I know there are already a couple of music threads floating around, but I’m not aware of any for musicians.
Are there any other Core members who play music? This thread can be a place to discuss music related things of any sort.
Me, I grew up playing piano, switched to brass instruments in high school, and then moved onto guitar & bass guitar. I like the idea of making electronic music too, but the furthest I’ve got with that was a fruityloops experimentation phase… I don’t pigeonhole myself as a guitarist - I’m more interested in songwriting.
Before I decided to enter an ID course, I also briefly considered becoming a luthier. I’d forgotten that little period of my life, and remembering it today made me want to make this thread.
So, who else plays music, and does it relate in any way at all to you and your experience of design?
Currently, diatonic accordion (squeeze box); German, and Zydeco. But I seldom play for anyone other than myself, since by definition, “A gentleman is a person who can play the accordion, but does not.”
7th grade through graduation from Purdue; baritone horn.
I’ve played guitar for a while. It’s the “decompressor” for me when I’ve just had enough of everything.
I did do my final year project on Musical Instrument Instruction and designed a product to aid the process. I think the report on it is still in the uni resource centre. I would have thrown it out though…
I’ve been playing guitar since… 3rd or 4th grade, so that means 13 or 14 years now? One of my senior projects was to design and build a guitar, which expanded into two guitars and an amplifier:
In addition to the ones I’ve built, my father and I collect guitars. When I lived at home it was a more impressive collection, now that I’m gone he holds on to most of the cool ones.
2007 Parts-ocaster, random jumble of eBay strat parts I threw together
1988 Fender Japanese Strat (my first guitar, I’ve modified it so much only the body itself is original)
1997 Fender Telecaster RI
1981 Fender “The Strat” very unique guitar
1977 Fender American Deluxe Strat
1986 PRS Custom 24, signed by Paul Reed Smith himself on the back electronics cover
2004 Eric Clapton model Martin acoustic
2009 Martin ‘arts and crafts’ model custom ordered from the factory
Some cheapo Fender acoustic picked up for free on craigslist, nice to throw around and not care about
I’m looking into picking up a Les Paul Studio for that crunchy rock tone and short scale length vibrato, but I have other priorities right now.
When something shakes in your car driving from work… it’s because it hit its natural resonance.
After the dissection of many healthy human brains the only noted difference is that of a musicians.
When learning music you fuse a small part the left and right side of your brain.
Einstein himself says that the reason he was so smart is because he played the violin.
10.High school students who study music have higher grade point averages that those who don’t.
11.Hungary, Japan, and the Netherlands, the top three academic countries in the world, all place a great emphasis on music education and participation in music.
When something shakes in your car driving from work… it’s because it hit its natural resonance.
After the dissection of many healthy human brains the only noted difference is that of a musicians.
When learning music you fuse a small part the left and right side of your brain.
Einstein himself says that the reason he was so smart is because he played the violin.
10.High school students who study music have higher grade point averages that those who don’t.
11.Hungary, Japan, and the Netherlands, the top three academic countries in the world, all place a great emphasis on music education and participation in music.
Kids that participate in music activities are less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs. (from a Texan report on drug and alcohol abuse).
“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music” - Gerald Ford
The world of ID and music seem so close yet so far. I think that’s because in music products, so much more value is placed on heritage. Because music is so derivative, the goal is to have ‘tone like hendrix’, or a stradivarius violin or whatever. If the benchmark is what came before, then you want what helped those people make what came before.
The only real avenue that isn’t (almost) completely tapped out is electronic music, and the innovation in things like the KAOS pad, the roland electric guitar and pickups, or the variax, or synth/digital music.
Musical instruments seem like art, and the common wisdom is if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I suppose some improvements do come about, but very very slwoly, and it takes a long time until they are accepted. things like brass instrument headphone mutes, Floyd Rose Tremolo, music stands, tuners, etc are all making a difference, but it’s not much really is it.
I love the idea of making my own music products, but the two worlds seem to overlap only in intangible ways.
As far as my guitars go, I have a 77 Fender acoustic (thanks Mum), a 78 Ibanez ‘Lawsuit’ Les Paul (thanks Dad), a Cort bass, a cheap Strat copy, and an old nylon stringer that got given to me.
I’ve been playing guitar for almost 3 years, since I got one for giving some guy Russian lessons. Strangely enough, though, it’s not influencing my ID work. I see playing it as a release from all that analytical and creative thinking.
I think it would be fun to try and design a musical instrument. The amount of constraints would make it challenging, and although you couldn’t totally change the form and materials, I’m sure there’s more freedom than is readily visible. Maybe I’ll do that for my senior project…
I played Baritone/Euphonium (a Baritone in marching band form) up until college but haven’t played since. I would love to own one now but can’t afford the usually hefty price tag of a large brass instrument like that.
And as long as we’re on the topic, check out this instrument from Eigenlab called the Eigenharp. I was really captivated by the versatility of this thing. Kind of overwhelming in a way. But very cool. I love the analog quality of the mouth piece built in to such a digitally oriented product. The videos really show it off.
Baritones rule! I played from 7th grade through graduation from Purdue. Prices aren’t so bad … eBay $400 on up.
The Eigenharp looks like fun. A cross between a woodwind bassoon, held like a sax, and a guitar played like a piano, or a string bass … . with synthetic brass, and a percussion section … …
But at $5,800 it costs a bit more than a baritone horn.
) at speed!
