It’s an OUTSTANDING idea Paul…but the wrong mag. People counts on people being glued to that d@mn TV and becoming obsessed with the lives of stars rather than getting a life of their own. They aren’t at all likely to run such an article.
I know Mother Earth news ran some brief articles (actually 1-3 pages isn’t bad for a magazine) on making your own music. A fellow who currently makes flutes on the internet–I think Marc Shepherd, but I’m not for absolute sure–did the articles.
It would be better for us as a group to write up a simple article and lesson with a couple songs–fingerings and letters shown above the dots–and offer it to the local paper to be run in the Home Living section or At Ease section or whatever your paper calls it. Other magazines may run it–I don’t know if Reader’s Digest would–they ought to, they have recipes incorporated into ads, darn it. College newspapers go begging for articles on many subjects.
“Put DOWN the remote! Step AWAY from the TV. Do NOT go through the channels for the fourth time looking for something worth watching.”
How’s that for a start? Go on to mention that…
“Many people harbor the desire to learn to play a musical instrument. A lot of instruments of decent quality are expensive for people who may doubt their ability to learn or lack practice time in today’s busy world. However, there are many inexpensive and easy to learn instruments which are small enough to carry with you, giving ample opportunity to practice and enjoy. Get caught by a train on the way to work, or by a few stoplights at busy intersections? There’s 5 minutes at a time that you’re not doing anything–whip out your instrument of choice and practice a simple song. Most popular songs are in just one octave–that’s the eight-note Do-Re-Mi scale made famous by The Sound of Music–so you only need to know eight notes in order to play quite a few songs. (Do you have, “Doe, a deer, a female deer…” running through your head yet? Sorry about that!).”
Mention the stress-busting effects of music, the health benefits of the deeper-breathing in playing a wind instrument, the mind-sharpening mental stimulation of learning.
“Take the pennywhistle for example. It is a very simple member of the flute family, with a whistle mouthpiece to make producing notes easier than on a flute, and only six fingerholes (played with 3 fingers of each hand). One of the most common and readily available, Clark, is only 3/4” wide by 11 1/2" long; notebook paper is 8 1/2 x 11"–a pennywhistle fits very nicely in a backpack, bookbag, briefcase, many purses and gloveboxes, etc. The cost of one to learn on (there are a several decent brands to choose from) is generally under $20 dollars–I once saw pennywhistles offered at a TSC for $3 apiece."
“And of course, after getting good with the basic eight notes, you can start blowing harder–the same fingerings that gave you those first eight will produce eight more, an octave higher. That gives you 16 notes to play a larger range of songs.”
I’d mention music as a wholesome pasttime for children (one that teaches discipline without their even realizing it and gives them an appreciation for music) and include excerpts from Jerry Freeman’s post on the neighbohood kids teaching one another on the bus. My son at 12 received a whistle in his Christmas stocking and figured out within a week how to play “The Rose”.
Have simple instructions on how to hold the whistle and how to finger the notes (pads not tips).
Then have 3 simple songs, with fingerings and ABC’s above the dots. Ode to Joy is similar to a scale in structure but is nicer–i.e. less tedious to play over and over, Amazing Grace is fairly simple and a lovely tune, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for the young to play or the parents and grandparents to play for the little ones.
Then add a link to Chiff and Fipple as a resource for folks seeking further info on Pennywhistles.
To be fair we could also mention:
“Other pocket sized instruments…
The ocarina–some designed to be worn as pendants for ease of carry, with as little as 4 holes to produce a full octave, and used to great effect in the background of Eastwood Spaghetti westerns such as A Fistful of Dollars and The Good The Bad, And the Ugly)
The harmonica, which doesn’t require fingering (excellent for those who’ve suffered hand injuries but still want to make music)
Jew’s harp likewise requires only a thumb to play
The spoons and their precursor the bones are the original percussion instruments
Slightly larger and more expensive but also easy to play in a car or office at break time…
Panpipes (the original harmonica and traditional to cultures of Asia, Europe, and South America) come in many sizes, generally a bit large for the pocket, but aren’t very expensive
Kalimba/African Thumb Piano, a traditional african instrument, requires just 2 thumbs to play
Bongos, the Udu (African), bodhran (Irish), are hand drums usually under 20” so they are larger but still quite portable ( front seat of the car)–A tambourine , too (yes, Virginia, it’s a drum–just with jingles for an extra touch)
Djembes and dumbeks are larger hand drums from North Africa and the Middle East; they stand up to 2’ tall
The Appalacian dulcimer, zither or lap harp, and small traditional harps are 1-3’ in length, but are easy to learn and play
Google the names for more information; some sites will have sound clips so the instrument can be heard as well."
What do Y’all think? Toss in some ideas or suggestions, let’s run with this. I for one am going to write this up and offer it to my college newspaper and local weekly paper (yes, I live in such a small community we only have a weekly, not daily, newspaper). I am frequently on the Mother Earth News and Organic Gardening forums–I’ll send them the suggestion as well. Anybody else got a subscription to a magazine or other periodical that might be interested?
