Inner Focus Music

One of the amazing sites to visit while spending time in Montreal Canada is the Notre Dame Basilica. It has been a wonderful way to see the historical significance of many treasures that are kept in the crypt of the building. The Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal is the second church that was built in this area. There was an earlier Catholic church that was built earlier close to the same spot.

Visitors of the Montreal hotels enjoy taking the tours of the crypt because they learn so much about the church and the city as a whole. The Church itself is a wonderful Gothic Revival style with its ornate decor and classic statues. Because of the history of the area archaeologists have had a great time finding many artifacts that tell the story of the city above.

Check with your downtown hotel for information on getting to the Basilica and arranging for a tour. It is exquisite. Learn about the many historical events that have taken place in this beautiful church as well as how it interacted with the city of Montreal. If you are Catholic you may want to see if you can get sponsored to attend a service. It would be an amazing experience.

One of the great contributions that the recent popularity in feng sui has brought to the living space is the rediscovery of the fountain. In this art of bringing harmony into a home, there is a focus on the elemental forces. Finding spaces in rooms or gardens where the energy is blocked or simply stilled, making use of the elements is a way of shifting the energy. Well-placed candles can add the physical and metaphorical qualities of heat to a table, and fountains can add the element of water to the space. Earth and air are also necessary, and there are many ways of incorporating these into the design.

With a garden, the four elements are already present. The heat of the sun, the water that sustains the plants, the plants themselves that have their roots in the earth, and the oxygen that they use and give back, are all ways that a garden comes to be in balance. The wonderful thing about fountains is that they are extremely versatile. There are plenty of designs and sizes to fit nearly any space. Some can be placed as the perfect centerpiece, around which everything else is placed. Some fountains can be carefully placed in a hidden corner to offer a sudden and unexpected touch of class. Water is perhaps the great unifying element for any garden, because it is the source of life.

A day trip to London Museums will prove very informative and educational. London, having the highest concentration of museums per square mile, gives visitors a varied amount of museums to choose to meet any ones tastes.

Depending on a person’s energy level, the itinerary of the day can be jammed packed with not a minute to lose. For those who want a calmer day, they can adjust accordingly to fit in meals and breathing space.

London museum entry fees can be expensive, but the British Museum is free and is within walking distance from a London hotel , so a route is provided for those who want to spend as little money as possible on transportation as well. Eating at one of the museums though is another story. The Tower of London’s caf © is rather expensive and so are most of the restaurants nearby. It’s best to eat beforehand your hotel.

The London Pass is an economical solution, which gives free access to countless London attractions for a fixed amount. The museums offered on the London Pass will have free access or will only have a minimal fee. Plus, London Pass holders get on the fast lane, bypassing all the long lines of other tourist waiting to either purchase a ticket or waiting to get inside.

The French Open has come and gone. Rafael Nadal claimed his title in the Men’s round and Francesca Schiavone won her first title at the French Open as well. Now the games move from the clay to grass then to hard surface. During the US Open tennis matches, Roger Federer will look to regain his number 1 ranking and only one thing is certain, Arthur Ashe Stadium will be filled to the brim with tennis greats.

The hard surface at the US Open Tennis 2010 is technically called DecoTurf , which is an acrylic based material. In recent years, the US Open has been dominated by Americans such as great players like Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. All have made the US Open the success it is today. Consider the likes of Chris Evert and Billie Jean King playing in the past and tennis fans will be watching the US Open in hopes of another emerging super tennis star.

As for superstars, the Williams sisters rank at number 1 and 2 in the Women’s singles for the first time since 2003. However, the awesome play of players like Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Aravane Rezai and Schiavone may be enough to upset the sisters, who will definitely be looking to fare well at the US Open Tennis 2010. The Williams sisters claimed the doubles title and their 4th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

Halloween will soon be here again, bringing with it masquerade parties, haunted houses and trick-or-treating. Will you be ready for it? Or will you find yourself scrambling at the last minute, trying to decide what to wear, looking for the uniformed garb of policemen and firemen, of witches, ghosts and aliens, of cowboys and Indian Halloween costumes ? Does it always seem like a difficult choice? As with other holidays and celebrations (such as with birthdays and anniversaries), procrastination seems to be one more tradition as October approaches.

