Ethnomusicology [Studying music and sound through a specific group or culture of people]

Art Institute 2014

Field Work Proposal [Phases 1, 2, & 3]: Northern Thailand/Southern Laos/Golden Triangle!

I have chosen a lush and mountainous region in Southeast Asia to arbitrate my case study. My proposal is to initially travel to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and stay a week in the city, as I slowly adapt to Thai culture within this region. Thailand is known for a more “recent” style of music called Luk Thung, which was developed in the 60’s as a response to American film soundtracks as well as some country and yodeling techniques. The Thai adapted this style of music, making it their own- though it was also influenced by techniques from Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Latin America. These are “songs [that] typically reflect the hardship of everyday life among the rural poor. Tempos tend to be slow, and singers use an expressive singing style with a lot of vibrato. Comparisons are sometimes made with country music of the United States“.  (Wikipedia- Luk Thung) While I would love to have the opportunity to record some of this richly cultural music while I’m in Thailand, it is not the direct goal of my case study. This is mainly because Luk Thung is now known for its utilization of modern electronic instruments, (such as electric guitars) and the music itself is more like contemporary power pop ballads but “[t]hey still retain enough of their traditional flavor to distinguish themselves from Westernized modern Thai pop (Sattar 1). I am interested in a style of music that was developed during an earlier time in both Thailand and Laos.

The Northern regions of Thailand are heavily associated with music called Mor Lam, which translates to one who is an “expert instrumentalist or singer.” Mor Lam’s roots are much older than Luk Thung, as they originated in the distinctively Laotian region (in northeastern Thailand) known as Isaan. The borders between Thailand and Laos are entirely interwoven, so many cultural traditions and styles are shared, and have blended over a period of many many years. (Truthfully, what are boarders really, anyway?)

The red region represents Isaan:

It’s important to note that the “inhabitants of Northern Thailand speak Kham Muang (also known as Northern Thai or Lanna) among themselves, though Central Thai is used in education and is understood by everyone. English is used in hotels and travel-related businesses and many educated people speak English. The Kham Muang alphabet is now studied only by scholars, and Northern Thai is commonly written with the standard Thai alphabet” (Wikipedia- Chiang Mai).

The most common religion in Chiang Mai, Thailand is Buddhism. There are over 300 “Wat,” meaning Buddhist temples in the region. There are a number of different festivals and traditions, specifically charted by the moon/Lunar calendar. “Loi Krathong (known locally as Yi Peng): Held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, being the full moon of the 2nd month of the old Lanna calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. Every year thousands of people assemble floating banana-leaf containers (krathong) decorated with flowers and candles onto the waterways of the city to worship the Goddess of Water. Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai or kom loi), which are hot-air balloons made of paper, are launched into the air. The sky lanterns are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets” (Wikipedia- Chiang Mai).

Loi Krathong

As I plan on fully experiencing this region, I will surely be asking the locals about traditional “mor lum, maw lam, maw lum, moh lam and mhor lim, as all these names refer to the same kind of music played and sung by experts.

Perhaps it will occur in Isaan, or really anywhere between Thai and Lao borders, I will record Mor Lam (such as this next video which includes an ensemble of playful vocals, clapping, traditional Laotian khene, drums, small chimes, hand-gestured dancing, and tons of smiles 🙂

Mor Lam is based upon Glawn, or Gaun, which is the content focus of traditional Lao music. Glawn is a verse form used in both the poetry and songs of the Lao People. It is the most common text in traditional Mor Lam, and is made up of four-line stanzas, each with seven basic syllables. When Glawn/Gaun is sung or spoken in a form of heightened speech, it often includes extra, unstressed syllables, making it rather regimented. “There is a set pattern for the tone marks to be used at various points in the stanza, plus rhyme schemes to hold the unit together. Performances of glawn are typically memorised rather than improvised” (Wikipedia- Glawn). Often, the Glawn performance is accompanied by the Laotian “khene (khaen in Thailand) [which] is the iconic instrument of the Lao people, including those living in Isaan, the region of Northeast Thailand that formerly belonged to Laos. The khene is basically a bamboo harmonica, two rows of pipes connected in a raft-like form. The player breathes in and out, creating an insistent rhythmic groove. The singing, or lam, is often done by a male and female in a kind of teasing, yet playful repartee” (Haji Maji 1).

I feel that I could capture some fairly unique recordings of Mor Lam, mostly because a lot of what I heard was lo-fidelity/quality. You aren’t able to hear the full set of instrumental harmonics, and most of the timbral qualities are overshadowed by heavy noise-floors that occurred during recording.

Master Daeng Toy is considered to be one of the greatest Khene players:

As I plan on making my way through these regions for at least a month, I will be focusing heavily the various forms of instrumentation. Thailand is swarming with a multitude of different kinds of instruments, all of which are plucked, bowed, stricken, and blown. I’m less interested in the heavy gong traditions introduced to Thailand from Indonesia (For instance: the Gamelan Ensembles which have already had an extensive amount of research.) I am more curious about the free-reed instruments such as the Khene, or the aerophonic Pi Chum/ Pi Nai which is a free reed pipe used in the the Thai Lanna (northern) region. There are various types of Pi’s, “[which is the] generic term for any of a variety of quadruple reed oboes used in the traditional music of Thailand. It is very similar in construction and playing technique to the Cambodian sralai(Wikipedia- Pi (Instrument). There is a Pi Nok, (the smallest, and most ancient instrumental Pi in Thailand), the Pi Nai which is commonly seen in Thai literature, such as the Phra Aphai Mani. There is also a Pi Cha Nai, which has two parts made of both wood and ivory. It is believed that this instrument obtained its musical influence from India, as it closely resembles the Indian Shehnai. The Pi Chawa is longer than the Pi Cha Nai in length, and is generally played alongside the Glong Khaek (drums that are always played in a pair, and played by 2 players.) The Pi Mon is the “greater” version of the Pi Chawa, and has 2 parts and made from wood and metal. This instrument is played at the classical Thai Piphat Ensemble, consisting of numerous wood and percussion instruments. The Piphat Ensemble is considered to be a musical interpretation of the most sacred “high-class” compositions of Thai classical repertoire.

The Bamboo Drum, or Klong Mai Phai is an instrument that has nearly vanished- therefore, I find it imperative to find, capture, and record the sounds and music that it can make. It was very difficult for me to find any samples of this idiophonic drum online (except on this website: (  According to, “[s]ome decades ago, when kids had to take their buffaloes out to graze, their parents would give them the instrument they’d devised to keep their children entertained. It is easy to make and play, and so good for beginners. Unfortunately this bamboo drum is going to become extinct since the only people left playing today are our grandpas and grandmas.”

The other traditional instruments in Northern Thailand/Laos are these different types of chordophones (as pictured below.) There are also a number of dissimilar shaped/sized hand-drums.

Long ago, Thai people understood how to make their own innovative musical instruments. Once they came into contact with various Indian cultures (prominent throughout Southeast Asia at the time), the Thai became rather skilled with duplicating Indian instrumental patterns. As a result, several new kinds of instruments were created after exposure with the Indian musical culture. This included many different versions of aerophonic flutes, chordophonic stringed instruments and idiophonic gongs.

As pictured above, here is a popular instrument called the Pin-Pia, which is considered to be the National instrument of Thailand. (This instrument has undergone very little changes from the past to present) The “Pin-Pia pieces [you can hear below] are performed by Cun Smithitham in July 2005: this instrument has three strings and the vibrato is made by cupping a half coconut shell on your naked breast” (David Soldier 1). This particular instrument is 3000 years old.

Ethnomusicologist/Field Recordist Dave Soldier has some gorgeous field recordings of the Pin Pia on his website: Check out these recordings here!

All together, there are about 50 types of Thai musical instruments. The earliest Thai ensembles included woodwind and percussion instruments, originally  for the purpose of theatre accompaniment.  The Thai scale includes seven equal notes, instead of a mixture of tones and semitones. Instruments improvise around a central melody. Not only is traditional Thai music unique for its sound, but also for the absence of written music. The only way to learn it is from the masters, making it a rare art form (one could be so lucky to learn…)

My ultimate goal is to make my way towards the Golden Triangle (one of Asia’s 2 main Opium producing areas where Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar all converge at one point.) While the Opium is rather prevalent, I’m obviously more-so focused on the historical folk traditions and styles that have coincided between these countries. It does make me a bit nervous that before the 21st century, the Golden Triangle produced more illicit Heroin than anywhere else in the world. Eventually, Afghanistan became the worlds largest producer, so maybe I can wipe some sweat of my forehead? Apparently, many of the poppy plantations have been replaced with tea crops!

