument to pick, I decided on the only one that I knew: the trumpet.

My parents were able to find me an affordable student trumpet and even paid for private lessons, but I never developed a passion for playing. The only songs that I found bearable were classic rock staples from a couple of specialty music books. After three years of struggling to develop my musical skills, I gave up any sort of musical endeavor.

This is a common question for the individual or parent of a bassoonist.  By calling a local University or community band would be the best first step.  A beginning bassoon player can fall prey to the local music store scams with having to sometimes deal with a general music teacher who is not a specialist.  By far the best of all choices is finding the local bassoon teacher who has a large teaching schedule and is truly dedicated to the art. They are used to teaching all levels – beginner, intermediate, step-up and professional bassoon players.  A great choice in bassoons are the ones made by Wurzbach – great sound, pitch and construction.

It’s a tale that’s all too familiar. A group of friends forms a rock band during college and plays local bars and performance venues, building a dedicated fan base along the way. A few personnel changes take place – due to conflicting schedules or changing priorities. At a certain point, the band plays a showcase in front of record company A & R reps and other industry insiders. And then… nothing.

Even the most talented musicians find themselves treading water because their music doesn’t get the exposure it deserves. The only fail-safe way of getting such exposure is to take the bull by the horns and record some demos. Demo recordings don’t have to feature inferior quality sound. It’s actually quite easy to track down a studio microphone that captures crystal-clear vocal takes. Armed with the right equipment, the sky is the limit for a truly talented band.

Who said all video games were just entertainment? While music video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band might be all that close to the real thing (with the exception of the drums), these video games have inspired kids to learn to play the real instruments. Sales of electric guitars have seen a huge spike since the release of the popular Rock Band franchise, which features both electric guitars and bass guitars as two of the instruments. These video games, in of themselves, can help kids to appreciate the complexities, and inspire them to learn more about music through experimentation with the actual instruments.

Guitar Hero and Rock Band are becoming more popular by the day, and it just might be these two video games that inspire more and more kids to start garage bands and pursue a career in music. While just playing the video games doesn’t accomplish much, one has to appreciate what video games can do to inspire and educate kids and teens!

The first piccolos used had no keys, as today’s do, and the instrument is sometimes confused with the fife.  The piccolo is used in conjunction with marching drums in traditional formation.

The piccolo was originally made out of wood and was featured in many prominent composers’ works. One of the earliest pieces to use the piccolo was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, only playing during the final (IV) movement. Today, the piccolo can be found made from a range of materials, from plastic (or resin), to silver, to wood. Finely made piccolos often come with a similar variety of options as the flute, such as the split-E mechanism.

The flute is one of the instruments included in the orchestra.  And a lot of orchestra flute players make sure that they get the best instrument to play with.  These instruments need to pass a rigid and stringent screening process to ensure the quality of these instruments.  A flute that doesn’t pass the test will not reach the stores to be sold.
All of the flutes are carefully inspected and played by expert musicians before it goes to the stores.  So, every time you buy a new flute, you know that it deserves to be heard in the orchestra.  These instruments will come in a handsome case and will have a zippered case cover.  And most of them will have warranties as well.

If you are just starting to play the flute it is best to start with a student flute first.  These flutes are not as expensive as the regular flutes but are great instruments nevertheless.  These are great starter flutes for beginners and are very dependable and durable.

There are different brands of student flutes you can find out there.  They basically have all the same features.  You just have to find the best one for you.  Some say the instrument chooses you.  They usually come with a leather-covered case, a polishing cloth and a cleaning rod.  Now, you can start playing your instrument without breaking the bank

When buying a student flute a common question is should I get an open or closed hole flute. At first the closed hole flute will be easier, but there are advantages to moving up to an open hole flute. The main benefit of an open hole student flute is sound. When you lift any finger off an open hole flute the key is vented, and the pitch created produced is quicker versus a closed hole student flute.

Glissandos, or doing pitch bends by sliding your finger over the holes of the flute, is possible with an open hole flute. Many jazz, contemporary, Latin and even popular tunes use this effect. Also, for the more advancing student, there are more alternate fingerings possible with an open hole flute, for better pitch and control.

Many student flutes with open holes already come with removable plugs that can be easily popped out when you become more proficient on an open hole flute. You can still find a cheap flute or discounted flute with open holes, and it can quickly turn out to be a most versatile student flute.

In recent years music simulators have become some of the most popular digital games, with franchises like Rock Band and Guitar Hero drawing huge media attention and amassing a significant fan base.  These games are not only fun, but teach people of all ages about music.  While playing the guitar isn’t a whole lot like the real thing, the drumset, bass guitar, and vocals are quite similar to how real music artists do it.  In fact, the drums from Rock Band are so similar to a real drumset, that people have documented being able to transfer their knowledge and skills directly from one to the other.

It’s important to have people, especially younger people, interested in music because the amount of musicians (both professional and simply adept) has been declining.  Though it’s not quite clear what will happen in the future, if current technology continues to advance, in another year you might have people simulating instruments like the flute, tuba, and saxophone in a digital game!

Despite an active time just over a decade, Led Zeppelin is often hailed as the greatest rock band of all time.  Like most bands, Led Zeppelin had a humble beginning, starting out as four friends who wanted to create original music and incorporate different styles like reggae, soul, and funk.  The band’s four members included Jimmy Page on guitar, Robert Plant on vocals, John Paul Jones on bass guitar and keyboard, and John Bonham on the drums.  These four members were true masters of their craft whose musical style is well recognized today.  Led Zeppelin composed dozens of original songs, and sheet music for their more well known ballads, like Stairway to Heaven, remains some of the top selling sheet music of all time. 

In 1980, drummer John Bonham died, and the band subsequently broke up and wouldn’t collaborate again until 2007.  In December of 2007, Led Zeppelin reunited for a benefit honoring music executive Ahmet Ertegun.  Jason Bonham took his father’s place on the drums, and the concert was well received, proving that the legendary band could still perform at the level that made them famous.