What is procrastination ? It’s postponing important tasks you know should be done. It’s reinforced by habit, but based on a variety of conditions: The tasks you need to do are unpleasant or complex. You’re faced with indecision or a fear of failure, which might also simply be a lack of self confidence.

As the holidays approach, people put off choosing a costume for Halloween, preparing for Thanksgiving, or purchasing gifts for the holidays. A few strategies to combat procrastination include focusing on completing unpleasant tasks first, early in the day. For complex projects, attempt to break the job into smaller parts, plan for and complete a start-up task, regardless of how small it might be. You might also determine a deadline to complete the task; tell others about this deadline to reinforce your incentive to complete it.

If you want to start out small, choose your Halloween costume now; in the weeks before October 31st, you’ll find that having already made the decision will allow you to relax and really enjoy yourself at whatever party you attend.

In a world where insurance needs continue to grow and expend and a time when most pets have their own insurance policy, it is more important than ever before to have visitors health insurance when you travel. And while this is becoming a common aspect of almost all intercontinental travel, it is also important to know that you have some choices and various options in the price, policy and coverage you wish to obtain.

It is possible to purchase the coverage from a standardized agency in the country to which you are traveling, and it is also possible and frequently recommended that you check with your own provider and pursue your options with them. Policies can vary from complete all condition and previous issue coverage to that which will only take care of unexpected accidents or sudden health crises.

There are various factors to consider when you are making your insurance purchases prior to travel. Some of the standard considerations include where you will be going, how long you will be there, what you are planning to do while you’re there and of course your age and generally level of health and fitness . These are some of the factors that will help you to determine the type of coverage that is right for you and your vacation.

Beijing is a city that’s constantly unfolding itself in multiple and unpredictable ways. Based in a rich and complex past, and firmly positioned for a remarkable future, the present moment is always the best time to be in the city. The present moment is the place in time where music happens, as it works out, and this city has a marvelous legacy. Chances are probably fairly high that most guests checking into a Beijing hotel will be hearing some of the more ornate sounds from the city’s finest artists as they take in the city. However, there are other traditions here as well.

It’s position in the realm of experimental music is well-regarded, and none of it would be possible without the work of Wang Fan . He moved here in the 90s, after a stint participating in the rock scene in Lanzhou , with an impulse to do something new. The result was a low-fi piece of music that was remarkable in its time for its extremely stripped minimalism. Nothing of its kind had been heard before, and even though his experience in technical aspects of music were minor, this was enough to catapult the artists into a new way of seeing and thinking about music. It goes back to that moment, then, and from here, it just moves forward in time.

A customer complaint is not a “bad” thing.  It is an opportunity for investigation, an opportunity for a company to not only satisfy a particular customer but one which can improve overall business interactions.  Some customers will not place a formal complaint when they are unsatisfied, but they will tell their friends.  This can put a company in the predicament of never knowing just what may have gone wrong.  Customer complaints, when handled quickly, will close this gap, the gap of knowledge which will determine which companies are truly the pioneers of the world of customer service.  It is because of this, that many of the top companies make certain that their customers know…that should they have complaints, those complaints will be welcome and resolved.

One of the most important aspects of the tracking of customer service complaints is that a company must make it easy for a customer to voice their concerns.  If this is made easy for them, improvement is made easy for the company.  Again, if the process of voicing these concerns is confusing…the customer may not complain to the company, but they will tell their friends.  A great company will provide the means for customers to be in touch, either through a customer service hot-line number or a survey, or now, through the Internet.  It is this kind of action which will allow a company to quickly identify any concerns, and to quickly address and resolve them.

