Jonathan Harnum's Blog, page 28
August 16, 2018
August 12, 2018
Talent Mindset Infographic (updated)
A helpful music educator pointed out a typo in one of the several versions floating around out there. The link is to a high-resolution PDF, suitable for printing and putting on your practice room wall or band/choir/orchestra room. Here’s the updated version:
GrowYourTalent_ThePracticeOfPractice
[image error]
Antoine Boyer & Yeore Kim – First Song (Charlie Haden)
I love this: how they take their time, develop the song, build complexity and then back down. Such musicianship!
August 10, 2018
Effects of enriched auditory experience on infants’ speech perception during the first year of life
The evidence keeps rolling in.
from the abstract of this study:
Results showed that a 1-month laboratory music intervention focusing on rhythm learning enhanced 9-month-old infants’ neural processing not only for music but also for speech. Together, these results suggest that these enriched auditory experiences in infancy may improve infants’ general auditory pattern-detection skills and their sensitivity to phonetic information.
Pearls Before Breakfast: Can one of the nation’s great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let’s find out.
Joshua Bell is one of the world’s greatest violinists. His instrument of choice is a multimillion-dollar Stradivarius. If he played it for spare change, incognito, outside a bustling Metro stop in Washington, would anyone notice?
Frontiers | Timing Deficits in ADHD: Insights From the Neuroscience of Musical Rhythm | Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience
Fascinating study. Here’s the link. Excerpt below.
Everyday human behavior relies upon extraordinary feats of coordination within the brain. In this perspective paper, we argue that the rich temporal structure of music provides an informative context in which to investigate how the brain coordinates its complex activities in time, and how that coordination can be disrupted.
We bring insights from the neuroscience of musical rhythm to considerations of timing deficits in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), highlighting the significant overlap between neural systems involved in processing musical rhythm and those implicated in ADHD. We suggest that timing deficits warrant closer investigation since they could lead to the identification of potentially informative phenotypes, tied to neurobiological and genetic factors.
Our novel interdisciplinary approach builds upon recent trends in both fields of research: in the neuroscience of rhythm, an increasingly nuanced understanding of the specific contributions of neural systems to rhythm processing, and in ADHD, an increasing focus on differentiating phenotypes and identifying distinct etiological pathways associated with the disorder. Finally, we consider the impact of musical experience on rhythm processing and the potential value of musical rhythm in therapeutic interventions.
Practice Space
It’s been nearly 2 years since I’ve had a dedicated practice space, until yesterday. Really, all I need is my horn or a guitar, but with a few extra tools, playing is more fun, I can do more in less time, and I can continue to push my abilities forward.
Current long-term goal is to perform 3 sets of music: singing while playing and looping guitar, and soloing on trumpet, and some foot percussion here and there throughout. Here’s my space:
[image error]My favorite gear:
Boomerang Looper
There are lots of loopers out there, great ones (like the Pigtronix SPL), smaller less expensive ones (like the Nux Loop Core), but this Boomerang is a powerhouse. I’m still experimenting. Super fun. During practice, I’ll loop short sections, someties just one chord, while I sing and/or play over it. Fast and easy.
Farmer Foot Pedals: 2
These are also great fun and super well-made. I have most of the add-ons, and prefer the seed rattle and the Gok-box (my name for it), a red medium-pitch woodblock (made of plastic). I’d love to have a full kit.
SM 58 mic. Workhorse. Takes a beating and still works great. Mine has an on/off switch so I can turn it off (and avoid feedback) when I don’t need it. Use it for vocals and harmon-muted trumpet.
Boom mic stand. The link goes to one with a counter-weight so it’s less tippy witha heavy mic in it. Wish I had that one. A boom stand gets the stand out of my space so I can play guitar without dodging a floor-stand.
Melodica: My “free” used upright piano (a 1923 Bush & Lane) should be delivered this week. Then I have to tune it and replace some keytops. Until then, the harmonium works great and is WAY cheaper. Consider one if you can’t afford a piano.
Lunchbox Acoustic Amp: A tiny little amp with great sound and lots of power. Not something to use in a stadium, but it’s big enough for most spaces. I’ve gigged with it and it works great!
Heavy Duty Stand: essential for holding things, even if it’s not music. I’ve got a bunch of wire stands, too. Flimsy, but ultra portable.
Bop Pad: Not sure about this yet, but supported the Kickstarter for the project. Still setting it up. Stay tuned.
Various other pedals, instruments, percussion, didgeridoos, etc. but the above are my most-used pieces of gear.
If you have any questions, please ask!
Remember that all you really need is your horn or instrument, and you don’t even need those to practice singing and percussion/rhythm. Don’t let a lack of gear stop you! In fact, sometimes too much gear gets in the way of good progress. It’s the music that’s important. Here are some guitar pros on why you shouldn’t obsess over gear.
