It all started with a pair of drum sticks and a catalogue and Tom Finn was hooked on Ludwig drums. These days he not only plays them in a number of different bands, but also has a basement full of drums of all sizes in various stages of repair. “My neighbor had a drum kit […]
The sitar is a member of the lute family of stringed instruments; it is popular in northern India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and is used to play classical music in the Hindustani tradition. The word sitar is derived from the Persian word sehtar, meaning “three strings.” Origin and Construction The precise origin of the sitar is […]
As we musicians surely know, playing your instrument – in my case the acoustic guitar – is often a source of great joy and happiness. To be sure, mastering a certain technique or learning a difficult piece of music can be frustrating, aggravating, or annoying if your progress isn’t what you desire. But the sense […]
James Carney is an award-winning improvisational pianist and composer who has recorded for some of the leading “record” labels and has performed with several of today’s top jazz musicians. He is also a highly sought-after piano technician who restores and sells older instruments from his workshop in Brooklyn, NY. He is, indeed, a “rare bird” […]
It was almost by accident that Tom Hosmer got into the violin repair business. Almost five decades later, he’s still at work. Hosmer Violins in Fayetteville, NY, will be 50 years old in November; his shop is Central New York’s go-to place for the repair and restoration of violins, violas, and cellos. After studying photography in […]
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 […]
The oud is one of the oldest stringed instruments still in play today. Arabic tradition traces the oud back to Lamech, a descendant of the Biblical figures Adam and Cain. Indeed, oud-like instruments have been discovered at archaeological sites in Egypt and Mesopotamia (located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is today Iraq). […]
A guide to this small South American powerhouse If you were to take a mandolin, combine it with a ukulele and maybe toss in some oud or perhaps a bit balalaika, you might very well end up with a charango. So, what’s a charango? This diminutive, multi-stringed, multi-coursed, hollow-bodied axe offers up sweet sounds reminiscent […]
Walk into any music store and you will almost certainly see, besides all the instruments and associated gear, a display of music books. Some might be instructional in nature while others may comprise collections of songs based upon a specific songwriter’s or band’s catalogue, or some other theme. Have you ever wondered what goes into […]
As an enterprising force in the world of indigenous and exotic instruments, Sandra further engages in collaborations with a many musicians working with diverse genres of music. Sandra goes on to create and personally facilitate musical study trips to different countries — leading people into the heart of individual folk cultures through the music and dance of each country. She strives to nurture a deep love of music and the arts in both children and adults.