An African violin – The feasibility of using indigenous wood from southern Africa as tonewood

The wood used to make musical instruments needs to have particular properties. Depending on its function, such as a soundboard for string instruments or the body of a wind instrument, different properties are desirable to obtain the best musical quality. Several different classification schemes exist that correlate physical and mechanical properties of wood to define desirable ranges for tonewoods, and to allow suitable wood species to be chosen. The physical and mechanical properties of various wood species indigenous to southern Africa were characterised and then assessed in terms of their suitability for violin construction using these classification schemes. The results of this analysis show that the most suitable of the wood species assessed are yellowwood and sapele. These were subsequently used by a professional luthier to build an ‘African’ violin. The sound quality of this instrument was determined subjectively through performances to an audience and more objectively via spectral analysis of audio recordings. This analysis shows clear differences in the relative magnitude of the harmonics between the violin made from indigenous wood and an instrument made with conventional wood species. Despite the differences, yellowwood and sapele were found to be suitable tonewoods, resulting in an instrument with a unique sound.

PENGGUNAAN METODE DALCROZE DALAM PEMBELAJARAN PIANIKA DI SMA NEGERI 1 TANJUNG RAJA

<p><em>Pianica is a small wind instrument similar to a harmonica, using keyboard blades which has rangeabout three octaves, played by blowing using a flexible pipe connected to the mouth. Pianica learning is designed to train students mentally and physically so that they can interact with others in the form of interactions between students and teachers, the environment, and other learning resources. Furthermore, this study aims to explain the application of the dalcroze method in the pianica learning process and pianica playing techniques using the dalcroze method. The method used in this study refers to the qualitative method using data collection techniques obtained through observation, interviews and field documentation. The results of this study refer to: First, learning pianica is a practical lesson that is useful for improving the skills and abilities and skills of students in playing the musical instrument. In this context, learning dalcroze eurythmics is closely related to solphegio (hearing exercises), improvisation, and eurythmics. Second, the technique of playing the pianica using the dalcroze method is to provide insight and understanding of learning theory, as well as practice. In this case, learning pianica using the Dalcroze method helps the creativity of students in the learning process because it indirectly teaches students to be more thorough, understand and be sensitive to the circumstances or instincts they have.</em></p>

Middle-Ear Resonance Frequency and Eustachian Tube Function in Players of Wind Instruments

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The effect of the continuous forced expiration action of players of wind instruments to produce sound, on the eustachian tube functions and the middle-ear resonance frequency (RF), has not been investigated in the literature to date. The aim of this study is to evaluate eustachian tube functions and the middle-ear RF of players of wind instruments. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this prospective case-control clinical study, a study group of 28 players of wind instruments in the orchestra (28 participants, 56 ears) and a control group of 34 volunteers (34 participants, 68 ears) were included. The eustachian function of wind instrument players in a symphony orchestra was measured using an automatic eustachian tube function test in acoustic tympanometry and the RF of the middle ear was determined in multifrequency tympanometry. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There was a statistically significant difference among the musicians, especially in players of woodwind instruments, in terms of dysfunction of the eustachian tubes (<i>p</i> = 0.048). In the musicians, the pre- and postperformance RF mean values for all ears were 925 and 1,020 Hz, respectively, and these were significantly different (<i>p</i> = 0.004). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This is the first study to uses multifrequency tympanometry to examine the middle-ear RF and eustachian tube function of wind instrument musicians in an orchestra. Eustachian tube dysfunction was found to be more prominent and a higher RF of the middle ear was seen after a performance, especially in players of wood wind instruments. However, the effect of these on the professional performance of players of wind instruments should be investigated in future work.

Effect of respiratory muscle training with wind instrument among obese individuals

Introduction and Aim:One of the most utilized parts of the body when playing a wind instrument is diaphragm. It assists to blow air in and out of your lungs and into the instrument to create sound. Using controlled and measured breaths, the breathing and lung capacity could get improve. Even, music therapy, such as playing wind instrument has been used as a technique for managing and fastening recovery on a physical and emotional level.Therefore, aim of this study was to determine the effects of respiratory muscle training with wind instrument among obese individuals. The objective was to find out the effects of respiratory muscle training with wind instrument in improving maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity and reducing dyspnoea among obese individuals. Materials and Methods: Study included 40 individuals with obesity aged 18-30years. Participants were equally divided into 2 groups- A and B. Group A treated with wind instrument (flute) and group B treated with incentive spirometer, both the groups were treated for 5 days a week for 5 weeks in which 1 session per day for 40 minutes with 5 minutes of warm up, 10 minutes of breathing training, 20 minutes of intervention training program and 5 minutes of cool down. Both the groups were tested for maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity using spirometry and dyspnea was graded with modified borg scale as a pre-test and post-test. Results: The comparison of pre and post-test values of maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity and modified borg scale showed a statistically significant difference with p-value <0.0001. While comparing the post-test values of maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity and modified borg scale between group A and group B, group A showed higher result with statistical significant difference of p-value <0.0001. Conclusion: Playing a wind instrument was found to be more effective than respiratory training using an incentive spirometer.