During my research, I found that the Golden Triangle has a rich musical culture of its own! And who other than my own most revered record label to record such music?! Sublime Frequencies; a local Seattle Record Label that seeks to travel the world and record music from different remote regions. [I have my mind set on eventually working with these like-minded folks.]

Here is a piece of music from the Golden Triangle recorded by Sublime Frequencies in 2005. “Guitars of the Golden Triangle” featuring twangy-electric guitar, child-like vocals, and percussion in a 2/4 shuffle.

Unfortunately many of the music pieces are not able to be played without purchasing the Vinyl/LP’s, though I have also found that Sublime Frequencies (Specifically Laurent Jeanneau: Kink Gong Records)  has recorded Ethnic Minority music from Southern Laos.

“This is a collection of landmark recordings by Laurent Jeanneau documenting music created by the Harak and various Brao ethnic groups in Southern Laos. Here you can hear the true historic roots of Molam music (now a venerable popular music style in Laos and Thailand) played on the Khaen along with vocal styles from this region. Also featured here are Gong ensembles, various stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, and sung poetry all captured live on location with the ambient sounds of the surrounding villages. These recordings were made in Xekong, Champasak and Attapeu provinces and because much of this music is unknown, this is probably the first time recordings have ever been released of indigenous music from these remote areas of Southern Laos. This is the second release in a series of spectacular field recordings from some of the more remote ethnic minority communities in Southeast Asia. Features insightful liner notes by Laurent Jeanneau and extended track listing with added information about each track recorded” (SF036 – Ethnic Minority Music of Southern Laos- Sublime Frequencies).

I also found another resource for music in the Golden Triangle; Francois Jouffa (This biography is all in French…) Jouffa released a compilation in 1980 under the “Musical Heritage Society” His LP can be purchased here:çois-Jouffa-Music-Of-The-Chinese-Tribes-In-The-Golden-Triangle/release/3624405 and it features music from the various Chinese Tribes who immigrated to the Golden Triangle region many years ago.

chinese tribes golden triangle

The Akha tribe inhabits the small villages among the mountains of Burma (Myanmar), China, Laos and the northern Thailand.

The majority of the Akha people are animists, meaning that they believe that animals, plants, and inanimate objects/phenomena posses a spiritual essence. It is in this way that the Akha people (as well as many of the other hilltribes in Southeast Asia) live out their their lives. With this sort of respect for the environment, this traditional Chinese tribe manages to live in harmony with the nature around them.

“The Shaman or the Spiritual Leader is the most important person in every Akha village. Furthermore Akha see themselves as a link in the great continuum of Akha history and they are in a very close relationship with their ancestors. All Akha traditions and ceremonies are called “The Akha Way” [which] determines their whole life – their manners, the way they treat one another, how they view sickness, how their houses look like and many more” (Blazejewska 1).akha village 2 “The role of music in pre-literate societies cannot be underestimated, for the oral arts have functioned throughout the millennia as the primary channel for sustaining history, myths, customs, laws, knowledge, and beliefs, thereby linking the first ancestor with all who follow. This is so beautifully illustrated by the Akha saying: “If a village has no music, how can it be called a village?”

Through research, I found that there is an “Indigenous People’s Festival” in Chiang Mai that occurs in early August. This wasn’t necessarily the timing that I was planning on, but it’s something to think about when purchasing tickets. Sometimes the festivals are authentic, but there are also a good many that are designed to entertain tourists. I would rather not be perceived this way. This next video is not the greatest quality, as we can hear the entire environment louder than the actual singing. However, I felt it would be interesting to show that the various Akha tribes share the same funeral customs of singing together.

akha dance

The Songs of Memory museum exhibition is a multi-media display that presents comprehensive collections of musical instruments, tribal textiles, jewelry, films, and photographs of the six major tribal groups living in the Golden Triangle—the Hmong, Mien, Lahu, Akha, Lisu, and Karen. (I will briefly speak about the Karen tribe later). Music is entirely important, and with modernization occurring at a rapid pace, it’s essential to capture, honor, and respect the sounds of their ancestors.

Click this link to see the tribal instruments of the Akha peoples.

As far as equipment goes, I wanted to give a brief overview of how to best capture sound while field recording. Achieving a bit of popularity in the 1970’s, field recording has become its own viable and expressive art form. With the introduction of high-quality portable recording equipment, there has never been an easier time to begin recording and sampling natural sounds in any given environment. Today, we have the luxury of not having to record to tape. This has its ups and downs, but with regards to digital recordings, portability has never been easier. The first important piece of equipment needed is the field recorder itself. Depending on one’s budget, there are a wide range of portable and high-quality recorders. If you want to keep the price range under $3-400, you may consider purchasing a Zoom H4N or H6 with interchangeable microphone capsules. Marrantz, Edirol, and M-Audio also make inexpensive options that are simple to use and can capture high-fidelity stereo field recordings (without much of a hassle.) If your budget is much greater and you are recording at a more professional level, prices can easily range to thousands of dollars. A good example is the Sound Device. Even the 702, high-resolution 2-channel recorder is nearly $2000. It is quite evident that with this particular manufacturer, (and most others) the more channels you want, the more expensive it will cost- (2-channels= $2000, 4 channels= $4000, etc).

For my Southeast Asia trip, I plan on being realistic as to what I own, and have access to as a young field recordist- I own the Zoom H6 with interchangeable microphone capsules. (It comes with an M/S style transducer that pics up on 2-sides of its ball-like head, an X/Y stereo capsule that can spread to both 90 and 120 degrees for more or less of a span of stereo imagery, and I also purchased the interchangeable shotgun mic mount. Each of these mics have respective wind-guards to cut down on environmental noises…like wind, which has the ability to destroy an otherwise awesome recording.) I would like to purchase the Shure VP88 as a single point, stereo condenser as well. I will also bring a stereo pair of AKG 214’s, or something comparable. This way I can have my choice of what will sound the best in any given scenario. I will bring this kit with a ton of back up batteries. I learned the hard-way that water damages equipment, sometimes so much so that you can no longer can use your expensive gear. I would like to find out if there are any water-proofing options for my equipment, or if we have to solely rely on umbrellas?

As far as translation services go, I found that Chiang Mai has a number of resources, as well as people to translate Thai into English. A company called “CNX Translation” provides not only Thai–>English translation, but also Simplified and Traditional Chinese into English. This would be rather essential considering I’m not only searching for musicians of one cultural background–I need someone who can translate Thai, Chinese (of different dialects), as well as Laotian. The CNX business has great rates although, “The price can vary depending on factors such as nature of text, deadline, availability and long-term relationship.” This company generally deals with documents that need to be translated, rather than traveling/tour guide translators. However, upon contact with this company I would be able to discover if they would be able to help me out quite quickly. If they cannot- they may know who can.

I also discovered Chiang Mai Tour Guides at a website called This company prides itself on the fact that they do tours/activities, and translating. This may be a better company for what I’m specifically looking for. Especially if I need to go towards Southern Laos, as well as the Golden Triangle. This company has a tour that goes to the Golden Triangle, as well as a tribe called “The Karen Long-Neck Tribe.” This is most certainly something that I could get behind. Maybe this indigenous group of people would be interested in recording the songs of their ancestors. These “[w]omen put brass rings on their necks when they are 5 or 6 years old and increase the number every year until their necks become longer, as a symbol of beauty. They are one of the most interesting hill tribes in the world” (

Just like the prior translation company, these are great places to start looking. If one company cannot do what I need, they may be able to refer me in a better direction.

As far as the trip itself goes, I am planning as though this is a real trip my husband I and will be taking. There will be no crew besides he and I, though he is also a musician and knows very well how to handle audio equipment. I would love to bring a video camera, or have him take any sort of directed footage. However, it is true that I specialize in field recordings, which forces the listener to visualize what they are hearing. I enjoy this. Video camera or not, my mission is for the audio recordings.

