The Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) offers Family Weeks at three different camps — Pinewoods near Plymouth, Massachusetts; Timber Ridge in West Virginia; and Ogontz in New Hampshire’s White Mountains — that provide a folk music vacation for the entire family. “Family Week tends to draw people with a high level of interest in dancing or music making or both,” says Mitzie Collins, 66, of Rochester, New York, who has attended Family Week for many years both as an instructor and as a participant.It was thanks to Collins and other like-minded musicians that Family Week began. A hammered and mountain dulcimer teacher, Collins frequented adult camps organized by CDSS, and she and other musical parents found themselves saying, “Gosh, we’re having such a good time. Wouldn’t it be great if our kids could do this?”They approached CDSS management, which was initially concerned about how kids could be integrated into a camp. But it was the 1970s and change was in the air. CDSS, and some interested campers, came up with a structure and Family Week was born.Back then, Collins only wanted to share her love for music with her family. She had no idea how quickly Family Week would blossom into something truly extraordinary.

Sweetness and Loveliness“At an adult camp you are a little bit self-focused, and at Family Week it’s not just about you,” says Nawal Motawi, 43, a tile artist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. “There’s a sweetness and a loveliness to the people.”Motawi has attended Family Week for about five years, starting when her son, Kitson Dong, was three. “At Family Week we spend a lot of time together and I find I enjoy his company in another way,” she says. Kappy Laning, 51, serves as camp director at Timber Ridge and attends Family Week with a large blended family that includes her husband, Sam Droege, 49; her son, Stuart Hean, 16; two step-daughters, Anna, 14, and Wren, 15; their mom, Romey Pitman, 42; Pitman’s husband, Brad Seay, 41; and Pitman and Seay’s four-year-old daughter, Bizzy.Laning, a pediatric nurse from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, first attended a CDSS camp at the suggestion of a friend. “My first camp I was pregnant with my son and I’ve been coming ever since,” she recalls. “My son has grown up in this environment. He’s an avid dancer and learning to play guitar.”Romey Pitman went to camp for the first time when Bizzy was two. “It was amazing how much fun I had,” she says.“I love dancing, the music that goes with it, and playing that music,” says Pitman. “CDSS camp is a way to share my love of those things with my kids.” Pitman’s teenage daughters are both involved in music year round. Wren plays tuba and flute and Anna plays clarinet and harmonica.

A Yearly RitualThose who have tried CDSS Family Week tend to come back year after year, as they watch their children grow and mature. Families are encouraged to bring whatever instruments they play and everything is organized around making each family member feel like they are part of the group.Families eat together in a dining hall, often accompanied by live music. Each person is assigned a daily chore and they are requested to attend at least two daily gatherings.Freelance radio producer Marika Partridge, 52, of Takoma Park, Maryland, says she has attended so many camps with her husband, portrait painter Larry Ravitz, 56; son Chaney, 17; and daughters Sally, 14; and Irene, 13; that she’s lost count. “My son is high functioning autistic with special needs, and when we went to our first camp I didn’t know how he would fit in,” Partridge recalls. “It’s been really great for him and anytime that something is great for him, it’s usually great for the rest of us.”Not only has Family Camp become a relaxing time for the whole family, it’s helped Chaney discover his sense of rhythm. “Now, everyone in my family is a dancer,” says Partridge. “My son plays piano and would like to learn drums. He has a pretty good sense of pitch and he’s learning harmony, and the dancing reinforces that.” Additionally, Partridge plays piano, tin whistle, and ukulele and her husband plays sax and flute. “My daughter Sally is really blossoming as a guitar player, and plays fiddle and accordion, and Irene is a piano player.” The family packs a number of instruments for family week.For children and adults alike, Family Week is a chance to perform in a friendly environment. “Kids have a chance to join the dance band,” says Mitzie Collins. “That’s often a real eureka moment because people dance along with their playing and they get to be functioning musicians in the community.”“It’s great watching the kids bring their fiddle that they may have started at school and they try it out at camp and become part of the camper band,” says Laning. “The next year they come back and they are even better on the instrument, or maybe another instrument.”