The Magnitude of the Frequency Jitter of Acoustic Waves Generated by Wind Instruments Is of Relevance for the Live Performance of Music

It is shown that a gold-plated device mounted on a tenor saxophone, forming a small bridge between the mouthpiece and the S-bow, can change two characteristics of the radiated sound: (1) the radiated acoustic energy of the harmonics with emission maxima around 1500–3000 Hz, which is slightly reduced for tones played in the lower register of the saxophone; (2) the frequency jitter of all tones in the regular and upper register of the saxophone show a two-fold increase. Through simulated phase-shifted superimpositions of the recorded waves, it is shown that the cancellation of acoustic energy due to antiphase superimposition is significantly reduced in recordings with the bridge. Simulations with artificially generated acoustic waves confirm that acoustic waves with a certain systematic jitter show less cancelling of the acoustic energy under a phase-shifted superimposition, compared to acoustic waves with no frequency jitter; thus, being beneficial for live performances in small halls with minimal acoustic optimization. The data further indicate that the occasionally hearable “rumble” of a wind instrument orchestra with instruments showing slight differences in the frequency of the harmonics might be reduced (or avoided), if the radiated acoustic waves have a systematic jitter of a certain magnitude.

Airflow and Air Velocity Measurements While Playing Wind Instruments, with Respect to Risk Assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Due to airborne transmission of the coronavirus, the question arose as to how high the risk of spreading infectious particles can be while playing a wind instrument. To examine this question and to help clarify the possible risk, we analyzed 14 wind instruments, first qualitatively by making airflows visible while playing, and second quantitatively by measuring air velocity at three distances (1, 1.5, 2 m) in the direction of the instruments’ bells. Measurements took place with wind instrumentalists of the Bamberg Symphony in their concert hall. Our findings highlight that while playing, no airflows escaping from any of the wind instruments—from the bell with brass instruments or from the mouthpiece, keyholes or bell with woodwinds—were measurable beyond a distance of 1.5 m, regardless of volume, pitch or what was played. With that, air velocity while playing corresponded to the usual value of 1 m/s in hall-like rooms. For air-jet woodwinds, alto flute and piccolo, significant air movements were seen close to the mouthpiece, which escaped directly into the room.

The Dilemmas of Flexibilisation of Vocational Education and Training: A Case Study of the Piano Makers

Context: Dual VET systems are often praised for their labour market proximity because of economic stakeholders’ involvement. However, when labour market requirements change rapidly, a lack of flexibility is attributed to them. This occurs in times of fast socio-technological change like the current digital transformation. A repeatedly proposed measure to increase system flexibility is to reduce the number of occupations and create broader occupational profiles, for example, by combining similar occupations into so-called occupational fields. However, little is known about actually establishing occupational fields.Approach: Against this backdrop, we address the following research question: How was an occupational field created? As Switzerland attempted to merge occupations over a decade ago, we selected an information-rich and illuminative case concerning the research question: The piano makers’ occupation as one of the first occupations required to merge into an occupational field called musical instrument makers together with organ builders and wind instrument makers. Based on a qualitative case study, we reconstruct the process of occupational field construction by combining expert interviews with comprehensive document analysis and present its narrative.Findings: Based on this case study, we contribute to the understanding of VET flexibilisation by detailing occupational field creation and identifying opportunities and challenges. Here, we pay special attention to the institutional work of the affected occupational association and identify the importance of preserving its collective occupational identity. Although regulatory changes disrupted the piano makers’ occupation, the occupational association reinstitutionalised it as part of the musical instrument makers’ occupational field. Over a decade later, the piano makers reintroduced their former occupational title, which is deeply connected to their occupational identity. Conclusion: The results indicate that VET reforms that promote flexibilisation by creating occupational fields encounter serious limitations in collectively governed dual VET systems. In the Swiss system, occupational associations are core collective actors that rely on their members’ voluntary work. To maintain these economic stakeholders’ necessary commitment to VET, their collective occupational identity, symbolized by their long-standing occupational title, needs to be preserved.