Noel Ways

I found this young man's playing and expression/bellows work inspiring, so I though many of you might be interested. He has a few other videos that can easily be found from this link:

Tardigrades are very easy to find if you have a microscope. Just pull out some algae from a slow-moving stream, and it won't be too long before you stumble upon one. Tardigrades are in their own phylum, and they have a very interesting life cycle that includes a very resistant form of itself that can remain viable for very long periods when things dry out. It's always fun to find one! Brings back some good memories from college days. 🙂

I needed screws like that before. I took one to my local hardware store, and they recreated it with relative ease. They had the tools to do so. And it didn't cost much at all. If your local hardware store has a repair unit for all sorts of things, they can probably do it or point you to where you can have it done.

I have felt for a long time that what determines a good musician from otherwise is how well they recover from an “error.” The “error” becomes a springboard or call to action to lead the melody or harmony (or both) in the direction that one desires. Alternatively, a “wrong” note frequently adds a little dissonance and needs to be resolved, and this can make the music more exciting and colorful. Most of my playing involves coming up with a melody in my head and then harmonizing it, sometimes spontaneously or sometimes after I have run through the tune a time or two. It is a constant exercise in resolving dissonance and leading the melody to a final resolution.

This brings back such bad memories of when I had my Peacock. Humidity. I bet if you put the concertina in a controlled environment, the concertina will correct itself without any invasive assistance. Do you have a dehumidifier? My current concertinas are much less sensitive to drastic changes in environmental conditions. Still, nevertheless, when the humid summer months come upon us, my "tinas" do a yearly migration to an area in the home where these issues are controlled. Admittedly, it is a little inconvenient, but it works.

A beauty of the concertina is its portability. When the size becomes "excessive," perhaps one should consider a free reed organ?!? https://www.youtube.com/user/ReedOrganSociety

Here are two young lads doing a bang-up job!

This piece that you wrote Kathryn so reminds of MrManfid's, "For Levon":

A little more background … When I first started exploring the Hayden system over a decade ago, I, too (like Stephen / Robert mentions above), thought the F# was an error on the key layout diagram. The word “Typo” came to mind back then. I thought that the diagram would surely change in time, but like others also observed, it did not (and I did check). Fast forward to the present, and I have now become a “steward” of one of these bastari instruments (as of a few months ago). I had forgotten the above layout issue - until I began to play in a few keys anticipating that lower Eb. Ouch!! Since then, I have been considering having the note changed from F# à to Eb, but before moving in that direction, I sought concertina.net’s input – which you have provided. Thanks again; this has been most helpful. I am leaning strongly to move in that direction.

Can anyone tell me why the original Hayden layout (for the left hand) has an F# next to the lower F and not a Eb? I'm sure the answer is straight forward, but it just does not make sense. Many thanks in advance. Screen shot of layout attached.

Delightful:

Hear are videos of this instrument in action

Below is a nice documentary of using the concertina in education and in a group setting.

That was a feast! The music had a particular depth and feeling. I have never been a connoisseur of poetry, but there have been a few exceptions. The recitation of the poem at the end is one of the few. I am also amazed that the music was done on a lowly 20 button anglo (maybe I should not consider it "lowly" anymore)!