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Musical Instrument Repair in your neighborhood!

repairfindersdotcom — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:43:04 +0000

Sometimes your guitar just will not sound right. Since guitars are usually made out of wood, it is affected by changes in temperature and humidity. A guitar that is not periodically adjusted properly will never live up to its full potential.

Intonation: Poorly adjusted intonation can cause a guitar to sound out of tune. It will make your guitar to sound messy when playing open chords, or sound slightly out of tune when you play higher up on the neck. Once you develop a good ear, this will drive you crazy. You can easily find a repairperson on Repairfinders.com to fix this for you quickly.

Intonation on a guitar should be adjusted if you ever change the gauge (thickness) of strings you use, if you change the action (distance between string and fret board) and at least twice a year (winter/summer). Some people suggest checking every time you change strings, although this is probably not necessary.

Intonation on an electric guitar is adjusted by moving its bridge saddles forward or backward. A bridge saddle is the piece of metal on the bridge that the string rests on. These can be adjusted with a small screwdriver (some guitars use an Allen wrench.) Your goal when setting the intonation is to make an open string sound exactly the same as the 12th fret on that string. In order to do this you will need an electric tuner.
In theory, the distance from the nut to the 12th fret should be the same as the distance between the 12th fret and the saddle. The 12th fret is supposed to be the halfway point. In reality, when we press down on the 12th fret, the string stretches, so it will generally sound a slightly higher pitch. To offset this annoying bit of physics we must adjust the 'length' of the string by moving the bridge saddles. If you move the bridge saddle back, you will increase the length of the string, therefore the guitar will sound less sharp when you fret notes.

If you are confused, forget about what I told you for a second, and follow the simple directions below or hop onto Repairfinders.com and have a qualified professional look at this for you.

Hit the 12th fret harmonic on your Low E-string. (You do this by lightly touching -not pressing- the string just above the fret. Chances are you probably knew that already.) Then press your finger down and play the 12th fret naturally. Your tuner (or your ear) will probably tell you that the two notes are (at least) a little out of tune.

THE BASIC RULE FOR SETTING INTONATION
If the 12th fret (pressed) sounds sharper (higher in pitch) than the harmonic, move the saddle back (away from the neck and pickups) and turn the screw clockwise.
If the note sounds flat, (lower in pitch) compared to the harmonic, move the saddle forward (toward the pickups)

Very Important: Remember to tune the string back to E each time you make an adjustment, before checking the intonation again. Often enough, the screws need to be adjusted very little. A tiny turn can make a big difference so start slow. Once you have properly intonated one string move to the next, until you are done with all six strings. The whole process rarely takes more than a half hour once you get used to it, but it may take a little longer at first, so hang in there. Once you are able, you will be proud of yourself.

Also, remember that the guitar, by its very nature, is an imperfect instrument. It is impossible to adjust intonation 100% perfectly. This might be obnoxious if you have an incredibly good ear, but you will just have to get used to it or give up the guitar.

It will be easier to get good intonation from your guitar if you use heavier gauge strings. If you use anything below, gauge .010 strings you may have problems. Personally, I use gauge .011 stings. Some people have trouble playing with heavy strings, but I swear, once you get used to them you will never go back. I strongly recommend using at least gauge .010

Also, do not adjust the action of your guitar or the truss rod after fixing your intonation. You would just have to do it all over again. If you need to adjust these things, do it first. These are other factors that affect the intonation of your guitar. If you use light strings, you may need to move the saddles back further, the same holds true if your strings are far from the fret board.

You must always keep your instrument finely tuned if you wish to receive many years of wonderful music from it. This is only an example of how easily someone in your area can assist you. However, no matter what kind of instrument you have, or whatever problem you may be experiencing, do not fear! On Repairfinders.com, it will take you only a couple of minutes to find a local business in your area to fix your guitar, piano, flute, saxophone, or any other instrument! So what are you waiting for? Jack is over and out.

Echo Location: Fernwood's Americana World Chamber Music

echoesblog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:30:35 +0000

A progressive rock guitar warrior unplugs when Djam Karet's Gayle Ellett journeys to Fernwood.

(You can hear an audio version of this blog with music.)

In an era of computer generated music where even the most folky, downhome pop song is electronically manipulated, a band called Fernwood wants to get back to nature.

[caption id="attachment_529" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Fernwood"][/caption]

Gayle Ellett: It's a reaction to modern music and where modern music is going and it's going so computer driven and played by machines and all the music you hear, a lot of the vocals you hear on pop radio are pitch corrected on popular radio and it's a deliberate statement saying that's bad. It's wrong. We should avoid that.

[caption id="attachment_525" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Fernwood"][/caption]

You might surmise from that statement that Gayle is an anti-technology Luddite, but consider that for the last 25 years, he's been playing electric guitar in the ultra-progressive rock group, Djam Karet. Djam Karet revels in complex compositions and dynamic musicianship, but with Fernwood, Gayle Ellett was looking for something simpler. Along with his partner, Todd Montgomery, they've arrived at an Americana world chamber music based mostly on stringed instruments. Those strings include irish and greek bouzoukis, mandolins and sitars, banjo and oud. Todd Montgomery, who mainly plays sitar, doesn't want to go to far.

Todd Montgomery: I want to play where, if my teacher were to hear it he wouldn't be offended. It has to be enough Indian where he's not going to be angry, you know.