A Sacred RetreatJust as campers are encouraged to bring musical instruments they are discouraged from bringing electronic gadgets and video games. And there’s no TV and Internet access in the cabins. “CDSS Family Camp is a kind of sacred retreat,” explains Collins. “We’re modeling a much healthier way of living,” says Partridge. And, although live music from jam sessions and dances can be heard all day long, there are plenty of other activities to keep families busy, such as swimming, canoeing, organized hikes, crafts, and even some built-in time to just read or relax. “Some of the best times I’ve ever had were at camp,” says Nawal Motawi. “The whole package is fun: being outdoors more than we ever are in our urban life and sharing music with other people.”

Learning for Young and OldFamily Week is an educational experience for the entire family and daily classes, divided by age group, are held both in the morning and afternoon.“All children are required to go to the classes and the teachers are top-notch and experienced,” says Laning. “In all my years at the camp I’ve never had a child refuse to go. We always find a way for it to work out and everyone ends up having a great time.”For younger children classes begin at age two and focus on singing, movement, dancing, and crafts. From age eight and nine children begin to learn clogging, body rhythm, social dances, and longsword.“It’s brain gym; all the dances and movement patterns they are getting out of this are vital for the development of the brain,” says Partridge. “The teachers watch the children and they know who needs extra help.”Ten to 12-year-olds sing, dance, and clash sticks together, while learning about music around the world. Adult classes, for age 13 and older, include contra, clog, and swing dance, longsword, family band for ages 10 and up, mummers, and harmony.“It’s great for grown-ups, as well as children,” says Partridge, whose husband has early onset Parkinson’s. “He’s in good shape, but the dancing is great for him. It’s healthy for all of us and uses all our faculties.”“A lot of times we send our kids off to do wonderful things, all the while they are thinking, ‘If it’s so wonderful, why aren’t the grownups doing it?’ says Collins. “The kids see that this is important enough for grownups to do too. It also provides a wonderful model for doing things with their own families.”The camp is a particularly great experience for teenagers, who are treated as adults and learn social skills, alongside musical skills, which carry over into their home life. Collins stresses that this is especially useful as the teenage years are often the time when we “lose” our children.“Kids don’t get to talk to adults that much,” she explains. “At camp they get an appreciation for other capable adults who are not critical of them and see them as separate people. That’s particularly important for teens.”“My teenage daughter told me that it’s the only place where she feels she can just completely be herself,” says Romey Pitman. “They don’t have to act cool and tough the way they do at school; they are full participants in the adult community. They play music and dance with the grownups, but they also play with the little kids and look out for them. All the ages are engaged in such a healthy way.”

Total Immersion in MusicEach evening at 8:30 p.m. a guitarist leads all those children under age 10 to their cabins for bedtime. Once they are safely tucked in bed, parents are free to return to the dancing and live music, while roving babysitters monitor the children.“It’s a great vacation for a mom,” says Partridge. “Live music, dancing, wholesome activities, really nice people, and the community is fantastic.”CDSS’s staff of professional musicians and music teachers interact with camping families in every aspect of the camp, including bringing their own families along to camp.“Music is integral to everything we do at camp,” says Laning. “We are spoiled by the live music at camp. We appreciate the musicians who are performing and we are also inspired by them.”“You can join the band or just sit around and play,” says Partridge. “If you are a younger player who wants to learn something new, the musicians always, always take time to do that.”She has fond memories of jamming poolside with Family Camp teacher David Cantieni, a flutist from the group Wild Asparagus. “I play the ukulele and he tells me what I could be doing to accompany him,” says Partridge. “He’s teaching me tunes and strums and I’m really coming along because of this informal work.”“There could be a craft project going on and nearby people are jamming,” explains Collins. “So the kids are hearing music while they are doing other things. That’s so valuable. There are lots of ways to teach music. You can teach it in a classroom, but people all over the world learn music more from just being around it. This is a more organic way.” “My favorite part is the multisensory nature of it,” she adds. “You are in a pine woods, away from the world and yet you are immersed in music and dance. I go to a lot of different music festivals, but rarely am I so immersed.”