The key ingredients to resolving a complaint and ensuring customer loyalty are the quick resolution of a concern, the courteous treatment of the customer, and the use of plain old common sense.  When a complaint is not resolved quickly, this creates not only more frustration for the customer, but it adds hours of unnecessary man power which will increase the cost of fixing the issue and will do nothing for re-building customer confidence.  Common sense then, dictates that the quick resolution is the key.

Technology has made this process much more effective than in the days passed.  With computers, companies can create a customer complaint system which will allow the collection of trends and information.  This allows an organization to act in real time to meet the needs and the expectations of their customers.  No matter how great the product or service provided by a company may be, what is necessary is the recruitment of a thoroughly trained customer service team.  These are the people that will be on the front-line so to speak, and they will make or break a company.  A complaints management system and customer service tracking is not only necessary for keeping loyal customers, but for gaining new ones, and is one of the most important aspects in closing the gap and to surviving in the business world today.

When traveling around the world, it does not hurt to start off in Boston. The truth is that a trip around the world can be fun and exciting, but you need a large old city to compare everything else to before you head out. This means not just leaving from Logan International Airport, but also seeing the city a little first. You will want to stay in one of the luxury hotels Boston offers because it is doubtful you will get rooms this good elsewhere in the world unless you plan on spending a lot of money and staying in a real hotel rather than a cheaper hostel while you are traveling the world.

While you are there, you should see the sites of Boston as well. Make sure you look around and find some of the interesting things that are going on. You can even tie it into your trip. If you are looking at the music scene in other countries, Boston is the place to start as they have a great indie music scene. You won’t want to miss Tom Conway , or Loomis and the Lust to get you started on your trip.

After an experience like that, you are ready to travel to Sydney, Paris, Moscow, or Bejing and meet some of the best musicians in the world.

There’s no wonder LeBron James chose Miami as his new home, it’s not just the Miami Heat, it’s Miami all together, especially South Beach (SoBe). Who can blame him? Miami’s South Beach is everybody’s favorite spot in Miami.

While LeBron stays at any of the best 4 star hotels Miami can offer him, as he figures out which million dollar mansion to buy as his permanent resident, he only needs to bring flip-flops, hats, towels and sunscreen for fun days in the sun. He can lounge about, check out the hottest fashions or just people watch, that’s when he’s not the one being watched. When he’s sick of the sun and sand, he can check out the best restaurants, the most exclusive spas and shops that will cater to his every need.

He probably already experienced SoBe when his team played against the Miami Heat and found that not only the atmosphere, the crowd, the food, the shopping and the ‘amazing’ view to be the best reasons to move here, but SoBe in Miami hotter than the Miami Heat.

LeBron James coming to Miami has just given the rest of Miami’s visitors another reason to come here during basketball season and a great reason for locals to become season ticket holders for the Miami Heat. Miami welcomes LeBron James and understands why he picked this place to live over New York and Chicago!

Various corporate training workshops and programs are designed to streamline staff performance and enhance productivity. They create a fluid work environment and provide for all staff to understand the basic philosophy of the organization and work in an expected manner. This can be an essential resource for any business’ continued survival and thriving. Having a solid professional skill set among staff, that goes far beyond the economic and business theories that were learned in school will guarantee a competitive edge to any business. The actual daily functioning of any business or corporation depends on a streamlined approach to tasks, management and service.

In addition to standard staff enhancement and development skills, an executive development seminar and other upper level management training programs are extremely beneficial and will provide company leaders with essential communication, delegation and other skills that come with leadership responsibilities. There are other special topic trainings that are becoming more common requirements in many fields. These include multi-cultural awareness seminars and workplace sensitivity to differing lifestyles, gender and religions. With such a shrinking world and increasingly diverse workplaces, having a respect for other staff and maintaining appropriate boundaries is as valuable a skill as any other in creating a productive work environment.

