Category: Videos

Mike Rowe On Education and Jobs

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Mike Rowe On Education and Jobs

This is a great video. It applies to all things, including music. Budgets in states are cutting all kinds of things, like woodshop, auto shop, and MUSIC. These programs are deemed not necessary. Ha! They are totally necessary to provide real skills for students. Who really cares if you can do a Trig problem…..can you take apart a car piece and put it back? Can you change the oil? Can you see patterns in music and notice when a theme happens and when it comes back? Can you hear that you are in tune? Can you keep a beat?

I’m really sad for the kids going through the educational system now. All the money they keep throwing at it and the results (in California) aren’t happening.

Videos

NAMM Oddities

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on NAMM Oddities

One of my favorite sites every year is the NAMM Oddities site where Barry Wood puts up strange things he saw at the annual NAMM show. This year there were a LOT of iPad things. Most of the things are geared towards drums and guitar and tech. However, there was ONE thing on the NAMM oddities page that caught my attention.

JoyTunes has developed a rather interesting learning system for recorder. Check it out. It could easily be applied to any woodwind or brasswind instrument. Stuff like this has been around for piano for ages. Sorta like Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Check it out for yourselves and decide.

Articles, Videos

Vibrato – Polycarbonate Saxophones

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Vibrato – Polycarbonate Saxophones

Three years ago, I mentioned that a company was making an all plastic saxophone. Seems like they are actually getting them out now. And flooding YouTube with clips. Their website has 3 models of Altos listed, and a tenor. Only two of the alto links on the site work. And there are no prices or dealers mentioned.

It’s an interesting idea. Really depends on the pricing. I’d say from a teacher prospective, plastic isn’t as durable as metal. Metal rods and keys can get bent, and then bent back into position. A plastic key? I dunno…..snap off?

Most of the video links on their site are pretty crappy. Best one is below. He sounds good on the Vibrato saxophone.

Personally, I’m waiting on a carbon fiber saxophone……..

Articles, Videos

Playing With Effects Pedals – Dean Mongerio

Posted on By ericdano No Comments on Playing With Effects Pedals – Dean Mongerio

Sometimes, I find things that are just totally cool. This is one of them. Florida based Saxophonist Dean Mongerio showing off his pedals and stuff. Here is what I saw that he is using.

1. BBE SupraCharger Power supply
2. Eventide PitchFactor Harmonizer
3. Q-Tron (older model?)
4. Troop Bypass looper
5. Keeley 4 Knob Compressor
6. MXR M169 Carbon Copy Analog Delay Guitar Effects Pedal
7. MXR M-108 Ten Band Graphic EQ
8. DigiTech Hardwire Series RV-7 Reverb Guitar Effects Pedal
9. Radial ProDI Passive Direct Box

I’ve always loved effects on saxophone since hearing those amazing Brecker Brothers albums in the 70s. I have been experimenting with pedals using software on my iPad and EWI (working on an article/review) which is actually quite useable. Plus, the iRig also works with a dynamic mic like a Shure 57 Beta. So you can pipe your Sax into the iRig and run it through Ampitude on your iPad or iPhone.
EDIT: Upon further testing, the iPad/iPod/iPhone iRig and EWI is very cool. Though it does work with a microphone like a Shure 57, it sounds like crap and picks up way too much other noise to be practical.

But here is Dean doing it to more old fashioned and probably better way……

Part One

Part Two

Articles, Videos