Musical LegacyMany of the adults who bring their children to Family Camp see it as a way of passing down the tradition of folk music and dancing. “This folk world is such a healthy world,” says Laning. “At camp the children learn that it’s a wonderful community and they have a tendency to either stick with it or stick close to it as they grow up.”“We were not thinking generationally back when Family Camp started, but we are definitely thinking generationally now,” says Collins. “There are a lot of gray hairs in any cultural activity today. You tend to get a lot of people in their 40s and 50s, which is wonderful for them but doesn’t address the next generation.”And Family Week’s generational thinking seems to be working. “Any number of kids who went to the early camps are now back on staff, running camps, and having their own children attend,” says Collins.Collins and her husband do their part to pass the tradition of folk music to the next generation, they are now bringing their grandchildren to camp each summer. “We come with a slightly changing cast each year,” says Collins. “We may have two or three generations.”“What’s really neat for us, where our grandchildren are concerned, is that we get to be around them and learn a lot about them outside of ceremonial occasions,” she says. “But yet they are not with us all the time.” “We have the best, silliest whole week,” says Partridge. “We get to enjoy music, dancing, singing, and we even have a parade. We come home with songs stuck in our heads … It’s pure joy!”

For more information visit the country dance and song society website at www.cdss.org or view Making music’s calendar of Music camps at makingmusicmag.com/calendar/camps.html.

Musical instruments are mainly categorized by the way they generate sound. All musical instruments fall under one of the following – string, wind, percussion and keyboard, though there may be further divisions and sub-divisions. Examples of string instruments include guitars, violins, ukuleles and cellos. Wind instruments include pipes, sax, clarinet, flute and such other types. Drums, bongos, cymbals and bells fall under the percussions category. And keyboard instruments include pianos, harpsichords, organs and accordions. Over 1000 musical instruments are available across the world, including folk instruments.

If you want to play on your own, then it is better to start with a musical instrument you like, and then gradually master the instrument by joining music classes. If you like music in general and are not interested in specializing in any particular type of instrument then a keyboard can be the perfect choice. Electronic keyboards nowadays can produce all sorts of sound ranging from guitar tunes to drum beats. A variety of DJ equipments are also available on the market nowadays, which provide creative sound mixing options for the wannabe DJs as well as for the experienced disc jockeys.

On the other hand, if you were thinking of organizing a band then you would need different types of musical instruments. A band normally includes a couple of string instruments, percussions and preferably a wind instrument.

You can purchase your musical instruments online. Choose your favorite instrument from the various websites that you will find on the internet. They often offer discounts if you buy their package deals, which include various types of musical instruments. This can be your best option if you are planning a band with your friends.

Musical instruments can be a costly affair, especially if you are planning to buy the best available on the market. These can set you back by anything from $100 to over $10000. A good Yamaha or Roland electronic keyboard may cost almost $2500. Used musical instruments are often a good choice, especially if you are learning to play a new instrument. For beginners it is advisable to invest in musical instruments in the lower price range.

Musical instruments can also be made at home with items of daily use. Homemade musical instruments mainly fall under the category of percussion instruments. You can make almost anything, from shakers and jingle bracelets to drums and tambourines. You can also make wind instruments such as comb harmonica or kazoo. These help your child to be creative and can keep them busy. And you can now have your own band at home.

There are 2 basic kinds of synthesizers: analog and digital. Many synthesis methods however exist which apply to both the above types of synthesizers. All these methods tend to be mathematically related for example, frequency modulation and phase modulation.
Some of these types are Subtractive synthesis, Additive synthesis, granular synthesis and wavetable synthesis.

The first true electronic musical synthesizer was invented by Relish Gray in 1876. While working at his telephone invention, Gray discovered that he could control sound from a self vibrating electromagnetic circuit and in doing so invented a basic single note oscillator. After this, synthesizers were controlled by early electronic analog computers and old electronic musical instruments. In 1950, RCA produced experimental devices to synthesize both voice and music. The giant Mark II Music Synthesizer could however synthesize only when it was programmed for a musical or voice performance.

Most modern synthesizers are however digital in nature. They are controlled by what is known as a digital signal processor or DSP. Some digital synthesizers are software that can modify sound using our daily computer machines.

The earliest digital synthesis was performed by software installed on huge main frame computers. Today, various complicated software exist that use the DSP technique to give you a taste of the real thing. They can even reproduce the classical analog synthesizers.