For people of a certain age, Fernwood immediately calls to mind the 1970s Martin Mull comedy series,

[caption id="attachment_526" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Todd Montgomer of Fernwood at Echoes Concert"][/caption]

Fernwood 2 Night. But that's not what the band had in mind. Fernwood is the Topanga, California neighborhood where Gayle Ellett lives, and aside from the unintended TV show reference, it seems to conjure up the folky style of the group. But this is folk music with resonant overtones and exotic touches.

The debut album from Fernwood is called Almeria, named for a Spanish port city. Their music travels there and into other foreign destinations, discovering the sound of instruments combined, played by hand. You can hear a full interview with Fernwood on Echoes this Monday, September 13, and it will be our podcast that week. You can also hear an audio version of this blog with music. This has been an Echo Location, Soundings for New Music.

John Diliberto ((( Echoes )))

Murad-Fateh Ali's New Album: A Confluence of multiple notes

utpalb21 — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:55:27 +0000

Sixth generation musicians experiment with a variety of world sounds in their new album, reports Utpal Borpujari

When dressed in similar clothing, no one can tell them apart, but give them a sitar and a sarangi, you immediately get to know who is who. Identical twins Murad and Fateh Ali, sixth generation musicians from the famed Moradabad gharana, have their own individual musical identities, the former continuing with the family tradition of playing the sarangi and the latter having chosen sitar to give expression of his creativity.

The two often jam together, with their easy camaraderie flowing over onto their music, but as is apparent from their website, it is a confluence of two distinct individuals who have carved their own niche in the world of music in quite a young age even while holding on their hereditary common identity.

Pure classical musicians otherwise, the two brothers, who learnt their music from their grandfather the late Ustad Siddique Ahmed Khan and father Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan, have just come up with a highly-interesting album of world music called Convergence (Mystica Music), and the title of the effort signifies more than the coming together of their music. Here, they have experimented with bringing to the listener a variety of world sounds in one single album, ranging from Jazz, Latin, R&B and Hip Hop to Rock, Psychedelic, Lounge and Traditional.

And with international artistes like Tavlin Singh and Aneesh Pradhan playing the table, the album has more than one point of attraction, its eight tracks bringing to the listener a variety of moods to choose from. “It is all about melody, and balancing between the traditions of our gharana and experimenting with Western sounds,” says Murad, who with his brother carefully planned out each and every nuance of the pieces in the album to create a musical mood in progression as one listens to them.

“Creating a fusion album without any confusion was the sole aim of this album,” Fateh says. “It is all about creating an ambient ground where the sarangi and the sitar could meet, and each track we have created reflects a different style,” he says. For example, the opening track Infinity is all that is jazz, while Colour of Love, with lyrics by Hazrat Amir Khusrau, is a tribute to the great poet who is also credited with inventing the table and the sitar. Ode to Granada is a Latino rhythm tribute to the musical city of Spain, while Saturday Night in Delhi is a high-energy rock rendering created as a salute to India’s capital city.

“As classical musicians, we have worked with Western musicians within India and outside and thus understand the differences and similarities between the two genres. Here, we wanted to make music which makes people relaxed. Our effort has been to give some really good, soft music to people in this age of noisy music,” says Murad about the album that was conceptualised nearly two years ago.

Fund constraints prevented the duo from collaborating with big international musicians for the album even though they wanted to. “But we have Tavlin Singh playing in two pieces, which is a great thing to happen,” says Murad.

The album has brought to them the usual questions too, like “why a fusion album from classical musicians?”. But Murad, who has also played his instrument for Hindi films like Lage Raho Munnabhai, Laga Chunari Mein Daag and Khoya Khoya Chand as well as international productions like Dance of the Wind and Khamosh Pani, seeks to put a full stop to any such discussion. “We are from a family of classical musicians, and without doubt our main work is in the Indian classical domain, but we like Western classical music too. We love soft and sweet music, wherever they belong to,” he says.

The twins, who started off really young with vocal training before choosing their respective instruments, would, in fact, like to see music lovers just enjoy their music without going into its provenance. “Good music is good music. Period,” says Murad. And those who have listened to their live performance all over India and many other countries, would surely say encore to that.

(An abridged version of this was published in Sakaal Times, www.sakaaltimes.com, 27-09-2008)

Sri Chinmoy with Sitar

by Kedar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:44:22 +0000

Sound Of South Asia

rupaksharma — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:05:08 +0000

Rupak D Sharma in Bangkok

Back from the stage, after enthralling the audience in Bangkok, Ravi Bandhu was still on high. “I loved playing to this crowd. It was small but it was great,” he said with a big smile on his face, referring to the audience comprising South Asian and European diplomats.

Couple of minutes ago, the 49-year-old’s fingers were working magic on tabla and katabura, south Asian percussion instruments. Besides him, on the stage, was 45-year-old Pradeep Ratnayake, whose nimble fingers were dancing all over sitar—a stringed instrument.

Together, the Sri Lankan duo had taken an audience of around 60 on an acoustic tour of South Asian classical music.

The concert began with a north Indian classical piece and moved to and fro between Sri Lankan folk music and other Indian classical numbers. This went on for almost half an hour and came an end with The Journey, a South Asian classical number with a tinge of jazz.