After doing research, I found that the best time to travel in Southeast Asia is November through February. Assuming we leave this coming November 2014, are away for 1 month, and return in December 2014, tickets are about $1,100 per head (Korean Air). This should technically be the most expensive part of the get-away. Going through Trip Advisor, I chose to use This graph shows that we would depart from Seattle at 12:40pm- and land in Seoul, Korea (5,196 miles away)- and the overall trip would be 12 hours. Then, we would be taking Korean Air from Seoul to Chiang Mai, which is a 5 hour and 55 minute flight. (2,109 miles).

This is a long trip! [BUT SO WORTH IT!]

Sun, Nov 02 – Departure 1 stopTotal travel time : 19h 0m
Web Fare
  • Seattle
  • SEA 12:40pm
  • Seoul
  • ICN 5:40pm + 1 day
  • Arrives on Mon, Nov 03
12h 0m
5,196 mi
  • Korean Air 20
  • Economy/Coach (T)
  • 772 – BOEING 777/200 |  Lunch |  Dinner

Layover:  1h 5m

Web Fare
  • Seoul
  • ICN 6:45pm
  • Departs on Mon, Nov 03
  • Chiang Mai
  • CNX 10:40pm
  • Arrives on Mon, Nov 03
5h 55m
2,109 mi

I have done my best to connect with people through Instragram and Facebook who live in Chiang Mai, and so far have met a lovely lady from Australia currently living in Chiang Mai. Having been there for some time, she offered to meet up with me and show me the ropes. I feel so blessed that it’s not that hard these days to link up with people over the internet (without feeling at all endangered.) I will be counting on people who I meet who can lead me in the right direction in order to accomplish my goals.

LAVISH HOTEL STAY (1/4 of the trip) & VILLAGE ROOMS (3/4 of the trip)

The 4 Seasons in Chiang Mai is absolutely gorgeous, and yes. It’s a 5 star hotel. The structure is pushed up against a green-belt jungle and it would be a FABULOUS place to get started before the real journey throughout the villages begins. (This being said, it is $392.00 a night to stay at the 4 Seasons). I would consider staying here for a week, and I’m sure my husband would agree that it would be nice to be pampered before we head into some of the indigenous villages. Sleeping in a room in the middle of a small path (really in the middle of no-where) will most likely be occurring throughout the rest of the trip. We may be taking it day by day….referral by referral…

There’s also another Chiang Mai hotel called The Rachamankha. This hotel looks equally as lavish, and is a much more affordable $209.00 a night. It may be a more likely possibility.

As far as budget goes, we’re looking at round-trip pricing around $2,400. Then, if we were to stay at The Rachamankha for a week, that’s about $1463.00. I’ve looked up a ton of restaurants and the food is all SCARILY inexpensive. Each meal is probably under $10 a day… so adding up breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week would be about $210 per person. ($420). So far, I know for the first lavish Thai experience we’ll need at least $4283. This doesn’t include translator services, touring, or activities. I think a safe bet would be to set aside $8-10,000 for the entire vacation.

I don’t want to discount the musicians who will be involved in my concept of a world wide tapestry of musical culture and folklore. I will be paying them on the spot, almost like a “work for hire.” I think this is the best technique because copyright is a very difficult thing to get around. Especially internationally. If I wanted to collaborate with these musicians… or use their recordings to aid in the creation of my own music, I would just want to make that clear to them. This is where my translator comes into handy. I would need to draft up some extremely “easy-to-comprehend” contracts to allow for this. If I make “x” amount of money on a project that I enhance with my own musical influence, “x” amount will return to those who helped me create it.

I plan on having extraordinary file management throughout this entire audio-collecting journey. With a couple external hard-drives and a lap top, properly organizing what I capture should be straight-forward. My goal is to create a collection of vivid field recordings (assuming there is  little to no video-footage). I will be recording in 96kHz so that the audio quality will be rather high-fidelity. I want people to visualize what they are hearing, and create their own mental imagery of Southeast Asia. The field recordings may be of some interest to certain cultural museums, or maybe even the Library of Congress!

Though EarthPop Studios is officially an LLC, and label of its own, it’d be nice to have the “Sublime Frequencies stamp of approval” and have the recordings formatted for both CD and digital delivery.

Ancient Chinese Music & Mythology

As quoted in the Canon of Shun,

Xiao, Xun and Guzheng (Chinese zither) Trio:

The Hulusheng dance of the Yi Minority

Here’s a video of an ensemble featuring a Suona:

The Music & Culture Throughout The Philippines

The Ifugao People

drum_dabakan (1)

An in Depth Study on Rajasthani Music & Culture

1876 engraving of Rajput Warriors

The Jaswant Thada mausoleum in Jodhpur in the early morning.

Tasha Drum

Here’s an Mp3 example of what the Shehnai sounds like:

Burst-of-Red-Holi-India (1)

Mp3 Example of the Pungi

Here’s a video that explains the Saragi in greater detail

Ravenhatta Mp3

Bhapang Mp3

mughal women

The Study of Oceania: New Zealand

Maori warrior_0

New Zealand: The narrow islands southeast of Australia

poiWhio (2)

poiWhio (2)

Here’s the link you can hear the TumuTumu recording

Maori Women hard at word (circa 1930)

The Oldtime Māori (1938) Photo by Mākerti Papakura

Cultural Insider Vs. Cultural Outsider

Since its release in 2008, New Age/electronic  group Enigma’s, Seven Lives Many Faces has been an album of personal comfort. The very first time I heard the artistry within “The Same Parents”, I noticed a sense of primordial awareness stirring in my soul. Through the lyrics, I felt in-tune with the message and intention of the song. Through my own inner sense of being, I feel that everyone and everything is naturally interwoven through the same breath of life. As a human, I feel I have a lot of responsibility to treat the planet [and it’s respective inhabitants] with great reverence.

For centuries upon end, humans have fought one-another in order to have their tribes and villages come out on-top biologically. There are plenty of differing causes for people not having the conscientious ability to peacefully coincide with one-another. Perhaps they were neighboring villages, or two civilizations so racially similar, it was threatening, or unclear who was ‘right’ and who was ‘wrong’ in their respective belief systems.

Romanian-German musician and producer, Michael Cretu, spreads an important message still very much needed in today’s day in age. Cultural genocides, racial obliteration, and massive destruction through war has slaughtered more than just human-beings…and in the end, for what?

The human ego seeks control.

Instrumentally, the piece fades in with a plucked (pizzicato) guitar melody line. A child speaks with (what in my opinion) sounds both sad and aware, “In the beginning, We all had the same parents, Many million years ago, Why can’t we live in freedom? Without hunger, with no war.”

A violin saturated with reverb holds the base-line, while a series of strings gracefully plays on-top, assisting in compositional development.

When the percussion comes in, the beat is seemingly very simple, though many various samples and drum-elements are used along side the young singer to create a rather enchanted sound…it almost begs people to think outside themselves for the 3:32 it plays.

At the beginning we all had one mother and one father. That’s where we’re descending from. Attention, I don’t, I don’t understand, Why so much hate? Attention Between races and religions. It’s mad, insane, I don’t understand. Amazing, Why it has to be like that? Incredible experience. We all had the same parents, Many million years ago. Why can’t we live in freedom?Without hunger, with no war. Attention, I don’t, I don’t understand, Why so much hate? Amazing, Between races and religions, Incredible experience, etc.”

…..Now on the flip side, I must present a piece of music (or style) that makes me extremely uncomfortable for whatever reason, be it musical or the message it stands for. I can appreciate the skill one must acquire to snort like a pig and scream like a banshee- but I just don’t find this “sub-genre” of metal appealing to listen to for more than a couple seconds at a time. This is simply because it fatigues my ears and is often-times very shrill, over-compressed, and rather deafening.

There is so much going on at once: the guitars are intentionally out-of-tune, and the music is arranged in an unexpected, uncomfortable manner. Instrumentally there’s very little headroom in the mix, giving it next to no space to breathe. I can respect the skill it takes for double-kick bass drum pedal techniques, and having 16th notes, grouped in two, spread across two feet. This is a genre that takes an insane amount of practice and skill to withstand its blood-thirsty fans.