We all have those people in our lives that we bestow with the title “social butterfly.” They call just to say hi but will talk your ear off for an hour or more, you can barely fit a word in edge-wise, and they are typically in the know about all of the latest news regarding family or friends. They keep our lives interesting in ways that others can’t and provide us with a unique form of entertainment.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being social; however it can sometimes be a challenge when it comes to finding the right kind of job. For example, sitting silently at a desk all day would probably not be the ideal job for social types. However, there are many other options out there.

Jobs in sales can often be the most rewarding for social people . Retail can be a challenging and sometimes thankless job; however, for those that enjoy the constant one-on-one interaction it can be ideal. Direct selling with a business like Southwestern Company can also be a good source of employment. Often with direct selling you are meeting with people in their homes through sales calls, product demonstrations, and sometimes even parties. These types of jobs often offer a lot of flexibility and the ability to build your own business and network. There are some companies that work with a specific type of client and are looking for a specific type of sales person. For example Avon sells a lot of makeup and is targeted more for women, Southwestern Company publishes a line of education books and works primarily with students.

This is just the beginning of all the opportunities that are available to people who love to get out there and meet people; there is so much more if you are willing to put yourself out there and seize new opportunities.

There are a lot of cool things you can do in Miami, and eventually you will end up spending a lot of money. Where you want to spend the money is really a matter of choice. Some people would rather spend their money on food or attractions while others would like to spend their money on five star hotels. Miami has places for everyone to spend their money. You may want to get away from these places eventually though, so here are also some free things that you can do that will help keep the cost of the trip down.

You can go to any of the Whole Foods in Miami and pick up a schedule for free cooking demos that will be happening there. If you like to cook, this can be a lot of fun to do while you are on vacation.

While you will not get to play completely free, it will cost you a little less to go bowling at some bowling centers around the city. Usually kids get up to two games for free.

There are beaches as well that are usually free. Because parking isn’t always free, you may want to think about grabbing some free parking and jumping on a free shuttle to South Beach and relax in the sun and the waves.

Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. As a specific movement in the arts it is identified with developments in post-World War II Western Art, most strongly with American visual arts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with this movement include Donald Judd, John McLaughlin, Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin, Robert Morris, Anne Truitt, and Frank Stella. It is rooted in the reductive aspects of Modernism, and is often interpreted as a reaction against Abstract expressionism and a bridge to Postmodern art practices.

The terms have expanded to encompass a movement in music which features repetition and iteration, as in the compositions of La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams.

The term “minimalist” is often applied colloquially to designate anything which is spare or stripped to its essentials. It has also been used to describe the plays and novels of Samuel Beckett, the films of Robert Bresson, the stories of Raymond Carver, and even the automobile designs of Colin Chapman. The word was first used in English in the early twentieth century to describe the Mensheviks.  Brought to you by phoenix jazz groups.

Las Vegas is well known for its incredible nightlife scene and all of the fabulous shows that take place there. And while many of them are based on individual comedians, magicians and major spectacle shows such as Cirque du Soleil , there are also some great music concerts that are a standard entertainment option. Some of these occur in the casinos, while others take place in live music venues and major concert arenas. Regardless of where you are staying, there is certain to be a great live music concert within accessible reach of you and will likely be a favorite aspect of your trip. And casinos like the Golden Nugget, MGM Grand, Caesar’s Palace and numerous others make it extremely easy to see a great show with major performance venues existing right on the property. You can have an entire event filled vacation in Las Vegas and never leave your resort.

One of the great things about the music scene in Las Vegas is that in addition to all of the internationally known musicians and bands that perform there regularly, it also has some of the top tribute performers in the country. You can almost always find some of the best Elvis impersonators and other great tribute performances like that of Peace Frog who emulates The Doors performance style, appearance and sound.

