What in the World is a Saraswati Veena?

The Saraswati veena is a plucked, stringed musical instrument from India whose origins date back to around 1700 BCE. This veena (also spelled vina), a member of the lute family, as are the chitra, vichitra, and rudra veenas. Dr. Tara Rajendran is a classically trained veena player (as well as a medical doctor – please […]

Product & Industry News for the Week of Aug. 9

Neunaber Audio of Orange, Ca. has released Illumine, the company’s latest reverb pedal. In a press release, the company said its new “reverb machine” includes “17 studio-quality reverbs, 50 presets, MIDI and powerful expression control, [and] comes in a low-power, pedalboard-friendly package with top jacks.” The Illumine reverb pedal is available online at https://neunaber.net/illumine.   Gibson […]

Back to School: Choose Your Instrument and Find Your Voice

Band & Orchestra School band and orchestra instruments are divided into four categories: brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. Following is a brief look at each one. Brass: Brass instruments make their sounds through the lip vibrations of the player, combined with the movements of a slide, in the case of trombones, or the opening and […]

Back to School: Participation in School Band, Orchestra & Chorus Offers Countless Benefits – Both in Music & Beyond

As the calendar turns to August, we begin to hear the words “back to school,” much to the chagrin of many students. This is a chance, however, for students to explore participation in their schools’ music programs, be it by playing an instrument in the band or orchestra, or by singing in the choir. MakingMusicMag.com […]

Versatile Musician/Repair Tech Offers Maintenance Tips for Woodwind & Brass Players

A serious, dedicated musician often possesses a passion for music which a non-musician may not fully comprehend. Indeed, this enthusiasm can continue to drive said musician, even though he or she may be forced to turn to non-musical endeavors simply to earn a living. The rare musician who can live a fully musical life, at […]

Trumpeter/hornist Jeff Stockham talks about playing historic instruments & his work in the film “Lincoln”

Trumpeter/hornist Jeff Stockham recently came to the Making Music offices for what turned out to be a rather lengthy interview about his passion for historic brass instruments — both playing them and collecting them. One of the many ensembles in which Stockham plays, in fact, is The Excelsior Cornet Band, New York State’s only authentic […]