While I can’t directly understand the lyrics, the artist inaudibly screams “Your eyes silently scream astonishing grief. The satisfaction I devour is not retribution. Your sorrow’s my devotion. I’ll be rewarded with your degradation. Nourished by bitter passions, My hunger for human deprivation will be quenched. No retribution. Your sorrow’s my devotion.”

Now that I just decided to slit my wrists, let’s all hold hands and dance around a rainbow! Maybe this is just my own form of ethnocentrism, as I’m just not in a death-metal state of mind.

“Furtive Monologue Lyrics – Despised Icon.” FURTIVE MONOLOGUE LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Enigma Seven Lives, Many Faces.” Enigma. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <,-Many-Faces/>.

“A Metal State of Mind.” A Metal State of Mind. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Michael Cretu.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2014. <>.

The Sachs-Hornbostel System

In the field of Ethnomusicology, the Sachs-Hornbostel System had been arranged and published as a system of musical instrument classification in 1914. As the structure was originally presented in German through the Zeitschrift für Ethnologie publication, an English translation was announced through the Galpin Society Journal (GSJ) in 1960.

The Zeitschrift für Ethnologie, or “Journal of Ethnology” first appeared in 1869. Originally focusing on German ethnology, the journal branched out internationally, and still creates various publications on the subject.

Founded in 1946,The Galpin Society sought to research musical instruments based upon their history, construction, development, and overall use. Still today, the society welcomes those interested in studying musical instruments from all over the world. The society commemorates the name of Canon Francis W. Galpin (1858-1945) who studied, collected, and made his own musical instruments from scratch.

Here is a picture of Canon Galpin playing a “Tromba Marina” from his personal collection:

As we will learn after reading this post, Galpin’s “Tromba Marina” appears to be a bowed lute in the chordophone category…

Looking back at the Sachs-Hornbostel System, Austrian scholar of music Eric Moritz Von Hornbostel, co-authored the instrumental arrangement with German Ethnomusicologist and modern Organologist, Curt Sachs. The systems intention was to organize musical instruments into four primary categories based on what part of the instrument vibrates to produce the sound. Regardless of there being several subcategories, the top four are:

These instruments produce sound through the direct vibration of air. They are typically subdivided into three categories: Flutes, Reeds, and Trumpets.

When a column of air is set into vibration through breath, the air is split on an edge. It can be  made from a tube of metal, wood, or ebonite usually with  six holes at one end of the tube. With the end of the tube sealed with a cork,  the player is able to blow his/her lips across the embouchure (position of the lips in/on the mouthpiece) or hole. The air directed into the tube causes turbulence and vibrates within the tube.

R. Carlos Nakai’s serene Native American flute performance. [He plays a few different sizes and kinds of flutes throughout this video, and you will be able to decipher between the different timbral qualities between each flute.]

The end of the players’ mouth is not open to the outside air, so unlike the  flute, the air is not free to move in and out. Reeds have one or more small pieces of material like cane, bamboo, or metal that vibrates when air is blown over or through them into a tube.

A performer must blow into instrument by vibrating their lips at high  speed. This force acts as the reed itself, and the vibration is harnessed to produce the sound. Trumpet players can modulate pitch by changing the  pressure on their lips and the force of air blown into the mouthpiece. They can  also change pitch by changing the length of the tubing through which air flows.

Duke Ellington with Cat Anderson [Trumpet Solo]

*For information about another amazing aerophone, the Cambodian M’baut/Chinese Hulusheng  (An intricate Mouth Organ found all over Southeast Asia), Please click this link! I created a detailed post a couple of months ago, and think you may like it!

Defined as having one or more strings stretched between two points. Sound is produced when a string is able to vibrate. The shape/body of the instrument distinguishes the two basic types of chordophone (though there are many more subtypes!)

Generally plucked, the reverberant qualities fade away almost  immediately as each note subsides. When a lute is bowed, the string vibration  does not fade away until the bowing has subsided. Lutes can also be fretless (like a fretless bass or guitar), or they can have frets. Frets are straight bars of material (wood/bamboo/metal) that are carefully placed on the neck of a lute vertically, underneath the horizontal strings. When pressing the string to the fret, the player is guided in obtaining his/her desired pitch. Fretted lutes tend to be plucked, while fretless lutes are most commonly bowed.

John Playford with a fretted lute [plucked]

Fusani Tia & Muhammad Kusanii on the Fretless Talensi fiddle in Gana, Africa

Plucked, bowed, or hammered (which tends to have more reverberant sound timbre than other types of chordophones.)

Bowed Zither duet with Harp

Plucked Chinese Guzheng

Hammered Zither in Central Park NYC [Celtic]

The timbral qualities will also be deciphered based upon whether or not the lute or zither is plucked with a finger or plectrum, which is thin flat piece of plastic, tortoise-shell, or flexible material held or worn on the fingers and used to pluck the strings of for example, a guitar, or the Chinese Guzheng (which can be played with both fingers and a plectrum.)

Tortoise Shell Picks

Lyres and Harps also technically fall under the category of Chordophones due to their construction. An open frame suspends the strings vertically on both of these instruments. This design allows the player to pluck each string. While it may be difficult to distinguish the auditory different between a lyre and a harp, the construction of the instruments is quite recognizable.

Alemannic Warrior Lyre/Trossingen Lyre (6th Century Germanic Lyre)

Harp + Vocal/ Förgätmigej: The Flower of Magherally

Create sound through actual vibrations within the instrument itself. The vibrations compress and rarefy the surrounding air to create sound which travels to our ears in the form of longitudinal waves. Examples of Idiophones are xylophones, hi-hats, bells, rattles, and cymbals. Even slamming doors are idiophones!

Gongs, bells, wood blocks/Claves, (anything that can be struck to produce  various sound qualities. These instruments are normally categorized timbrally by their sharp attack once they’ve been stricken.

Balinese Gamelan Ensemble

Small plucked idiophones are called “lamellophones” meaning they   have a tongue or prong that is flexed and then released. This action creates a  crisp short sound before the vibrating prong (lamella) desists.

Mbira + Vocal

There are also single plucked prongs (lamella) that can be amplified by the mouth cavity. These are called Jaw or Jew Harps (coming from the French word Jeu, meaning “Game”) Just about every culture has their own version of this instrument, and naturally, it has a different name in every country. This would fall under the category of a plucked idiophone.

How to play the Jaw/Jew Harp

rattles, shakers, or anything hollowed out and filled with pebbles, seeds, or sand. When the particles bounce against the outer shell of the instrument, vibration occurs causing a crisp sound in the upper register. Another instrument called the “Shekere” has a woven net of beads and shells on loosely attached    to the outside of a gourd.

Caribbean style Maracas

Yosvany Terry on the Shekere

are most commonly percussion instruments. They usually consist of a hollow cylinder with a vibrating membrane stretched across each end. Traditionally, the membrane was made of animal skin, but today they are manufactured in mass quantities with synthetic membranes instead. Drums are categorized by body shape, and whether or not they are single or double headed. Most drums are struck with a hand or stick with different shapes/materials. Smaller drums usually have a higher, tighter sound, while larger drums naturally have more space inside the instrument. For this reason, big drums are louder with deeper tones.

Eric Piza on Bongos

Japanese Taiko Drums by Kodo

As technology has become a large part of contemporary society, Electrophones have also become the fifth category we consider. Any instrument that is generated by electrical means is considered an Electrophone.

Presenting… the Seaboard Grand by Roli:

Miller, Terry E., and Andrew Shahriari. World Music: A Global Journey. New York, NY: Routledge, 2012. Print.

“Sachs–Hornbostel.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <–Hornbostel>.

“Erich Moritz Von Hornbostel.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 June 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Organology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Galpin Society For the Study of Musical Instruments.” Galpin Society – Home. N.p., 2012. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Zeitschrift Für Ethnologie.” Home –. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“How Does the Flute Work?” How Does the Flute Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

” How Do Woodwind Instruments Work? .” How Do Woodwind Instruments Work?N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“How Does a Trumpet Produce Sound?” – N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.

“Membranophones.” The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014. <>.


Give Now

Historian Says 1933 Bank Crisis Similar to Current Slump

Bloomington-based author and historian Robert Fuller has spent the last three years researching not what caused the current banking crisis, but what caused a similar meltdown in 1933.  WFIU’s Stan Jastrzebski caught up with Fuller and found out that, while there are parallels between the two economic slowdowns, common tales about the Great Depression and the crisis may not be completely true.