Major casinos will regularly have specific music genre celebration concerts, such as the legends of Motown and evenings of blues, sounds of Nashville and jazz specific performances. And in the middle of all of these theme specific shows headliner concerts by artists like Lionel Richie, Ted Nugent, Cher, Santana, Kenny Chessy and other major stars are taking place on a nightly basis. The amazing entertainment options and great concerts that take place at the major casinos and other concert arenas in the city have become as strong a reason for visiting the city and enjoying a stay in one of the Las Vegas hotels as gambling has always been, and likely will always be.

Pegheds make tuning easier!!  They are geared pegs for violin, viola, cello, viola da gamba etc, and there is no need for fine tuners!

Many lower priced instruments are equipped with badly fitting pegs which make tuning really, really difficult.  And often we are faced by a change in climate conditions -either humidity or dry air and the pegs tighten up.  Ever wonder why cello tailpieces with 4 integral fine tuners have become so common??  People with arthritis and joint problems have trouble shifting their pegs and tuning.

Installation tools include  a peg reamer.  It is not necessary to remove all the strings at the same time to install Pegheds.   Always  measure the peg diameter of your instrument to be sure they are not larger than the available Pegheds.

In Walt Whitman’s notebook for the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass, he writes, “Every soul has its own individual voice.” That notion rang true for photographer/poet/filmmaker Gerard Malanga as he put together “Souls,” an exhibit of 100 portraits spanning five decades.

Malanga may be best known for his work with Andy Warhol, with whom he founded Interview magazine and collaborated on many films. He has authored several books of poetry, as well as the band-bio Up-tight: The Velvet Underground Story, and maintains an archive of photographs and movies from his years at Warhol’s Factory.  More…

On Approaching the Invisible Mountain, Jenks Miller’s only previous album under his own name, the guitarist exploits only space and tone. The series of six spare, nebulous guitar improvisations comes full of rests and breaks—as though, in pauses for pondering, Miller considered what he’d just played and proceeded accordingly. It was a winding, easy listen, where the listener delighted as much in the possibility of what might happen next as in what had come before.  More….

Here is the blog of Justin Marc LLoyd – it includes a noise/ambient musical project and many releases, all of which you can download for free as well as cassettes, CDs and digital releases.

One of the most adventurous and prolific members of the New York free-jazz community” according to Ed Hazell of Signal To Noise, Steve Swell’s reputation, work ethic and committment to excellence has kept him in the forefront of improvised music and a leading voice on his instrument for more than 20 years. On February 27th at Roulette, Swell presents a concert featuring his new ensemble with some of improvised music’s finest contributors: Rob Brown, alto; Chris Forbes, piano; Hilliard “Hill” Greene, bass; Michael T.A. Thompson, drums, percussion. It will feature Swell’s writing along with his unique, on the spot direction of incorporating this group’s rich improvisation abilities along with his compositions. Read more….

No musician admits it out loud and a few probably don’t even admit it to themselves, but every musician wants to get into the history books. I’ve seen composers open a new book from the back just to look for their name in the index. I do that myself sometimes.

I’m very proud that I got mentioned even once in Frank Zappa’s autobiography. (On page 175 in case you run across a copy because Frank didn’t believe in indices.)

Recently I was contacted by Charles Sharp (also known as C. Sharp). He wanted to interview me for his doctoral dissertation. Here’s how he described it:

[It is] ostensibly about avant-garde jazz in Los Angeles but it has become increasingly about the intersection of various different genres of experimental music in Los Angeles.

One of those intersections involved the ICA, the Independent Composers Association, a group in which I was active in the early 1980s. You can read several Mixed Meters articles about ICA. (MM is the only place on the Internet you can read anything about ICA, alas.)
I answered Charles’ questions as best my memory would allow. A year passed. Charles finished his dissertation, charmingly entitled “Improvisation, identity, and tradition: Experimental music communities in Los Angeles”. He has since defended it against all comers and earned some letters after his name which entitle him to a chance of being hired for menial college teaching positions.