Throughout this concert, the only thing most of the audience did was gaze at the two with a feeling of awe. In between, those in the back row would crane their necks, especially when the tempo of music was raised, as if to say they were not willing to miss a single moment of the show. Then they’d show their gratitude to the musicians through their applauses, which were getting louder and louder after each passing number.

“Although South Asian music is not as worldly and fancy as the Western orchestra, most of the people appreciate it because it is spiritual,” said Bandhu, who has been playing tabla and other traditional Sri Lankan drums since the age of 10.

The music is based on melody and rhythm, which usually reflects the mood and emotions of players. “Most of the time, artists let his/her manodharma or imagination flow out of their bodies in forms of music and they exchange these feelings and expressions on the spot,” Bandhu said.

This is one of the reasons why lots of improvisation takes place on stage during the performances of South Asian classical music. “This is to respond to the musical ideas or expressions of the fellow performer,” he explained.

This live exchange of musical expressions between the players, according to Bandhu, reveals the true identity of the musician while on the other generates a curiosity in the audience on how the other performer would react next.

“This also keeps the audience engaged,” he added.

Probably because of these characteristics, South Asian classical music is gaining popularity throughout the world in recent years. Thanks also to maestros like Ravi Shankar and Talvin Singh, whose international performances have helped promote the music in the international arena.

These players have also partnered with various famous international artists and fused the music with Western music, creating a new genre of music and making South Asian music a part of Western music.

If you don't believe in the popularity of South Asian music and still call it ‘boring’, then Bandhu has some suggestion: Next time you attend a South Asian musical concert, don’t go with a preset mind. To demystify South Asian classical music you have to learn to flow with the music, Bandhu said.

Well if you love jazz and blues, you’d definitely start liking South Asian classical music.Published in AsiaNews Aug 29-Sep 4 Issue

Art gallery of Prema Murthy.....

swathin2 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:06:52 +0000

Accompanying the large installation of Organizing Energy at Tamarind are a number of prints, created by making limited-edition digital print-outs using pigmented inks on Hahnemuhle paper, of gridded lines that echo the three-dimensional piece. Also nearby are a series of paintings—which Prema Murthy prefers to consider as “drawings” because they are so line-based--in oil-based paint markers and acrylic on canvas. By adding these elements, which feature similar gridded, netlike forms and compositions that echo those of the yarn piece, to the overall installation at Tamarind (in an arrangement that echoes the show at PS 1), Murthy creates an art-historical context for her sculptural piece that serves as an effective nudge for viewers. It’s as if she wants to encourage moments of association. One recognizes the yarn as the artist’s line when seen near the prints, makes the connection. We see the physical piece as aligned in an art-historical way. This is a simplistic reading of the work, though. The power of this work is its many levels of interpretation and deep layers of meaning hidden by a veneer of what appears to be painfully straightforward.

“With this new work, I was thinking about how there seems to be an underlying structure or logic in things that at first glance feel random or happen by chance,” she explains. “Kind of like when you meet someone that might be a stranger but then you realize that you are connected somehow, they know someone you know and so on...like the six degrees of separation theory.” The webs she spins in her new, minimalist imagery are like diagrams of complicated relationships between people or places or ideas.

In her work, Murthy weaves in and out from the physical to the digital. Murthy presents us with dichotomies that are relevant when considering contemporary India’s both particular and universal identities in the age of globalization: the handmade and the digital, the traditional and the hi-tech, the local and the international. Yet ask her who her more contemporary artistic influences are, and she’ll cite a trio of women artists with very different backgrounds and styles, yet when considered in the context of Murthy’s own vision make sense: Yayoi Kusama, Eva Hesse, and Amrita Shergil. Clearly, Kusama’s obsessive treatment of patterns, Hesse’s interest in the impermanent and appropriating the industrial into art-making, and Shergil’s mix of Eastern and Western styles, all come into play in Murthy’s work, especially in Organizing Energy. It’s as if Murthy had called upon creative energies of these three important female artists and organized them into a new, up-to-the-minute vision that is both reverential to their work and distinctively Murthy’s own.

Prema Murthy weaves presents !!!

kamalkaushik — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:02:58 +0000

Prema Murthy (born 1969, Seattle, WA) received her MFA from Goldsmiths College, London. She has exhibited her video, prints, and installations in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad including the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Generali Foundation in Vienna, The National Gallery in Capetown, The India Habitat Center in New Delhi and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. She is the co-founder of the collective Fakeshop, which was included in the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria and the 2000 Whitney Biennial. Her work is in private and public collections including the Neuberger Berman Collection and the collection of the Queens Museum. In June 2007, she had a solo exhibition at PS1/MoMA Contemporary Art Center in New York. She lives and works in New York.

In her work, Murthy weaves in and out from the physical to the digital. Murthy presents us with dichotomies that are relevant when considering contemporary India’s both particular and universal identities in the age of globalization: the handmade and the digital, the traditional and the hi-tech, the local and the international. Yet ask her who her more contemporary artistic influences are, and she’ll cite a trio of women artists with very different backgrounds and styles, yet when considered in the context of Murthy’s own vision make sense: Yayoi Kusama, Eva Hesse, and Amrita Shergil. Clearly, Kusama’s obsessive treatment of patterns, Hesse’s interest in the impermanent and appropriating the industrial into art-making, and Shergil’s mix of Eastern and Western styles, all come into play in Murthy’s work, especially in Organizing Energy. It’s as if Murthy had called upon creative energies of these three important female artists and organized them into a new, up-to-the-minute vision that is both reverential to their work and distinctively Murthy’s own.