Medium Of Exchange

What is a 'Medium Of Exchange'

A medium of exchange is an intermediary instrument used to facilitate the sale, purchase or trade of goods between parties. For an instrument to function as a medium of exchange, it must represent a standard of value accepted by all parties. In modern economies, the medium of exchange is currency.

BREAKING DOWN 'Medium Of Exchange'

The use of a medium of exchange allows for greater efficiency in an economy and creates more trade. In a traditional barter system, trade between two parties could only occur if one party had and wanted what the other party had and wanted, and vice versa. But the chances of this occurring at the same time are minimal. Let's say one party had a cow and the other had a lawn mower: with a medium of exchange such as gold coins, all the cow owner would have to do is find a buyer for the cow and she would receive gold coins. Then all she would have to do is find someone selling a lawn mower, which she could purchase with gold coins.

Money as a Medium of Exchange

Money enables anyone who has it to participate equally in market. When consumers use it to purchase something, they are essentially making a bid in response to an asking price. That is what brings order and predictability to the marketplace. Producers know what to produce and how much to charge and consumers can plan their budgets around predictable pricing.

When money, as represented by a currency, is no longer viable as a medium of exchange, or its monetary units can no longer be accurately valued, there is no predictability, no ability to plan, no ability to gauge supply and demand. In short, the markets become chaotic. Prices are bid up for fear of scarcity and the unknown, and supply is diminished from hoarding and the inability of producers to replace it quickly enough.

Alternative Currencies as a Medium of Exchange

Alternative currencies have been used throughout time as a means to spur commerce or augment a national currency in times of economic duress. In the early 20th century, companies were forced to issue company scrip and other forms of emergency currency in order to pay their workers massive bank failures caused wide-spread cash shortages. The scrip could be redeemed for food and services or held for future redemption in U.S. Dollars when they became available.

Local currencies have sprung up across the United States with the primary purpose of fostering economic growth and sustainability within a region. The best known case of a successful local currency is the Berkshires region of Massachusetts. BerkShares were first issued in 2006 and are now accepted in all of communities by hundreds of businesses. The value of BerkShares are pegged to the value of the dollar but issued at a discount.


New and forthcoming

Inventing Ourselves

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore

Featured on BBC Radio's 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage

The brain creates every feeling, emotion and desire we experience, and stores every one of our memories. And yet, until very recently, scientists believed our brains were fully developed in childhood. Now, thanks to imaging technology that enables us to look inside the living human brain at all ages, we know that this isn’t so – that the brain goes on developing and changing right through adolescence into adulthood.

So what makes the adolescent brain different? What drives the excessive risk-taking or the need for intense friendships common to this age group? Why does an easy child become a challenging teenager? And why is it that many mental illnesses – depression, addiction, schizophrenia – begin during these formative years.

Drawing upon her cutting-edge research in her London laboratory, award-winning neuroscientist, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains what happens inside the adolescent brain, and what her team’s experiments have revealed about our behaviour, and how we relate to each other and our environment as we ?go through this period of our lives. She shows that while adolescence is a period of vulnerability, it is also a time of enormous creativity – one that should be acknowledged, nurtured and celebrated.

Our adolescence provides a lens through which we can see ourselves anew. It is fundamental to how we invent ourselves.

Timbuktu: A Ladybird Expert Book

Gus Caseley-Hayford

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Timbuktu is a clear, simple and authoritative introduction to the land considered one of the most important trading cities of the medieval world.

Written by curator and cultural historian Gus Casely-Hayford, this book delves into the rise of the largest empire in West Africa and what made Timbuktu the most significant Saharan desert-port of the age.

You'll see the Mali Empire in its golden age, teeming with riches, scholars and trade. A history steeped in magicians, epic wars, story-tellers and missing ships. You'll learn what made Timbuktu so notorious and irresistible to the Emperor, and why centuries later it still enchants the Western World with its beauty, wealth, mystery, intellectual excellence and legacy.

Class of '88

Wayne Anthony

Organised crime puts on a smiley face.

When the Summer of Love hit Britain in ’88, Wayne embraced the bright new world of dance music, MDMA and all-night celebrations. But alongside the ecstasy, his natural East End entrepreneurial instincts kicked in, and he began to organise the infamous Genesis dance parties for thousands of kids. Wayne soon became a key figure in the high octane, technicolour rave scene.

But beneath the shiny, smiley surfaces, he quickly found himself in a vicious world of violence, police harassment and organised crime, for which he was totally unsuited and unprepared. He was beaten by ex-paratroopers, menaced by gangsters, kidnapped, confronted with sawn off shotguns and threatened with murder, all so Britain could party like never before.

When Class of ’88 was first published, it was so popular that Foyles dedicated an entire window to the book for a month. Now, re-issued for the 30th anniversary, this is Wayne’s very lively, highly individual account of the two years he spent as an illegal party promoter, leading the rave revolution which was sweeping the UK, changing lives, music and popular culture forever.

The Magical Fantastical Fridge

Harlan Coben (and others)

#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Harlan Coben partners with a talented debut illustrator in this fantastical and funny adventure for fans of David Wiesner and William Joyce.

Have you ever noticed how magical your family fridge is?

Neither has Walden...until now.

Suddenly he finds himself transported into one of his own drawings on the fridge as he begins an unforgettable adventure.

He'll battle a crayon monster, catch an airplane ride into an old photo, escape a troop of monkeys and much more. All of the items displayed there have come alive to bring him a new understanding of his big, busy family.

You'll love studying the dynamic, detailed illustrations in this zany, surprise-filled journey that culminates in a heartfelt appreciation of those closest to us.

The Salt Path

Raynor Winn

Just days after Raynor learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years is terminally ill, their home and livelihood is taken away. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.

Gabriela Herstik

Infuse a drop of magick into your everyday life.

Guided by writer, fashion alchemist and modern witch, Gabriela Herstik unlocks the ancient art of witchcraft so that you can find a brand of magick that works for you.

From working with crystals, tarot and astrology, to understanding sex magick, solstices and full moons; learn how to harness energy, unleash your inner psychic and connect with the natural world.

Full of spells and rituals for self-care, new opportunities and keeping away toxic energy, Craft is the essential lifestyle guide for the modern woman who wants to take control and reconnect with herself.

After all, empowered women run the world (and they’re probably witches).

The Periodic Table of Feminism

Marisa Bate

The history of feminism told through its most prominent advocates, including a diverse range of international names and faces.

The Periodic Table of Feminism is an empowering, engaging and informed look at the feminist movement through the international figures who have shaped it, from Mary Wollstonecraft to Caitlin Moran by way of Simone de Beauvoir and Oprah. Featuring 130 figures as well as 10 additional ‘top ten’ lists, the book will offer new angles on famous faces as well as introduce you to some unsung heroes.

While the narrative takes the reader through feminisms struggle from the first wave to the fourth, the table offers a key to understanding how these women and the battles they fought speak to each other across time and continents: if you’re inspired by Sheryl Sandberg, prepared to be equally wowed by Frances Harper and Alison Bechdel.

With unique illustrations and pull-out quotes peppered throughout, this is an essential guide to Feminism and a place to turn to for courage and inspiration from history’s heroic women.

Death and the Elephant

Raz Shaw

My life had been going nowhere. Until I was diagnosed with cancer.

The Devil At Home

Rachel Williams

‘He pushed open the door, and I saw that he was pulling something out of a bag he was carrying. It was a gun – a sawn-off shotgun.’
Darren was funny and attractive, and 21-year-old Rachel fell head-over-heels for him; it wasn’t long before they moved in together, and she fell pregnant with his child. But his inner demons soon surfaced... Weakened and alone, Rachel was beaten and tormented by him for 18 years, until one day, Darren turned up at her place of work with a shotgun and left her for dead. But her ordeal wasn’t over…
Devastating yet inspiring, Rachel’s story of hope tells of how you can always find the light, even in the very darkest of times.