The dissertation is 500 pages long! I immediately searched it for my name and found a gratifying number of mentions. Thankfully the quotes Charles picked didn’t make me look like a complete idiot. It’s not online at the moment but if you want to read it you should contact him. Charles created a blog to accept comments here which might be a good place to leave him a message.

The story Charles tells is important. It’s about creative music right here in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, in experimental music, what happens in L.A. stays in L.A. This telling should help delineate a historical tradition few people know much about. Even those of us who witnessed parts of it don’t know the whole story. People from elsewhere will be surprised.

After an academical introductory chapter (in which the word hermeneutics confused me repeatedly) it’s a pretty easy read. Charles starts off with Ornette Coleman, not often thought of as an L.A. musician. He left here for New York in 1959 after recording The Shape of Jazz to Come. Three Los Angeles jazz musicians, pianist Horace Tapscott, cornetist Bobby Bradford and clarinetist John Carter are the backbone of the story.

I was acquainted with John Carter, heard him play a bunch of times and even got to play with him once, if only in private. He was a nice and genuine person. His cycle of 5 albums, Roots and Folklore: Episodes in the Development of American Folk Music, is the centerpiece of Charles’ story. I could have learned a lot from John – had I thought to pay more attention.

Sharp discusses the music of Tapscott, Bradford and Carter :

…these musicians had preunderstandings, which were informed by bebop and also the developing music of free jazz. Their music suggested different realities and possibilities. If racism, which was a systemic part of urban planning, policing, and public policy, was a reminder that black people were not fully valued as individuals, the music was a reminder of the importance of individuals and the power of community. … Their music was supposed to sound unique, different every time, and challenge the listeners; aspects that seldom result in broad mass appeal. … As their music was understood, it expanded the horizons of the listeners and new communities would emerge. (p.126-7)

Charles writes a lot about communities – little groups of like-minded people within which music could take on some meaning. Telling how these groups arose and interacted with each other and eventually disappeared makes the story interesting.

For example, I found the early histories, starting in high school, of drummer Alex Cline, guitarist Nels Cline and synthesist Lee Kaplan (who ran an important concert series at a little dump pretentiously called the Century City Playhouse) fascinating. My buddy Vinny Golia gets a lot of space. (You can hear ancient recordings by an improv trio of myself, Vinny & flutist Anne LaBerge in this MM article.) Others (like Bill Roper, James Grigsby, Titus Levi, Kraig Grady, Lynn Johnston, Will Salmon) who I know or worked with get space as well.

Charles puts a lot of different things into his narrative. A chapter about punk rock. A chapter about the various Los Angeles city-wide arts festivals (which I alluded to in my recent post about opera.) Dr. Sharp takes the story right up to the present – long after I dropped out.

Having lived in Los Angeles for nearly 35 years, first as an active participant in the local experimental music scene and then an observer of same, I think this dissertation deserves to be widely read. Creative musicians, non-creative musicians, music fans of all kinds and even music critics will find it interesting. And they might just realize that Los Angeles is not quite the creative wasteland we pretend to be.

By David Ocker

Chicago has lots of music festivals, and Chicago has plenty of concerts year-round devoted to experimental music and noise. Now it looks like the city is finally getting a festival that focuses on experimental music and noise. The Neon Marshmallow Festival will make its debut from August 20 through 22 at the Viaduct Theater, and while the details (including the lineup) are still being hammered out, what’s been announced so far looks impressive.

The event is being organized by Daniel Smith (who makes music under the name Red Electric Rainbow) and Matt Kimmel, who’s behind the Acid-Marshamallow site, which showcases mostly experimental stuff. Among the confirmed performers are Astral Social Club, Carlos Giffoni, and Emeralds, whose recent What Happened (No Fun) was one of last year’s best examples of taxonomically slippery pyschedelic drone. I’ve also seen a list of artists the organizers are waiting to hear from, so I can say that Smith and Kimmel seem to have pretty good taste (and an aesthetic leaning toward the noisier end of the spectrum). There’s already a Neon Marshmallow Fest site, but it’ll probably be another week or so before anything is actually on it. More….