So how are synthesizers used? Well, in many ways. As modern technology evolved, uses have been found for synthesizers. Today synthesis is used to produce high quality music, movies and even voice packages. Groups as early as the Beatles used synthesis techniques in their work. They were followed by the hugely popular Pink Floyd.

Synthesizers are today used also to produce human simulated speech for call centers and multinational companies. People with visual impairments use this technology through a text to speech software that gives them access to modern computers making them independent. Dictation software like the Dragon naturally speaking also uses speech synthesis.

So how do synthesizers reproduce human voice? Voice synthesis is a fascinating topic. A recorded sample of a human voice can be modified so that it is completely different from the original. The sample can be used to generate codes that can be fed into a computer system to give it a voice. In movies, voice modification is done through digital synthesizers to give new and astounding speech to sci fi characters.

Synthesizers are a part of us today. They help us in every aspect of our lives. Starting from your washing machine to the latest robotics every one uses some form of synthesis with the help of digital synthesizing software. Musical instruments can be reproduced on your personal computer allowing you to become the next great artist without even learning to play. They can simulate and reproduce human voice allowing for great software like screen readers, speech recognition and other new and amazing packages.

Equipment that is available today that is helpful in recording, creating and listening to music includes not only the instruments themselves, such as electronic keyboards, guitars and other instruments, but the components that are used in repairing, renovating and keeping these electronic instruments in peak running condition. For example, keyboards have computerized parts that can become nonoperational due to age or just from deterioration of the parts. Sometimes dust or debris will render an electronic component useless. When this occurs, usually a chip or board can be replaced in a ‘plug and play’ style action.

In the past couple decades it seems that repairing electronics equipment is less likely to happen than simply replacing non working or obsolete components. Computer owners for example will replace the hard drive with a larger unit or add RAM. They will even replace a motherboard. The owner will add peripherals that are better quality or larger or faster so that the computer accessories work more efficiently.

Most home offices today have computers and printers with internet access, but they also have a fax machine or make use of fax software. Computers may have printer/copier equipment and many offices have a scanner available as well. There may be external hard drives so that additional data can be stored and an external zip drive holds even more information safely.

Significant amounts of data can be transmitted by the use of a small hand held drive that plugs into the USB port on the computer so that a file can be saved from one computer and transferred physically to another computer and downloaded to the second computer.

Better sound quality is a key factor in many of the new computers being built today. Even the older computers will often be upgraded by added better quality speakers so that recorded music can be enjoyed fully. Computer phones and internet phone service relies on good audio components.

The keyboard itself and the mouse often are the first things to wear out and must be replaced periodically, particularly the mouse. Many people have gone to a wireless mouse and keyboard, both work very well in most office situations. Ergonomic keyboards reduce the amount of arm, wrist and shoulder discomfort that builds up in those who are using the computer for long periods of time.

Musical instruments, even electronic keyboards, will be an excellent investment. They come in all shapes, sizes, and price ranges and are fun for both children and adults of any age to play. Music is a valuable resource for children to learn different sounds and find their rhythm.

By going over the history and the various types of musical instruments available, you may get a better feel for the instrument that would be most pleasing for you to learn to play. They can represent the dream of everyone to be a star.

Musical instruments developed independently in many populated regions of the world. Many instruments existed in this form for thousands of years before patterns of three or more tones would evolve in the form of the earliest xylophone.

Musical instruments can be grouped in five major classes: (1) stringed instruments, (2) wind instruments, (3) percussion instruments, (4) keyboard instruments, and (5) electronic instruments.

Instruments for producing musical sounds have long been classified as woodwinds, brass, percussion, or strings; to these must be added electrical and electronic instruments. Instruments such as the timpani (kettledrums) and xylophone are called percussion instruments because the sound is initiated by a blow.

Electronic instruments are more advanced musical instruments of our times and they produce music through electronic means such as keyboards, drums or guitars. Acoustic musical instruments are musical instruments that are capable of creating sounds entirely via acoustic means as opposed to by way of electronic means. While, digital instruments can talk to each other using a protocol called MIDI.

Comparing and organizing instruments based on their complexity is misleading, since advancements in musical instruments have sometimes reduced complexity. Common string instruments include the guitar, violin and piano, which is a musical instrument with 88 keys.