White Girls

Hilton Als

'I defy you to read this book and come away with a mind unchanged' - John Jeremiah Sullivan

This is an extraordinary, complex portrait of 'white girls,' an expansive but precise category that encompasses figures more diverse than you might think. With blazing intelligence and insight, Als travels through the last decades of the twentieth century, from Flannery O'Connor's rural South, through Michael Jackson in the Motown years, to Jean Michel Basquiat and the AIDS epidemic in nineties New York, in order to unravel the tangled notions of sexual and racial identity that have led us to where we are today. White Girls is one of the most provocative and original books about the culture of our time.

Why We Can't Wait

Martin Luther King, Jr.

'He changed the course of history' Barack Obama

'Lightning makes no sound until it strikes'

This is the momentous story of the Civil Rights movement, told by one of its most powerful and eloquent voices. Here Martin Luther King, Jr. recounts the pivotal events in the city of Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 that propelled his non-violent campaign for racial justice from a movement of lunch counter sit-ins and prayer meetings to a phenomenon that 'rocked the richest, most powerful nation to its foundations'.

As inspiring and resonant as it was upon publication, Why We Can't Wait is both a unique historical document, and an enduring testament to one man's wise, courageous and endlessly hopeful vision.

The Missing Ingredient

Jenny Linford

Quietly brilliant and original...a thoughtful food writer who deserves to be better known - Bee Wilson, Sunday Times

The Missing Ingredient is about what makes good food, and the first book to consider the intrinsic yet often forgotten role of time in creating the flavours and textures we love.

Written through a series of encounters with ingredients, producers, cooks, shopkeepers and chefs, exploring everything from the brief period in which sugar caramelises, or the days required in the crucial process of fermentation, to the months of slow ripening and close attention that make a great cheddar, or the years needed for certain wines to reach their peak, Jenny Linford shows how, time and again, time itself is the invisible ingredient. From the patience and dedication of many food producers in fields and storehouses around the world to the rapid reactions required of any home cook at the hob, this book allows us to better understand our culinary lives.


How to add color picker in jQuery/Html and Php

Now we are discussing how to add color picker in php/html project, for example if you want give a functionality to user select color from color picker for his background color profile,for this we will use third party color picker and call it on particular div area where we want display color picker.

Step 1: first we will include farbtastic css and js file.

Step 2: we will call color picker method on document ready event.

colorright/ colorleft’ is text-box id where we will show color id

Step 3: we will create html template for display color picker.


US Flags Sale Masonville CO 80541

American Flags in Masonville.

100% Made in the USA!

Folding up the American flag.

The American flag is a solid symbol of American identity and nationwide pride. Additionally called Old Glory, the United States flag has a vivid background and also has undergone many adjustments from the initial official flag of 1777.

In time, some have connected a little different meanings to the 3 shades, for example, the color red signifying the blood spilled to protect our freedoms, however the essence of the original definition has actually been rather constant since 1782.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

It is a lot greater than the 3 colors or a “decoration”. Think of the places around the globe that the American flag has flown, think of the change it has actually undertaken throughout the decades on American land. It is really humbling to consider all that was given and also sacrificed to ensure that the American flag can fly easily across this country.

Folding the American flag.

An intricate flag folding event including these meanings has actually since been developed for unique celebrations such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. These associations are “real” in the feeling that they indicate something to the people that join the event, yet they are not the reason that a flag is folded in the conventional thirteen-step manner.

This is America and also its sign is the American Flag. Even though several Americans in the state of Colorado happily fly the flag outside their homes and organisations every day, it is fitting that we, as a nation, have set apart one certain day each year to honor our flag and to keep in mind that it stands for the suitables and worths that we should strive to maintain.

Masonville ZIP codes we serve: 80541


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Brandenburg Concertos

March 24

Several events occurred in Sebastian’s life on this date:

1721   Six Concertos were dedicated to Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt

1729   Schott left his position as director of the Leipzig Collegium musicum to go to Gotha, and Sebastian took over the directorship (see March 20 in Bach Bagatelles)

1742   The third revision of the St. Matthew Passion was first performed (see March 23 in Bach Bagatelles)

It is 1721 that provides our Bach Bagatelle for today: The Brandenburg Concertos.

Christian Ludwig was Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. What and who was he?

A March is a boundary or borderland between two centers of power. The word comes from the Frankish marka, and we see it in the name “Denmark.” The Germanic tribes that the Romans called Marcomanni meant “men of the borderlands.” As a county is ruled by a Count, so a march is ruled by a Marquess, Marquis, or Margrave.

Originating in the middle ages, the northern march, or the Margraviate of Brandenburg, was one of the electoral states of the Holy Roman Empire and, along with Prussia, formed the original core of the first unified German state, with its capital in Berlin. After 1688 the two were combined into Brandenburg-Prussia, ruled by the House of Hohenzollern. These grew to become the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701.

Christian Ludwig (1677-1734) was a military officer of Brandenburg-Prussia’s Hohenzollern dynasty, given the title of Margrave of Brandenburg, a title which did not reflect territorial rule.

 In 1721 Sebastian faced musical frustration in Cöthen owing to the fact that his patron Prince Leopold’s new wife did not like music. The story is told that while shopping for a new harpsichord Sebastian accidentally met the Margrave of Brandenburg. The Margrave apparently asked for some music and Sebastian, possibly searching for a new job, sent him the six concertos that have become known as the Brandenburg Concertos. Bach’s dedication reads:

Sadly, the Margrave never had the works performed. At his death in 1734 they were sold for what today would buy about half a tank of gas, and lay hidden in the Brandenburg archives until rediscovered by Siegfried Wilhelm Dehn in 1849 and published in the following year.

Perhaps the Margrave never had them performed because he did not have access to musicians capable of playing them, which often prevents them from being performed as a complete set even today. They are composed in the most complex high Baroque style, with each concerto having at least two solo instruments.

Scholar Heinrich Besseler is certain that Sebastian did not write these specifically for the Margrave, but that he had composed them earlier in Cöthen, since the orchestration matches perfectly the 17 musicians available to him there.

The original title of BWV 1046-1051 was Six Concerts á plusiers instruments. They are widely praised as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque period. In them he uses the widest possible spectrum of instruments in bold, adventurous combinations that demand virtuoso playing. Christoph Wolff says, “Every one of the six concertos set a precedent in scoring, and every one was to remain without parallel.”

Concerto No. 1 is the only one with four movements. It prominently features the horns and oboes. The first movement is an Allegro with a winding melody that features the horns in harmony. The second movement allows the violin and oboe to shine in an expressive, passionate duet. After a lively third movement, the concerto closes with a dance-like section that pauses briefly then pushes through to a dazzling close. Sebastian uses music from the first and third movements BWV 52, 207, and 208.
Concerto No. 2 features violin, flute, oboe and trumpet as the solo instruments. Scholars think the challenging trumpet part was written for a singularly accomplished trumpeter, Joann Ludwig Schreiber of Cöthen. Schreiber was a clarino player, a term that in earlier periods may have referred to either a style of playing in the high register of the trumpet or a distinct type of trumpet, a smaller, treble instrument. By the 18th century, however, it referred to the style of playing in the high register. The extremely high range of this trumpet solo called for uncommon skill. Even today, trumpeters find it difficult, often choosing the smaller, higher piccolo trumpet.
Since Baroque trumpets only allowed the musician to play in major keys, it is often excluded from second movements, usually in minor keys. This exclusion is the case with this concerto. The third movement of the concerto is on the “golden record,” sent to space with the Voyager probe. It was also used by William F. Buckley as the theme song for his Firing Line, and begins each lecture for The Teaching Company’s Great Courses series. The thrilling final movement is thought by many to be one of the most ennobling and beautiful pieces Sebastian ever wrote.
Concerto No. 3 contains a string ensemble in which the instruments are equally balanced throughout. Owing to the simplicity of its structure, this is thought to be one of the earliest compositions in the set. The second movement is unusual, however, in that it consists of only two chords, suggesting that the center of the movement was an improvised cadenza (solo improvised passage) for a harpsichord or violin. Modern performers either play it as written, insert movements from other of Sebastian’s works (often BWV 1019 or 1021), or orchestrate a new movement to fit the key and style of the entire concerto, leading to the vibrant and cheerful final movement. Wendy Carlos (see March 26), for example, wrote two quite different versions for Switched-on Bach and Switched-on Bach 2000.
Concerto No. 4 features a violin and two flutes as solo instruments. Sebastian called for “echo flutes,” instruments unknown ever to have existed, suggesting that he intended an effect that sounded as if the instruments were playing at a distance. It is even possible, think some, that recorders were used to create this quality, even though the flute of Sebastian’s time was made of wood. Today, it is most often the custom to use the modern flute. Sebastian adapted this concerto as the last of his set of six harpsichord concertos.
Concerto No. 5 features solo flute, violin and harpsichord, but the virtuoso harpsichord part makes it almost a harpsichord concerto. Scholars speculate that Sebastian may have written this to highlight his well-known improvisatory keyboard skill (specifically for his intended Dresden competition with Frenchman Louis Marchand, since he uses one of Marchand’s themes in the central movement), or that he was demonstrating the new Mietke harpsichord he had acquired in Berlin when he met the Margrave. Although an earlier version of this concerto exists (BWV 1050a), its composition date is believed to be 1720-21.
Concerto No. 6 is curious in that it features violas da gamba but no violins. There are some interesting assumptions about this fact. The viola da gamba was, by 1721 when this work was written, an old-fashioned instrument, but one associated with aristocracy, while the viola da braccio (viola) was typically played by the servant class. One theory holds that Sebastian’s patron, Prince Leopold, played the viola da gamba and the composer wished to honor him. An alternate theory contends that by focusing on the viola rather than violins, thereby upending the balance of musical roles, Sebastian signaled that he wished to end his tenure under Leopold and seek new employment. In either case, the use of the violas creates a richer, warmer sound that sets this concerto apart from the rest of the set. The jaunty gigue in the final movement provides a stirring finish to the piece.

