-
-
“I played the wrong, wrong notes.” ~ Thelonious Monk
My Fav Music Store
Quinn the Eskimo Vintage Horns
Blogroll
In the Clouds
Flickr Photos
-
Recent Posts
Blog Stats
- 456,726 hits
Subjects
Archives
Meta
Lamps Made from Used Musical Instruments
Many of us are hard pressed to throw away our damaged and unplayable instruments. So what to do with say a sax that you spent so much time learning to voice correctly and play with some level of skill? Some of us recycle these instruments into a lamp. My wife created this soprano sax lamp from an instrument that got destroyed in a theater pit band.
As my friend Terry sez:
“Here in America at least, the Home Depot and other such places sell a threaded hollow rod that can be used to assemble lamps made of a series of objects. Usually used for hollow vases and the like, it can also be used for stringing together clarinet joints together with a base to make a lamp.
You cut the rod to length, allowing enough for the protrusion at the top end (for the socket) and for the protrusion at the bottom (through the base and into (but not through) the recess drill for the nut and cord clearance). Then, you run a nut onto the top end with a washer big enough to bear either on the top of the barrel, or sized so as to fit into the socket at the top. Then, you pass the other end of the rod down through the clarinet, through the base, and then put another washer and nut on the bottom and make it all up tight.
You then drop a piece of string through the rod, pull the lamp cord through, wire it up and there you go. A lamp harp mount can also be threaded onto the rod, just below the socket.”
The only time it hurts to do this, in my opinion, is when you take a classic vintage instrument such as a Selmer Mark VI that could be repaired, and ruin it by making it into a lamp. Yes, I’ve seen more than a few of these mentioned in the saxophone forums. Usually the report of such instruments is accompanied with much gnashing of teeth.
Using a lamp making kit makes the electrical bits safer and easy to do. No electrician should be needed if you follow the directions careful and don’t work on it with the power cord plugged into the wall. No, really… ;O)
Posted in Art, Hobbies, Repair, Saxophone
4 Comments
Halloween Costumes We’ll Never See
So which of my friends will be the first to wear this costume? I know, in my dreams. 
I Can’t Find My Phone
http://www.icantfindmyphone.com/ is brilliant!
Exercise for Nerds:
Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5- kg potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
Each day you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10- kg potato bags.
Then try 50- kg potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100- kg potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
(I’m at this level.)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.
Posted in Health and wellness, Humor, Nerds
Leave a comment
Quintessence Saxophone Quintet plays Bach
I so luv these guys and keep gravitating back to them. Meet the Quintessence Saxophone Quartet. Here’s what they say about the group:
The Quintessence Saxophone Quintet ranks among the most creative contemporary saxophone ensembles worldwide. The five have become very adept in modern adaptation of classical and barock masterpieces of composer such as: Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Mozart or Handel. The sheer beauty of the Classics intermingle with the vibrancy of Jazz to produce a single entity without stylistic restrictions.
Uli Lettermann (soprano & alto), Sven Hoffmann (alto & soprano), Andreas Menzel (tenor & alto), Kai Niedermeier (tenor), Anatole Gomersall (baritone) produce a quality of sound that can change at a moment’s notice from the imposing power of mouth-blown brass to a subtle airy whisper akin to a string quartet.
Since their foundation in 1993, QSQ has been seen on numerous stages, at events and festivals worldwide. The Culture Art Hall in Seoul, The Leipzig Bach Festival, The Rheingau Musik Festival, The Beethoven Festival in Bonn or the Reconstruction Concerts of the “Frauenkirche” in Dresden are impressive examples. The QSQ has shared the stage with stars like Bobby McFerrin, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and the legendary Jacques Loussier.
An important aim of QSQ is to touch the audience’s heart rather than just appeal to the intellect. Each concert is a celebration in which the audience can laugh and rejoice. The witty presentation, more or less comical choreographic contributions and intelligently humorous arrangements make the ingredients for a new approach to the enjoyment of classical music. Quintessence is entirely saxophone and over the top entertainment.
Here is one of my fav recordings by them:
Can’t believe there are only five of them.
You can by CDs from their site or Amazon.
Posted in Entertainment, Hobbies, International, Music, Sax Quintet, Saxophone
Leave a comment
Baritone Sax Fun
I picked up a series of gigs in December playing bari sax in a USO-like big band. I luv the folks in the front row who are all solid sax players. So I’ll have some post in the near future about that gig. But it got me to thinking about my favorite bari sax picture. Those who know me understand that I only like maybe 1 out of a hundred pictures I take. This one of my granddaughter is one of those.
I have been lucky enough to spend some time with two of my four grandkids. We have worked on reading projects, music education, as well as sharing time on xBox’s “The Beatles” Rock Band. I’m not really a gamer, but I have been know to find killer games for my family game fanatics. Maybe some day I will get to be in a band with three generations of family. Now that would be way cool.
Posted in Education, Family, Music, Saxophone
Leave a comment
Name that car, the car that never was…
Suzy and I were thinking about buying this car when it was to be released over six years ago. But although there was a lot of hoopla, the vehicle was never mass produced. Can you name this car?
Yes, it was to be from Buick. And there was going to be a Tiger Woods limited edition model.
Posted in Cars, Oddities, Vintage
Leave a comment
ID Theft ~ Are you next?
A friend of mine got her purse stolen from her car. She parks her car out in front of her house overnight with the purse in the unlocked car. Who does this kind of thing? More people than you can possibly imagine. Her hubby got a call at work when he was in a meeting. Apparently one of the card companies noted that someone was buying gas all over town with the card. Sigh…
So here are some simple steps to reduce your chance of living through the nightmare of trying to back yourself out of this predicament.
Copy all your credit cards using a copier, once a year and file that copy away.
Check your credit report at least once a year
- To see whether accounts have been opened in your name without your knowledge
- To spot unexpected delinquency on established accounts
- To review your credit report before making a major purchase
Do not leave a lot of financial records lying around your house for prying eyes to see
- Do not keep information that you don’t need in your purse or wallet
- Do not leave credit or debit card receipts at the ATM, gas pump, or anywhere else
- Do not keep personal identification numbers attached to credit, debit, or ATM cards
- Shred personal records or get rid of them as effectively as possible
- Beware of giving information to anyone over the phone or Internet unless you initiate the contact
- Remember that your bank or credit card issuers already have your account numbers, PINs, access codes, passwords, Social Security numbers and other information they need. They won’t phone or e-mail you to ask for it.
- Protect your mail –send and receive it safely
Contact: http://www.AnnualCreditReport.comfor a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies (i.e.,“credit bureaus”): Equifax, Experian, TransUnion
If you think you have had your info stolen do the following and NOW:
- Contact the financial institutions or the companies where the information about you has been misused and let them know that you’re a victim of Identity Theft
- Contact the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to report your suspicions about Identity Theft, and request a fraud alert
- Contact your local police department to report the crime, and get a copy of your police report
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission for helpful information and because the FTC tracks incidents of Identity Theft
Posted in Community, Guides, In the news..., Security
Leave a comment