The Ergo Bass Electric Viola Da Gamba is a special instrument and one that I have been playing live for some time now. It is based on the traditional viola da gamba, a renaissance instrument and has many of the features of these instruments, with a few updates that I felt would be more appropriate for the modern player.

The Ergo Electric Viola Da Gamba features a 27″ scale (similar to the modern cello, and only slightly longer than a instrument bass viol). It has the traditional tied frets and I use the traditional bass viol bow with it. The traditional instrument features gut strings but this modern update comes with standard Super Sensitive Viola Da Gamba strings. (Available from juststrings.com, southweststrings.com) These strings have a synthetic core (much more stable, and long lasting that traditional gut strings, but still with the warm tone of gut, silver wrapped strings that can be ordered from a number of sources online. They can be tuned in the traditional way from low to high D, G, C, e, a, d. I have the seven string version which features a low A string. There are other alternatives for tuning – for example – up a whole step for more familiar bass layout (E, A, D, g, c, f). It is a versatile instrument that requires accurate left handed finger positions and excellent bowing technique – 7 strings!!

The main advantage for me – over the traditional viol is that it can be amplified – and you can use effects with it. The skies the limit in terms of different sounds. I would recomend the use of a high quality amplifier – and not a bass or guitar amp. One that is equipped to handle the full range of this fine instrument.

Ming Jiang Zhu was the winner of 12 international awards including several highly prestigious awards – two Gold Medals in Violin Making [1994 and 2006] and a Silver Award in Viola making [1996] in the Violin Society of America (VSA) Competitions. The VSA has awarded gold medals only to those instruments that were judged highly in both tone and workmanship. He is from KwanDong violin school and won an gold medal in violin making competition. He was featured in a Time magazine article.

The Ming Jiang Zhu violins come in at two price ranges. Ranging from $1500 to $7500 violins. The $7500 one is made directly by Ming Jiang Zhu.

Ming Jiang Zhu violins are quoted as being “well seasoned spruce”, all are “oil antiqued finished”. The higher price model is all European wood, one step down has European spruce and highly-flamed maple.

The VN-350 Artist is the bottom of the line but is a very fine instrument made in the workshop of Ming Jiang Zhu.

The VN-900 is made from European Maple and Spruce and has excellent workmanship. They come well set up and are consistent and are a real good “player” instrument. Ming Jiang Zhu performs about 20% of the work on the high level VN-900 Premium Master instruments.

Ming’s workshop employs about 30 workers. They produce about 40 instruments per month. It is a small workshop of makers under the direct supervision of the master Ming Jiang Zhu. No instrument is sent out without inspection by Ming Jiang Zhu himself. Ming Jiang Zhu performs about 20% of the work on the high level VN-900 Premium Master instruments.

The Ming Jiang Zhu workshop has also produced viola da gambas.

Deep, resonant bass response is the essence of this remarkable new instrument. Whether plucked or bowed, the NS Design Omni Bass delivers pure, exciting acoustic and electric bass sounds that can be tailored to compliment virtually any musical style or gig.

The Omni Bass has a highly arched fingerboard and bridge, similar to a cello, to optimize bow articulation. The high arch on the fingerboard fits the human hand, and combines with the round neck profile for a comfortable and natural feel.

The 34″ scale length of the Omni Bass is the same as standard electric bass. Tuned in fourths (EADGC or BEADG), the fingering positions and spacing are identical to the bass guitar, and therefore immediately familiar to any bass player. The Omni Bass can also be tuned in fifths, for fingerings that are more natural for the cellist seeking enhanced bass range.

Dots for each semi-tone cascade across the fingerboard, a unique configuration that provides a clear visual fingering reference. The logical dot pattern is of critical value to the novice player, and an invaluable reference guide for the seasoned pro. Fretted models have conventional bass guitar dot pattern. The Omni Bass is also available as a fretted model.