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FOOD is just one of the many ingredients in determining the state of our health. Our overall well-being depends not only on the food choices we make daily but also on our EMOTIONS and daily stress.  It is equally important to recognize that our emotional and recurring habits play a role in the foods we choose to eat, how we eat them, and the impact this has on our overall health and happiness.

Our emotions are the driving force behind every action we take. We may or may not know exactly what we “should” be doing to get healthy, but the reason we are not doing it is because our emotions get in the way.

In achieving utmost health and happiness, we often become distracted by false claims such as “more exercise plus less food will result in weight loss”. However, a more long-term, healthier, and stable approach to reaching health and happiness can be achieved by simply altering our stress response. When we are constantly worrying about food, calories and exercise, we place ourselves in a place of constant stress. Constant stress decreases metabolic and digestive capability, increases cortisol and insulin, and causes the body to store fat and to lose muscle. By altering our stress response and our relationship with food from punishing to nourishing , we can achieve a healthy and long-term approach to becoming healthy and happy in our own lives.

Whether you’re looking to reach a healthy weight, overcome a tricky relationship with food, or to find more inner health, I can meet you exactly where you are with customized one-on-one coaching that empowers you to achieve your healthiest, happiest, and most authentic self.


- Classical PKU (PKU), where the dietary tolerance to Phe is less than 350-400 mg per day and then residual activity of PAH is less than 5%. This is the most common form

- Moderate or Mild PKU (PKU), where the dietary tolerance to Phe is less than 350-600 mg per day and then residual activity of PAH is less than 10%.

- Benign PKU (PKU), where there are no dietary restrictions of Phe but the residual activity of PAH is less than 5%

- Infants with classic PKU appear normal until they are a few months old.

- Without treatment with a special low-phenylalanine diet, these children develop permanent intellectual disability.

- Seizures, delayed development, behavioral problems, and psychiatric disorders are also common.

- Untreated individuals may have a musty or mouse-like odor as a side effect of excess phenylalanine in the body, lighter skin & hair than unaffected family members and are more likely to have skin disorders such as eczema.

- Babies born to mothers with PKU and uncontrolled phenylalanine levels (women who no longer follow a low-phenylalanine diet) have a significant risk of intellectual disability because they are exposed to very high levels of phenylalanine before birth.

- These infants may also have a low birth weight and grow more slowly than other children. Other characteristic medical problems include heart defects or other heart problems, an abnormally small head size (microcephaly), and behavioral problems.

- Women with PKU and uncontrolled phenylalanine levels also have an increased risk of pregnancy loss

Mutations in the PAH gene cause phenylketonuria.

The PAH gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called phenylalanine hydroxylase. This enzyme converts the amino acid phenylalanine to other important compounds in the body. If gene mutations reduce the activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase, phenylalanine from the diet is not processed effectively. As a result, this amino acid can build up to toxic levels in the blood and other tissues. Because nerve cells in the brain are particularly sensitive to phenylalanine levels, excessive amounts of this substance can cause brain damage.

Classic PKU, the most severe form of the disorder, occurs when phenylalanine hydroxylase activity is severely reduced or absent. People with untreated classic PKU have levels of phenylalanine high enough to cause severe brain damage and other serious medical problems. Mutations in the PAH gene that allow the enzyme to retain some activity result in milder versions of this condition, such as variant PKU or non-PKU hyperphenylalaninemia.

Changes in other genes may influence the severity of PKU, but little is known about these additional genetic factors.

Previously, PKU affected individuals were allowed to go off diet after approximately 6 to 12 years of age. Most authorities now recommend lifelong dietary restriction of Phe for individuals with classic PKU, in order to promote maximal development and cognitive abilities. Trying to reinstitute the PKU diet after a period of 'relaxation' to a regular diet, has been difficult for many individuals. Periodic Phe blood level measurement, and the guidance of a nutritionist and other members of the health care team, allow individuals and families to work toward consistently maintaining the blood level in the desirable range.

*DISCLAIMER: The information listed on the PKU Helping Hands, Inc. website is for educational and informational use only. This information is not intended, nor should be used as professional advice. In the event that you need to seek medical advice, please contact your clinic.


News Section

To promote the forestry sector, government decides to lease the forest land for 15 years

January 26, 2017:A news story in Daily Express titled To Promote the Forestry sector, Government decides to lease the Forest land for 15 years, highlights the initiative by the Government of Punjab to establish SPFC and leasing the land for sustainable forestry investments.

The story can be read here.

For Press Inquiries


Who’s in the Room? How Great Leaders Structure and Manage the Teams Around Them

At the top of every organization chart lies a myth—that the boss and the senior management team make all the critical decisions together. In reality, most decisions are actually made by the boss and an inner circle of confidants—a “team with no name” that exists outside formal processes. Our book, Who’s in the Room, discusses the gap between the myth and reality of decision-making.

Please fill in all fields.


Ideals Based on Reason (1)

Yes, what we are doing is probably mad, and probably it is good and necessary all the same. It is not a good thing when man overstrains his reason and tries to reduce to rational order matters that a...

Totalitarianism (2)

Totalitarianism is not only hell, but all the dream of paradise-- the age-old dream of a world where everybody would live in harmony, united by a single common will and faith, without secrets from on...
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

The Idealists (3)

You see, I divide men into three categories: those who have a lot of money, those who have none at all and those who have a little. The first want to keep what they have: their interest is to maintai...

The Roots of the Idealism (4)

Just as the water of the streams we see is small in amount compared to that which flows underground, so the idealism which becomes visible is small in amount compared with what men and women bear loc...

Human, All Too Human


Investigative Journalism as the Future of Print Media

QUALITY JOURNALISM HAS not ended. It still survives despite the collapse of print media. Churnalists – pseudojournalists who sit and type like crazy in their comfortable cubicles days and nights until their backs ache and eyes redden- certainly always win the war of pageviews but it is journalists who work hard out there in field, in reality, to gather materials, write reports from scratch, and bear the risks of getting injured or harmed in the process.

When hoax and biased news run rampant like nowadays both in Indonesia and the world, pessimissm reigns, questioning whether our press organizations will eventually perish or survive the hardship.

I myself srongly believe that quality journalism will be still around after I met with Amarzan Loebis, an Indonesia senior journalist who opened up from A to Z about Investigative Journalism (from now on abbreviated as IJ).

Linguistically, the phrase IJ was derived from a Latin phrase ‘diurna vestigium’, meaning that it’s a sort of journalism which tracks down trails. IJ is notorius for its chaos-making nature. It’s meant to wake people up and open their eyes after reading.