As an artist with a multifaceted personal history who has been steadily building a body of work with layer upon layer of meaning and historical and aesthetic references that span the world and various eras and areas of culture, she creates compelling imagery that never fails to provoke thought in the mind of the viewer as well as dialogue among audiences – both in the here and now and, most likely, for years and decades to come.

Convergence

shankarmystica — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:09:11 +0000

Convergence is an invitation to experience the blissful moments of sitting beside a tranquil river streaming with the soft strains of musical instruments. It is a tapestry of a wide variety of styles such as Jazz, Latin, R&B, Rock, Psychedelic, Traditional and Lounge. Each track reflects a different style, creating the celebrating ambience. Come, experience the magic of Convergence- where sarangi meets sitar!

Infinity
An invitation to embark on the blissful journey, Infinity expands the awareness, opens the door to infinite space, and takes one on the voyage to peace and tranquility. With a new variation in harmony, this track is based on a cool jazz arrangement.

Déjà vu (Lyrics by Jigar Moradabadi)
This track resonates with the past memories and invokes the feeling of remembrance that echoes deep in heart.

Autumn
Invoking the memories of Autumn, this track spells silence after the rushing breeze of this season. As the blowing wind scatters leaves all over the earth and makes it appear like gold, the uplifting melody in this track reflects the splendor of Autumn.

Ode to Granada
Contemplative yet upbeat! This is an Ode to Granada (a Spanish City), well-known as the city of musicians.

Colour of Love (Lyrics by Hazrat Amir Khusrau)
This song paints the landscape of love with the traditional composition, Mohe Apne Hi Rang Mein Rang De Rangeele, penned down by the legend Hazrat Amir Khusrau. The great prolific poet, Amir Khusrau is also credited with the inventions of Tabla and Sitar. This track is our tribute to this great virtuous legend.

Saturday Night In Delhi
Intoxicating! Truly a celebrative high energy track, reflecting the usual rock sound of Delhi.

Temptations
Enchanting rhythms and ambient soundscapes in this track tempt to delve underneath the active perceptions to experience sheer relaxation and stillness.

Aurora's Dream
In ancient Roman mythology, Aurora- the goddess of the dawn, renews herself every morning and flies across the sky, announcing the arrival of the Sun. A myth taken from the Greek Eos by Roman poets tells that one of her lovers was the prince of Troy, Tithonus. Tithonus was a mortal, and would age and die. Wanting to be with her lover for all eternity, Aurora asked Zeus to grant immortality to Tithonus. Inspired by her unconditional love and longing for her beloved, this track creates an enriching and refreshing ambience.

Fateh Ali & Murad Ali have an uncanny knack of striking an instant rapport with audience. Both the brothers have sincerely attempted to infuse interest and respect for Indian Classical Music in the younger generation.

Artists Prema Murthy’s recent body of work!!!

kamalkaushik — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:37:38 +0000

Art does speak for us and has since recorded time and maybe even before. It is interesting that in today’s culture there is a perspective that art is not as important as other skill s and qualities of life that we “teach” in school. Art does succeed and survive and always seems to find the core and heart of who we are. It has remained just as valuable as other knowledge and human fundamentals. Art has been beside part of the many developing sciences through our history.

Prema Murthy (born 1969, Seattle, WA) received her MFA from Goldsmiths College, London. She has exhibited her video, prints, and installations in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad including the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Generali Foundation in Vienna, The National Gallery in Capetown, The India Habitat Center in New Delhi and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. She is the co-founder of the collective Fakeshop, which was included in the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria and the 2000 Whitney Biennial. Her work is in private and public collections including the Neuberger Berman Collection and the collection of the Queens Museum. In June 2007, she had a solo exhibition at PS1/MoMA Contemporary Art Center in New York. She lives and works in New York.

Her work is much more than just lovely lines that is aesthetically pleasing, though. In another recent body of work related to the pieces on view at Tamarind, Murthy created similar, gridded images based on numerical data from a variety of sources, from patterns of immigration to statistics on consumer spending. She took these raw numbers and then plotted them according to their fluctuations over time onto points on digital renderings of human bodies and animated them using the same three-dimensional modeling software she used to compose the works in Organizing Energy.

Although this aspect of animation is not featured in the show at Tamarind, keeping in mind the works in which Murthy takes this approach can offer insight into how the artist thinks. Hers is a mind that sees profound connections between the numerical and the aesthetic. It is the mind of a computer programmer, who can turn binary code into imagery. It is also the mind of an artist.

Prema Murthy's latest body of work...

swathin2 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:57:28 +0000

Prema Murthy (born 1969, Seattle, WA) received her MFA from Goldsmiths College, London. She has exhibited her video, prints, and installations in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad including the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Generali Foundation in Vienna, The National Gallery in Capetown, The India Habitat Center in New Delhi and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. She is the co-founder of the collective Fakeshop, which was included in the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria and the 2000 Whitney Biennial. Her work is in private and public collections including the Neuberger Berman Collection and the collection of the Queens Museum. In June 2007, she had a solo exhibition at PS1/MoMA Contemporary Art Center in New York. She lives and works in New York.