Instruments such as the celesta, pipe organ, accordion, and piano are usually put in a group called keyboard instruments, because the respective vibrating bars, pipes, reeds, and strings in these instruments are selected by use of keys in a keyboard.

String instruments are musical instruments that are played by plucking, strumming, picking, or bowing the strings. A typical string musical instrument is a guitar or mandolin and they generate sounds through plucking of the strings, which through vibration create what we call music.

Many believe that the The Drum is the Heart Beat of Music. Individuals enjoy drums as an instrument that is exciting and fun to play, but many music lovers truly believe that drums are the heart of music due to the way that they keep time and rhythm for the rest of the instruments.

Drummers have always held a certain mystique within the world of musicians. Drums depend on thickness and tension of the drumhead. Percussion instruments are musical instruments that are played by banging or shaking, like drums, marichi’s or maracas.

Brass instruments include the trumpet, french horn, trombone and tuba. Brass Instruments are musical instruments, producing tones by vibration of the lips, and are not only made of brass metal but also of wood. While, a double bass is a very large string instrument. The earliest known double bass type of instrument dates from 1516.

Wind instruments include the flute, pan-pipes, pitch-pipes, mouth organs, oboe, clarinet and saxophone. Typical wind musical instruments are trumpets, flutes, clarinets and bagpipes. An early flute, which was found in China, was the ch’ie.

The Didgeridoo is a long, slightly conical wooden instrument, used traditionally by the Aboriginal people of Northern Australia. Other names for the Didgeridoo are Yirdaki, Kanbi, and Ihambilbilg – although at least 40 different Aboriginal names are commonly used for this instrument throughout Australia.

Playing the Didgeridoo well is not an easy task but it really is a beautiful instrument and it has a great sound when played well.

Known as the oldest wind instrument in the world, the origins of the didge may go back as far as 40,000 years. Though only one “note” can be played with the didge (called a drone), overtones and vocal sounds from the player give it a rich sound and countless textures.

As you can see there are countless musical instruments to choose from. Hopefully, you now have more information that has helped you become aware of how to pick your musical instrument.

Music is characterized by certain qualities like, pitch, melody, rhythm, and frequency. And each type of music is again characteristic by certain degrees of these above mentioned qualities. A rhythmic music characterizes joy while a melody expresses romance. Again, a melody also expresses sorrows. For instance, Latin music is mostly featured by rhythm and certain genre of tune. Latin music is an expression of Bohemian lifestyle which very much complements Latin culture. Variation in melodies and rhythm leads to expression of varieties of emotions.
If we look back to Western Classical, It connects us to something universal about human emotions. It makes us reach a transcendental stage of mind. However some composers opine that emotions conveyed through music is something quite abstract and varies according to the different perception of different individuals. One of the notable composers of Western Classical music was, Ludwig Van Beethoven, who gifted the world with musical masterpieces despite of being paralyzed with deafness at very young age (twenty eight). He can be regarded as the profounder of Romantic era of Western classical.

Eastern Classical or specifically Indian Classical music has a number of sections and categories. However the two major sections are Hindustani Music from North India and the Carnatic Music from South India. Each of the songs are known as “Ragas”. The melodies contained in each of these “ragas” reflects various moods according to different times during the day. The Indian Classical music is mainly monophonic, that is, it is based on a single line of melody and has to be sung at a specific rhythm. Any deviation from the above rule is considered as a mistake.

Even Folk music conveys something about the culture and lifestyle of a particular region. To be more specific, it generally narrates some popular folk tales of that region.

When lyrics are put in a tune, it becomes a song. However, music can also be purely instrumental where one derives pleasure from the tune only. Beautiful notes of pianos, violin, guitars, expresses emotions without any words. Music can express most of human emotions. It expresses joy, ecstasy, romance, and also sorrows, pathos, and agony. In the words of P.B Shelly “Our sweetest songs are those which tells us our saddest thoughts”.

