Which reminds me - one time in Charlotte Amelie on St. Thomas I saw huge steel drum bands - their versions of classical music are fascinating. Maybe I should post some.
I'm going to run out of words to describe that video. Mesmerizing, brilliant, beautiful, just to say a few things. The precision, timing, and awareness of those two is incredible. Playing or hearing a band play, my musician friends comment on how tight the players are. Tight doesn't come close to describing what percussive instruments require. Holy cow, that made my morning. Thanks.
Listening to the link prompts me to wonder if it expresses another version of the Adam and Eve Saga, the part where the Creator breathes into natural material with a "very good" outcome! What King James refers to as "as living soul" is also present when two of those get together to work in partnership with the formed wood to create a unique "Third Thing" even though it follows a pattern set up by another, each performance is one of a kind. Outstanding, Inspiring and Very Very Good!!!
The Musical Mashup that follows the selection posted is also intriguing
I once had the opportunity to play a xylophone - or, as the owner pronounced it "Ex-zylo-phone". I figured it would be somewhat intuitive as I grew up playing the piano. Boy was I ever wrong - that thing was nigh on impossible to play.
Now, scale that up 1.5 or 2 times and you approach the size of a marimba. Notice how the players have to move sideways up and down the instrument to reach the notes. That is mind blowing - not only do they manage to find the bars they want but they have to hike to get to them.
Another tangent I got off on was the derivation of the marimba from the balafon. I have been looking for a YouTube video of my friend playing - he is very good at it. All I have found so far is him playing drums, at which he is also very good.
Yes, along with the fleet flicker of eye contact between the two working in concert, keeping them in sync!
As for tinkly sounds, I use store bought ice for the sound it makes in my ice tea and water, along with the crunch it has when chewed. Ice from the refridge is dull in comparison.
I played four handbells for a two year stint in a church handbell choir, but my eye-hand coordination is such that handling any MOAR than that was not in my skill set so I stood in one spot. Unfortunately my ability to tolerate more of the woman director (whom the pastor described as a finely tuned violin) reached a limit and I decided to quit as did several others and the bell choir ceased to be, with worship styles changing as well soon after that. I wonder though if a different director could have kept the choir alive as there is something deeply satisfying and fun about working together like that with each in charge of different notes.
15 comments:
Very pleasant photo to view w/ my first cup o' joe.
I was out working in my shop as that sunrise unfolded - what a great way to greet the day, eh?
Wood is versatile.
Indeed - the sonorities provided by those marimbas are amazing. It's really hard to mess up Bach's music regardless of what instrument you play it on.
Which reminds me - one time in Charlotte Amelie on St. Thomas I saw huge steel drum bands - their versions of classical music are fascinating. Maybe I should post some.
I'm going to run out of words to describe that video. Mesmerizing, brilliant, beautiful, just to say a few things. The precision, timing, and awareness of those two is incredible. Playing or hearing a band play, my musician friends comment on how tight the players are. Tight doesn't come close to describing what percussive instruments require. Holy cow, that made my morning. Thanks.
Listening to the link prompts me to wonder if it expresses another version of the Adam and Eve Saga, the part where the Creator breathes into natural material with a "very good" outcome! What King James refers to as "as living soul" is also present when two of those get together to work in partnership with the formed wood to create a unique "Third Thing" even though it follows a pattern set up by another, each performance is one of a kind. Outstanding, Inspiring and Very Very Good!!!
The Musical Mashup that follows the selection posted is also intriguing
Please do, Sixty. The hand-eye coordination of the marimba players blows me away.
I once had the opportunity to play a xylophone - or, as the owner pronounced it "Ex-zylo-phone". I figured it would be somewhat intuitive as I grew up playing the piano. Boy was I ever wrong - that thing was nigh on impossible to play.
Now, scale that up 1.5 or 2 times and you approach the size of a marimba. Notice how the players have to move sideways up and down the instrument to reach the notes. That is mind blowing - not only do they manage to find the bars they want but they have to hike to get to them.
Another tangent I got off on was the derivation of the marimba from the balafon. I have been looking for a YouTube video of my friend playing - he is very good at it. All I have found so far is him playing drums, at which he is also very good.
Now I've heard everything -- Bach made to sound tinkly.
You made me laugh, ricpic - I have several responses but I better simmer down prior to typing them.
The hand-eye coordination
Yes, along with the fleet flicker of eye contact between the two working in concert, keeping them in sync!
As for tinkly sounds, I use store bought ice for the sound it makes in my ice tea and water, along with the crunch it has when chewed. Ice from the refridge is dull in comparison.
"Notice how the players have to move sideways up and down the instrument to reach the notes."
Handbells make you do the same thing.
"MORE HANDBELLS!!"
I played four handbells for a two year stint in a church handbell choir, but my eye-hand coordination is such that handling any MOAR than that was not in my skill set so I stood in one spot. Unfortunately my ability to tolerate more of the woman director (whom the pastor described as a finely tuned violin) reached a limit and I decided to quit as did several others and the bell choir ceased to be, with worship styles changing as well soon after that. I wonder though if a different director could have kept the choir alive as there is something deeply satisfying and fun about working together like that with each in charge of different notes.
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