One look at Prema Murthy’s latest body of work—three dimensional lines “drawn” with black yarn that intersect like the weave of a spider’s web; black-and-white compositions on paper made up of grid-like shapes and forms -- and viewers might first believe them to be ultra-minimalist, utterly spare. But beneath the elegant simplicity of Murthy’s lines, in either two or three dimensions, is a complex system of references, histories, mysteries, and ideas.

“Delicate it is like a spider’s web, this sketch of the worldwide web of our collective thoughts. Skinny skeins of black wool stretch into space, a cat’s cradle. Black wool is knotted simply at intervals forming a playful, simple structure which reminds one of outer space, the interior of a crystal with many squares, triangles perhaps representing the wires which connect our lives to ourselves, to others, to space itself. They pierce the wall and spill outside the delineated room.”

Although the art work seems extremely low-tech, Murthy based the compositions on digitally rendered shapes she created with sophisticated software programs usually used to model realistic imagery for commercial films and video games. Programmers use these computer applications to render bodies and objects that appear round and soft, or flat and hard, or angular and sharp, when viewed on a screen. When programmers and designers are creating these believable images, they first model the shapes in grids made up of lines, and then fill them in with colors and textures.

Prema Murthy, an indian artist, art gallery....

swathin2 — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:54:02 +0000

Where to begin? On the surface. Yes, Murthy’s installation at Tamarind looks like a hand-made, giant net. (It echoes an earlier installation at the artist’s solo show at PS 1, a contemporary art space that is an affiliate of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.) It is perhaps a surprising sight for followers of Murthy’s work through the years, as she received her first recognition by critics and curators for her new-media pieces in the 1990s. Yet Murthy’s latest installation, Organizing Energy, seems to be the antithesis of “new media art,” the opposite of the digital—at least on the surface. Yes, the installation was made by hand, and in the very basic, very physical medium of yarn. As the critic Swapna Vora describes Murthy’s yarn-based installations, the work can conjure many different interpretations, depending on the viewer’s own points of reference:

Artists Prema Murthy !!!

kamalkaushik — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:08:19 +0000

Prema Murthy (born 1969, Seattle, WA) received her MFA from Goldsmiths College, London. She has exhibited her video, prints, and installations in numerous exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad including the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the Generali Foundation in Vienna, The National Gallery in Capetown, The India Habitat Center in New Delhi and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. She is the co-founder of the collective Fakeshop, which was included in the 1999 Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria and the 2000 Whitney Biennial. Her work is in private and public collections including the Neuberger Berman Collection and the collection of the Queens Museum. In June 2007, she had a solo exhibition at PS1/MoMA Contemporary Art Center in New York. She lives and works in New York.

One look at Prema Murthy’s latest body of work—three dimensional lines “drawn” with black yarn that intersect like the weave of a spider’s web; black-and-white compositions on paper made up of grid-like shapes and forms -- and viewers might first believe them to be ultra-minimalist, utterly spare. But beneath the elegant simplicity of Murthy’s lines, in either two or three dimensions, is a complex system of references, histories, mysteries, and ideas.

Murthy’s installation at Tamarind looks like a hand-made, giant net. (It echoes an earlier installation at the artist’s solo show at PS 1, a contemporary art space that is an affiliate of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.) It is perhaps a surprising sight for followers of Murthy’s work through the years, as she received her first recognition by critics and curators for her new-media pieces in the 1990s. Yet Murthy’s latest installation, Organizing Energy, seems to be the antithesis of “new media art,” the opposite of the digital—at least on the surface. Yes, the installation was made by hand, and in the very basic, very physical medium of yarn. As the critic Swapna Vora describes Murthy’s yarn-based installations, the work can conjure many different interpretations, depending on the viewer’s own points of reference.

PAT METHENY: CHITARRA DIVINA E MELODIE SENZA TEMPO

Andrea — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:35:55 +0000

[Video: Pat Metheny - 'How Insensitive' - 1992]

Questo si che è un musicista coi controcazzi!

Patrick Bruce Metheny (Lee's Summit, 12 agosto 1954) è uno straordinario chitarrista 'made in USA'...
Sicuramente tra i pochi artisti jazz (ma non solo) capace di destare l'attenzione scostante e svogliata dell'ascoltatore comune e dirottarla verso un genere così bizzarro e complicato!
Compositore abile ed estroso oltre che virtuoso della chitarra, ha partorito nel corso dei decenni pezzi di grande ispirazione fondendo tecnica a gusto in modo davvero esemplare...

La sua produzione musicale si articola su diversi filoni paralleli:
Il Pat Metheny Group, lavori solisti, duetti e partecipazioni varie.
Metheny è stato anche uno dei primi chitarristi a sfruttare in giusto modo i Synth per chitarra ottenendo suoni simili a ottoni, sitar e altri, dimostrando così la sua massima disposizione verso innovazione e contaminazioni a tutto campo.

La proposta risulta una commistione di diverse componenti, classiche ed esotiche, non ultima la musica brasiliana...
Si capisce, Metheny ha vissuto in Brasile per parecchio tempo e si è esibito in concerti con molti musicisti locali tra i quali Milton Nascimento e Toninho Horta, una fusione difficile eppure così naturale ad ascoltarla; cose possibili soltanto ad artisti del suo calibro!