IJ is obviously not intended for every newcomer. One must be patiently working his or her way up to the ladder. Bit by bit. “Experience is everything,” he emphasized. It therefore doesn’t matter much that one is from an outstanding academic background or certified as a journalist in an official journalism institution. What matters most is whether one has been doing the work for quite a long time well or not. Because according to Amran, in journalism seniority is determined by means of depth and maturity. “It’s not about one’s tenure in a certain position or post,” added Loebis. It’s definitely a hands-on kind of profession.

Some think Investigative Reporting and In-depth Reporting are two same things. But in fact, if we care to observe more, the two are dissimilar. Loebis pointed out this confusing misconception does exist. “In-depth Reporting springs out of curiosity,” he explained. A journalist writes an in-depth report in order to describe something, an important issue for public to learn and criticize.

Meanwhile, Investigative Reporting starts from suspicion. A journalist works with an investigative reporting method to expose something hidden, an issue that is not obvious or unknown by public but very crucial to the betterment of the society and state. Its objective is greater than financial gains and fame.

In the US, IJ has emerged since 1902 amidst social changes. It proved able to help shape the social structure. Businesswise, it also helped the media tycoons make a lot of profits.

In 1920s, investigative journalism associations mushroomed in the US.The trend was even achieving a new height after a number investigative reports were rewritten and published as literary works/ novels. Repackaging investigative journalism works was a tactic to make it timeless and more consumable to wider audiences, crossing geographical boundaries.

Though it is possible to launch an investigative endeavor on one’s own, naturally IJ is conducted in teams. This holds true especially when journalists are after an issue at a grand scale or involving prominent figures and their cronies. An IJ team consists of not only seasoned journalists but also newcomers as their faces are much less recognizable to the public (because senior journalists are presumably have appeared so often in public, making foes recognize them more easily).

IJ may always be oriented to the West (read: the US and UK) but IJ in the East (Asia) has actually made its appearance. The thing is its development was not well documented, making it less probable to track down.

Loebis showed his optimism that even under the amounting threat of online news outlets, IJ never fades away and has its own place. It is somehow irreplacable.

He sees opportunities for IJ in the epoch of internet. “IJ can be a golden opportunity for old-school media organizations to outlive the public forecast [that they would die sooner or later],” he underscored.

I understand that IJ is so hard to execute that only very few journalists willingly and indefatigably dedicate themselves to the pursuit of truth the hard way like this.

He likened IJ to ‘jihad’ or struggle. “IJ is a fighting journalism, which is born out of the spirit of resisting,” he defined. That said, those who work in this field have to be prepared for any possible risks.

“But thanks to the heavy and serious nature of IJ, most modern press accolades are intended for IJ works,” Loebis spoke.

It is no exaggeration, I suppose, when the jovial journalist concluded his talk by stating: “The future of Indonesia’s print media is IJ.” (*/)


How Much Dietary Fiber Do You Need?

Most Americans get only about 15 grams of fiber per day in their diet. But the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends about 25 grams for women under 50.

Don’t worry about what kind of fiber you are taking in unless you are seeking a specific health benefit, such as eating more soluble fiber to lower cholesterol. Instead, focus on eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This will provide a variety of soluble and insoluble fibers and all of the health benefits.

As you increase the fiber in your diet, you may experience more intestinal gas. Increasing fiber gradually will allow your body to adapt. Because some fibers absorb water, you should also drink more water as you increase fiber.

High-fiber Diets and Weight Loss

Here’s why: One of the most effective ways to lose those extra pounds is to control hunger, the dieter’s Achilles heel. Hunger is affected by many things, including when you eat, and the composition of your meals -- the amount of fats, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and water content.

How Dietary Fiber Helps Weight Loss

Studies show that most people eat about the same weight of food each day, says Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. If you choose high-fiber, water-rich foods -- such as broth-based vegetable soups, salads, fruits, and vegetables -- instead of foods without fiber and water, you can eat the same weight of food but feel full on fewer calories.

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The Benefits of Fiber: For Your Heart, Weight and Energy

Confused about fiber? You’re not alone. Dietary fiber is a misunderstood nutrient. Many people know it is important, but not much more than that. We will try to fill you in on the two main types of fiber – soluble and insoluble -- where to find them, and the health benefits they provide.

Dietary fibers are found naturally in the plants that we eat. They are parts of plant that do not break down in our stomachs, and instead pass through our system undigested. All dietary fibers are either soluble or insoluble. Both types of fiber are equally important for health, digestion, and preventing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, diverticulitis, and constipation.

Dietary Fiber: Insoluble vs. Soluble

Soluble fiber dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not. To some degree these differences determine how each fiber functions in the body and benefits your health.


Letter to the Editor: Forest Hills Construction Project ‘Utter Debacle’

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Forest Hills construction project is a complete and utter debacle. A pedestrian approaching the MBTA station from central JP is greeted by foot-tall grass, months-old litter strewn everywhere, hedges that have not been trimmed since at least last year and a complete appearance of property neglect.

The pedestrian corridors are poorly delineated, lack signage, and have no protection from impatient cars and buses. The time allowed on the traffic light to cross from South Street to the MBTA station is not nearly enough for a healthy, young adult much less for the elderly, the disabled or someone with children. Crossing to the Forest Hills subway stop from almost all directions is truly dangerous. There is little to no design in traffic calming in what appears to be a motorists’ Wild West. Outside facilities and spaces for people waiting for buses or taxis has been either torn down or moved absurdly far away with little construction activity then happening for weeks in those areas.

This project is more than two years behind schedule with a new third, or is it a fourth, completion date set for the spring of 2018? Months go by with no apparent construction progress.

The T apparently sees the highway work as an excuse not to do basic landscaping maintenance on its property. Twelve hours of work by a private landscaping crew would transform the area. The Boston Police Department requires paid details for the most inconsequential utility work on quiet side streets, yet a city, state or T police officer is rarely seen directing traffic or protecting the thousands of pedestrians trying to figure out to get to one of the T’s busiest stations safely.

How the state can allow a contractor to fall so egregiously behind schedule is beyond the comprehension of the public. The contractor should be prohibited from bidding on future public works projects for a year or two. The state transportation officials responsible for the Arborway replacement plan need to answer to the public for such a poorly executed effort.

This project has become truly embarrassing for Boston. What is crystal clear is that there is no one person who is responsible for the maintenance and movement of the entire project forward. I can already hear the jurisdictional excuses of that is T, state or city property. The public needs a manager with real power across all agencies to restore safety, functionality and timely construction progress around the Forest Hills T station.

The mayor’s and governor’s offices, in concert with state reps and city councilors from the adjacent neighborhoods, need to step up and apply the political pressure to make immediate fixes and move this interminable construction project to an efficient and functional close.

Tony LaCasse


CF760                           FEDERAL AND STATE GRANT STATUS REPORT
The Federal and State Grants Status Report provides information on current year
grant records.  Report fields are defined as follows:
                     New York State contract number will be listed.
FUNDING SOURCE     - The name of the grant program.
SCHEDULED/         - The total amount of payments processed including scheduled
                     approvals before being released for processing. The project will
                     continue to show as UNDER REVIEW until the Program Office either
                     approves the application and forwards the budget to Grants Finance
                     or disapproves the budget (disapproved projects are not displayed on
                     this report) or all required approvals are received.
SED CODE:     460102040000
AGENCY NAME:  ALTMAR-PARISH-WILLIAMSTOWN CSD                           RUN DATE: 02/23/18
                                     2018 PROJECTS
  PROJECT #  CONTRACT #  FUNDING SOURCE         BUDGET     PAID TO DATE    START     END
  0006182330             TITLE V RURAL & LO        20,000         4,000  09/01/17  08/31/18
  0011182502             TITLE I, SCHOOL IM        20,000         4,000  09/01/17  08/31/18
  0021182330             TITLE I A&D IMPROV       342,158       123,449  09/01/17  08/31/18
  0032180710             IDEA-PART B, SECTI       330,989       148,090  07/01/17  06/30/18
  0033180710             IDEA-PART B, SECTI        17,694        12,416  07/01/17  06/30/18
  0147182330             TITLE IIA,TEACH/PR        52,737        10,547  09/01/17  08/31/18
  0409187011             UNIVERSAL PRE-K          129,009        64,504  07/01/17  06/30/18
  0639183001             PATHWAYS IN TECH E       259,345       173,481  07/01/17  06/30/18
  TOTAL                                         1,171,932       540,487
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