Surprisingly, a simple song which is sung from the heart gives us more pleasure than a complex one which is often influenced by human artifacts. May be this is a reason why pop songs and rocks are also quite popular today. It is also quite true that likings for particular kind of music largely depends upon the temperaments of individuals. This is the reason why some prefer soft melodies while some like hard rocks. It can be reasonably argued that music is not only an expression of emotions, it is emotion itself. Music without an emotional message is like vacuum. It is like a flower without essence.

The impression of music in human mind is beautifully depicted by William Wordsworth in his poetry “The Solitary Reaper”. The poet is mesmerized by the touching song sung by a lass while the latter was reaping in a field. Though the language of the song was completely unknown to him, he was deeply moved by the emotions conveyed through the notes of her song. The music had left an indelible impression in his mind and in the later years of his life, he sadly reminisces “The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more”.

There are lots of sites on the net from where you can send Music Ecards to your friends, colleagues and loved ones like 123greetings.com

Harmoniums are generally with one, two, or three sets of reeds and occasionally up to four sets. Classical instrumentalists use one-reed harmoniums; The three reed harmoniums are used by musicians playing for gawalli. To play the instrument, it requires a pumping of the bellows with one hand and taping of the keys with other.French-made hand–pumped harmoniums have become very popular in India because they are easy to learn. Further additions of the drone stops and scale changing mechanisms in India have developed in the harmoniums. Hand-held harmoniums were introduced in India.  This had a quick response because the musicians played the instrument sitting on the floor.The qualities of harmonium suits well for group singing, large voice classes and also as a template for standardized raga grammar. This instrument was banned by All India Radio (1940 to1971) because of its inability to produce slides between notes. Hindus and Sikh largely use harmoniums for bhajan and kirtan.A Shruti Box is a traditional instrument based on a system of bellows. It is used to provide a drone in the concert of Indian classical music. It is usually accompanied with other instruments, particularly the flute. The electronic shruti box is used widely nowadays. It is called “shruti petti” in Tamil and the “sur peti” in Hindi. Since it is hand-pumped, it produces a pulsating constant chord that supports the right rhythm for the music being played. A German company exported shruti boxes to India. These boxes were manufactured by a company in India as well. The craftsmanship on these shruti boxes are the of best quality and the reeds are made by top reed makers. The dimensions of the shruti boxes are 11 ¾”L x 9”H x 3?W. It has a padded bag and a shoulder strap. There are three models in shruti boxes – C to C, a lower G to G, or the lowest F to F in chromatic half steps.Both the Shruti Box and Harmonium are available for purchase at www.PrestoMusicStore.comLet the sounds be heard,-Presto Music Store TeamThis article is brought to you by the good folks atPresto Music Store! Bringing The World Of Music To Your Door.

To top it all, technology in the form of the internet has really changed the face of music as we knew it. Whether you are a music lover interested in music downloads to hear that favourite song you’ve been missing for the past several years, or a die-hard musician wanting to make up your own music, get onto the net and prepare to take on the world! The urge to make your own music can now be satisfied like never before. Though few people can afford a full complement of studio equipment, reasonably priced options abound, especially on the internet. A full complement of studio equipment may not suit everyone’s pocket, but today low cost options abound that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. A Personal Computer with multimedia at home may well be all you need to satisfy that creative urge of being the next Mozart.

Try a MIDI (short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) player for a comprehensive experience of a digital home studio. Essentially like a piano player, a MIDI player allows you to put in the notes and musical data, and then even change the actual sounds that will play back to you. Take the choice between using electronically created sounds and recording acoustically. The former has a wide range as far as quality of music goes, and needless to say, gives an astoundingly realistic and immensely satisfying experience.

Once you have the software in place, you can even record vocals. Additional requirements are a decent microphone, a good audio interface card and a set of studio headphones and playback gear. Croon away into the mike till you get the perfect pitch. After all, the best thing about doing it on your own PC with music production software is that you can keep doing mistakes, with unending repetitions till you are satisfied. Identify the weak points and sort them out at leisure.

Some of the useful music production software available freely on the net include the N-Track Studio, the Steinberg Cubase SE Multi track recording software, the Steinberg Cubase SX3, the ASX to MP3 converter, the RM to MP3 converter, the Mini Stream Ripper etc, just to name a few. Google away to get to the millions of sites each search is bound to throw up.

So go ahead and let your creative genius run loose!