Per la discografia vi rimando anche questa volta alla folta documentazione in rete...
...Fatela vostra!

Per concludere: quel tipo di musicista che fa venir voglia di acquistare una chitarra...

Indian art and artists Pradip Patra !!!

kamalkaushik — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:51:04 +0000

TamarindArt is the major advocate of contemporary Indian art by promoting the genre to a western and global audience. In addition to showcasing high caliber art, our mission is to become the foremost resource center for gaining an understanding of Indian art and artists, the proper care, restoration, and conservation of art in various media, and other areas of interest to individuals, businesses, and art investors.

Pradip Patra graduated in 2005 from Midnapore Art College and received an MFA in Sculpture from Kala Bhavana in Visva Bharati. He was the recipient of both the 2002 and 2003 of the Annual Exhibition Award at Midnapore Art College.

Pardip Patra works with a larger span of materials than the other artists exhibiting. Fiberglass, wood and acrylic sheet as well as other components give way to Patra’s dreamlike creations. He draws on past experiences and nostalgia to create his sculptures. They often portray scenes from life; something that has touched the artist from his own past. In the piece “Blue Chair”, Patra doesn’t simply show a person sitting in a blue chair, but rather creates an entire scene of a person contemplating; taking a moment to sit down and mull over the events of that day. The piece serves as a portal to the artist’s mind, a segment of his memory. The end product is that the sculptures are both aesthetically and psychologically compelling.

Indian art and artists Mehul Patel !!!

kamalkaushik — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:56:25 +0000

Mehul Patel received M.V.A in Sculpture from M.S. University, Baroda in 2007. Patel’s has exhibited in many festivals, galleries and group shows including the 2007 Kala Ghoda Art Festival in Mumbai and the Tsunami Heritage Fund Group Show in Baroda in 2005.

Mehul Patel employs a flurry of various forms to create his whimsical representations of subjects such as birds or a womb. His concepts are very imaginative and surrealistic. The sculptures themselves are fluid and mingle various shapes, as seen in “Couple of Birds” where he drawn on the traditional depictions or birds but adds an individual spin on it by adding sharp outlines to the beak. Unlike “Couple of Birds”, Patel’s other sculpture entitled “Womb”, is much more fluid and is inspired by forms seen in nature such as shells and sand sculptures. The little bulges on the surface of the piece enhance the texture and dimension.

http://www.tamarindart.com/

Ravi Shankar

euclidespaim — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:40:59 +0000

Sandhya Rangs
Chase.mp3
West Eats Meat.mp3
Ragas in Minor Scale.mp3
Tarana.mp3
Tana Mana.mp3
Sadhanipa.mp3
Friar Park.mp3
Reunion.mp3
Prashanti.mp3
Shanti-Mantra.mp3

Download: http://rapidshare.com/files/144418982/Bridges-_Best_of_Private_Music_Recordings.rar.html

Image Line Sounds of India

audiofanzinejp — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:00:37 +0000

FL Studioの開発元であるImage Line Softwareより最新のコレクション、インド音楽のサンプル『Sounds of India』がリリースされた。この新しいライブラリには1.5ギガバイトの容量に835以上のサンプルと36の楽器、2つのヴォーカルが入っている。
コレクションはタブラ、シタール、シェナイ、ハルモニウム、竹笛といった古典インド音楽の基礎を網羅している。しかしこのコレクションを真にユニークなものにしているのはヴィーナ、ガンジラ、マッダラン、そしてエダッカ、ウデュック、ダルブカのような南インドの珍しい伝統的民族楽器だ。様々な寺院の鐘やエスニック・パーカッションのサウンドとともに多様なインド的精神までもがサンプリングされている。

「インド音楽の珠玉は何と言ってもシタールです。このサウンドは期待したよりも遥かに素晴らしい」とプロジェクトマネージャーであるインド音楽プロデューサー兼オーディオエンジニアのVipin Venugopalanは語る。

サンプリングは全てのコレクションを通じて非常に丁寧に行われ、複数回の演奏から最高のものが選ばれている。特に録音環境とサウンド加工、ノイズリダクション工程は注意深く作業された。

各音はピッチを変更することなく、従って全てのキーに対して各々サンプリングが行われた。音程はクロマチック順で録音され、指板やフレットの音は楽器の自然なエッセンスを保護するために敢えて残されている。

Image Line Softwareのサイトでデモを聴いてみてほしい。

『Sounds of India』は $89 で同社サイトからダウンロード販売されている。

Vaibhav Jains Sculptures...

swathin2 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:45:27 +0000

Born in 1964, Vaibhav Jain graduated from Lucknow Arts College in 1981. Jain has received 2nd All India Biennale award in 1999 and the Major C P RM award from the Government Museum, Bangalore, in 1987. She is also a recipient of the 2000 Els Ten Voorde and Wim Krijnen scholarship to Holland.