The multiple sensor NS Polar bridge pickup system has two modes of operation: “arco” and “pizzicato”. This allows the player to optimize bowed response, and to control attack and decay characteristics for plucking. The deep bass and brilliant highs possible with piezo crystal technology give the instrument a beautiful, dynamic, and versatile sound.

Custom designed EMG low impedance magnetic pickups have a smooth response with lots of sweet midrange for the quintessential “electric” tone. Their relatively flat frequency response allows the natural sound of the instrument to project through. Each pickup is individually adjustable and internally shielded an internal preamp system for hum free performance.

Two balance controls allow unlimited mixing options for the magnetic and the dual mode Polar Pickup systems. On-board pre-amplification provides master volume, bass and treble controls. The 18 volt power supply insures plenty of headroom for full dynamics. Polar Pickup systems. On-board pre-amplification provides master volume, bass and treble controls. The 18 volt power supply insures plenty of headroom for full dynamics.

The Boomerang Strap System is standard with the Omni Bass. Two articulated arms and a pivoting hub allow full mobility on stage or in studio. The comfortable Boomerang strap fits over the shoulder just like a guitar, but the adjustable arms allow the instrument to be placed in virtually any position in relation to the hands and body. The Boomerang Strap System allows full mobility for either bowing or plucking.

The optional self-standing Tripod stand provides stable fixed support for the instrument. Virtually any angle can be set whether you prefer standing or sitting. A matching black finish provides a sleek compliment to the instrument.

The optional End Pin stand provides a more upright bass feel. It too is easily adjustable so that the instrument remains evenly balanced without support.

Five strings cover the range of the double bass, bass guitar, and cello.

Steel, aluminum, tungsten, and bronze are combined to make strings that are unusually responsive, with singing highs and a deep low register. These polished low-tension flatwound strings are effortless to play and minimize unwanted finger noise. The bright pizzicato growl provides an authentic acoustic tone, yet these strings deliver plenty of sustain and drive when you need it. Developed in collaboration with D’Addario, these strings are also ideal for bowing. They respond much quicker to the bow than traditional bass strings, so expressive bow technique is easier to develop and maintain. The Omni Bass is designed to accommodate any standard bass guitar string, adding unlimited set up options for musicians who want to explore & create their own unique sound.

Each instrument is hand-made in the Czech Republic to the highest standard by craftsmen steeped in a long tradition of instrument making.

My daughters favorite and country music star Taylor Swift ranks at number 69 as the most powerful celebrity in the world.  This is according to the annual Celebrity 100 list produced by Forbes.  After all the publicity she has gained this year who can be surprised!

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American country pop singer–songwriter, guitarist and actress. In 2008, her albums sold a combined four million copies, making her the best-selling musician of the year in the United States, according to Nielsen Sound Scan.

In 2006, she released her debut single “Tim McGraw”, then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified Platinum several times by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In November 2008, Swift released her second album, Fearless. Fearless and Taylor Swift finished 2008 at number three and number six respectively, with sales of 2.1 and 1.5 million. Fearless has topped the Billboard 200 in 11 non-consecutive weeks, no album has spent more time at No. 1 since 2000. Forbes, ranked Swift 2009′s 69th-most powerful celebrity, earning $18 million.  Swiftranks…

The New York art world does such a wonderful job of satirizing itself that further assistance hardly seems necessary. But with “(Untitled),’’ writer and director Jonathan Parker takes for granted the trumped-up stakes, the humorlessness, and the artists’ capacity for opportunism and willful absurdity. The players in this movie are cynical, but, amazingly, Parker is not. His movie works as a serious comedy in which the assorted players – a couple of artists, some gallerists, and the people who attend (or don’t attend) their shows – discuss what art is, what it should aspire to be, and what kind of people collect, exhibit, and consider it.  Read more…