Jain has participated in numerous exhibitions including a two man show at Nadene-le-Prince Gallery, Rajasthan, in 2005 and 2007. She exhibited at A Matter of Forms at Samanvai Art Gallery, Jaipur, in 2004 and 2007. In 2007 she also participated in a group show at Shree Dharini Art Gallery, New Delhi. Jain participated in an exhibition of women artist at Lalit Kala Academy, Jaipur in 1995 and 2006. She also had a group sculpture show at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, in 2005. Jain also participated in the following exhibitions: International Exhibition, AIFACS New Delhi 2001, All India Biennale, Jaipur, 1999, State Exhibition of Rajasthan, 1997, All India 2nd Drawing Biennale, Chandigarh, 1994, National Exhibition of Arts, Calcutta, 1986, All India Exhibition, Birla Academy of Fine Arts, 1985 to name a few.

She has also attended Stone carving camp at Lalit Kala Akademy, Lucknow in 2002; Sculptor camp in Jaipur in 1999 and All India Sculpture Camp in Lucknow in 1989.

Besides having successful art practice, Jain has also published articles such as “Lucknow Bird Painting,” Sodh Patrika, 1992, Baster ki Lok Kala,” Saptahik Hindustan, 1992 and “Kalighat Painting,” Rajasthan Patrika, 1992. Her works can be seen at National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, and in Private Collections in India, France and Holland.

Jain’s sculptures create a commentary on juxtaposing forces in contemporary Indian life. In the bronze works featured in this show, Jain comments on the relationships between humans, the material, contemporary world, and the natural world.

Anu BS arts and gallery section....

swathin2 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:01:53 +0000

Born in 1983, Anu BS graduated from Kerala University and later received an MFA in Sculpture from MSU of Baroda. He was awarded a scholarship to the Kerala Lalith – Kala Academy in 2005.

His participation in prestigious group exhibitions include Tracing Erases at Dar Bar Hall, Kerala, 2008, Bodhi Art Winners Show at Redearth Gallery, Mumbai, 2007, Group Show at Gallery Beyond, Mumbai, 2007, Annual Show, Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU of Baroda, 2007, Sprouts, a group show at Kaledioscope, Baroda, 2006, Degree Show at fine arts college Thiruyananthapuram, 2005, Kala Academy State Exhibition, 2004.

Bimal Kundu’s arts work....

swathin2 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:28:48 +0000

Bimal Kundu Graduated from Govt. College of Art & Crafts, Kolkata in 1980.

He has exhibited in several Group shows including Genesis Art Gallery, Sanskriti Art Gallery, Gallery BF 14, Gallery Katayun, Chemould Art Gallery, Gallery’ 88, Tata Centre, Galerie La Mere, Chitrakoot Art Gallery, CIMA Art Gallery in Kolkata, Gallery Sanskriti, Vadehra Art Gallery, Art Todayin New Delhi, Cymroza Art Gallery, Jahangir Art Gallery in Mumbai and Gallery Sumukha, Banglore. He has also participated in AFA exhibition held at Birla Academy, State and National Lalit Kala Akademi exhibitions, Indian Society of Oriental Art, ‘Young Faces in Contemporary Indian Art’, R.K. Mission Institute of Culture, Eastern Region Art Exhibition.

Kundu is also a recipient of many awards and scholarships. He was awarded the Rajaram Scholarship, Govt. of Karnataka; the H. C. Ghosh Award; the Gaganendranath Memorial Medal; the AFA Award; the Birla Academy Award; the Navonmeska Puraskara and the National Academy Award in 2000. He is also a founding member of the Society of Contemporary Artists.

Kundu has also participated in numerous workshops such as Lalit Kala Terracotta Camp in Bankura in 1985, Art Camp organized by Sankriti Art Gallery in Kolkata in 1992, Art in Industry camp sponsored by Tata Steel held in Jamshedpur in both 1993 and 1997. He also attended Sculpture Camp organized by the Society of Contemporary Artists at Shantiniketan in 1996, a Workshop on Contemporary Works of Bengali Artists in Dhaka, Bangladesh in1999, Art in Life organized by CIMA in 2005, and a workshop at Kursiang and China in 2006.

Bimal Kundu’s works are part of important collections such as Vivekananda Art Gallery, Karnataka; Birla Academy, Calcutta; National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi. His 14’ high concrete Sculpture, named ‘BIRPURUSH’ stands majestically at Nicco Park in Salt Lake City.

Kundu lives and works in Kolkata.

Bhupen Barman arts gallery

swathin2 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:54:24 +0000

Bhupen Barman received his diploma in sculpture from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University in Baroda. He has participated in several exhibitions including the Harmony show and the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai.

Barman has received a number of honors and awards through his years of work. Most recently he was awarded the National Academy Award from the Lalit Kala Akademi for 2005 – 2006. He was also awarded the National Scholarship by the HRD, Government of India. He has also participated in the Winter Moods, Stainless Steel camp in Baroda, and Ceramic camp in Rashtriya Lalit Kala Kendra, Lucknow

Details of Pradip Kumar Patra, an artist of Tamarind Art Gallery....

swathin2 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:54:20 +0000

Born in 1980, Pradip Kumar Patra graduated in 2005 from Midnapore Art College and received an MFA in Sculpture from Kala Bhavana in Visva Bharati. He was the recipient in both 2002 and 2003 of the Annual Exhibition Award at Midnapore Art College. He also received Bronze and Gold accolades in 2003 and 2004 at the Avantika Art Exhibition.

His participation in prestigious group and solo exhibitions includes Painted Delights at Birla Academy, 2007, Khala Bhavana All Sculpture Group Exhibition at Nandan Gallery, Kala Bhavana, 2007, the National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Academy, 2006, the All India Contest & Exhibition, South Central Nagpur Zone, 2006, Annual Exhibition of Midnapore Art College, Kolkata, 2006, Artists Care for Children Exhibition at Birla Academy, Kolkata, 2006, Pratiti Group Exhibition at Birla Academy, Kolkata, 2006, Kala Bhavana Sculpture Group Exhibition at Nandan Gallery, 2006, Annual Exhibition of State Academy, Kolkata, 2006, Rayja Charukala Annual Exhibition, Tathyakendra, 2006, 70th Annual Exhibition of Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, 2005.

Of his work, Pradip claims: “Through my works I honestly try to create a visual feeling about my childhood. I have grown up in the village. I try to express these feelings through my works. My works are the images reflected through the mirror of my mind. My past life events and my surroundings come back to my mind, and when they do, I want to return back there. This is impossible physically, but surely possible through the vision of my works. So I try to create some visual images, forms and language through which I can get some relief from the complexity of the present. In my works I use simple images from which I try to make the communication between art, artist, and viewer – simple and easier.

For more information Visit:

http://www.tamarindart.com/

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar-Shuddha Todi/Raga Yaman

magicistragic — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:43:26 +0000

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar

Shuddha Todi/Raga Yaman(Nimbus 2000)

Shuddha Todi: http://www.mediafire.com/?in0qxr9xkrh

Raga Yaman: http://www.mediafire.com/?wimyhmlrpoj

Alternately known as Z.M. Dagar, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was the master of rudra vina, a larged stringed instrument primarily used in Hindustani music. It sound closely resembles that of the sitar, but the rudra vina seems to get a deeper, more resonant tone than any sitar I've heard. Dagar's bread and butter was the raga, a slow, meditative form of Indian classical music that slowly unfolds with circular melodies that gently wax and wane. I'm no expert on ragas, but I've always loved Dagar's work because of the rumbling bass that centers the slow motion reverb of the sitar or rudra vina. Spirituality was never my strong suit, but Shuddha Todi taps into something larger than music for me. It is kind of a meditative tool in my life that provides my mind time to breathe and process the events of my day. There is no climax or crescendo, it just becomes what you need it to be at that moment. It's amorphous qualities and psychedelic atmosphere kind of lifts to a place that few albums do. It fills up the room and all you can do is bathe in the waves of slowly plucked notes as they echo until another one rolls your way. If all you know of ragas and Indian classical music is Ravi Shankar, then check out Shuddha Todi and see a different facet of a music that reminds me of how music can transport you to other levels of consciousness. Although I'm not a religious person, certain albums, songs and performances have done a number on my noggin. Shuddha Todi/Raga Yaman belongs to that rare breed of music that taps into something indescribable as it whisks you off to some mental island where you feel impelled to examine life more closely than you would otherwise. I don't listen to this often, but it mellows out the rough edges in my life and I couldn't ask any more of a piece of recorded music.

Instrumental Music - The Journey

songsfromindia — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:18:56 +0000

The main secondary instrument is violin but this useful and musical instrument always had high privileged position amongst the practitioners of music. Other percussion instruments normally used in carnatic music are mridangam, a double-conical, two-headed drum, basically used for rhythmical effect. Every instrument is associated with one particular practitioner of it. Like, shehnai is associated with Bismillah Khan whereas sarangi is associated almost exclusively with Ram Narayan. The names are associated primarily because they have achieved national and international fame courtesy their talents in playing that particular instrument. Interestingly, one of the concert halls in Tehran is named after Bismillah Khan because of his proficiency with shehnai. Shehnai is most commonly heard in north Indian marriage functions.

Other famous players include, Zakir Hussain, an internationally admired tabla player. He is also credited to collaborate with several western musicians and produced many fusion recordings. There have been many notable tabla players, but a phenomenon unto himself has been Zakir Hussain, who has also combined with various western musicians to produce many "fusion" recordings. To showcase his real talent just a single fact will suffice and that is tabla is basically an accompanying instrument but he has performed many solo performances. Shiv Kumar Sharma is renowned for his Santoor playing skills. Santoor is a Kashmiri folk instrument with more than 100 strings. He brought this instrument in the focus of classical music on the sheer strength of his talent.

Live music banned in Bangalore

Luigi Cappel — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:10:33 +0000

At first when I read this on Muziboo, a site I have just been invited to join and posted a couple of songs on, I thought this was just some situation that was being exaggerated, I mean how can such a large city ban live music.

When I think of India, I think of Sitar and Tabla, religious music and those awesome rythms ad I can't think of anything better than going out to a Bangalore Bar and listening toa live band. But no, it's for real as I read in The Times of India.

Live bands and even karaoke have been banned by the police. It seems that music leads to drinking and drinking leads to crime. The entertainment and hospitality industry are suffering big time, but as a songwriter and performer, my heart goes out to the performers who's livelihood is at stake and the people who enjoy music to relax and unwind, to be happy and share good times with their friends and family.

Shame on you, Bangalore Police. This is patently wrong and ther world is watching you. I suppose you would be happiest if you put the whole city under house arrest. Sure there will be people at dance parties who get over enthusiastic and there may even be the odd fight, but for the most part, people who are enjoying music are doing just that, being happy. Give them a break. if you have to make them employ extra security at places where there is risk, but you can't stop the music!