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Nomad Session recently finished a large work that took place over multiple concerts. This was a commission from Nick Benavides  that he based on different landmarks aspects of San Francisco. The videography was done by Maggie Beidelman.

“What about San Francisco’s tucked away stair cases, community gardens, block sized patches of green and that one “quiet spot” in the neighborhood park with a great view that only a local can lead you to? These are the hidden spaces we are interested in and we believe that there is something more magical waiting to be discovered amidst all the fog that fills this city we call home”

“Gardens”

“Stairs”

“Landscapes”

 

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There is a new wave of music products that is aimed, not to be the very best, but to be accessible and affordable. There have been plastic woodwind instruments for many decades, and they are a more cost effective and durable choice for young players.

plastic bassoon oboe

Now there is a new wave of plastic instruments that are lower quality and don’t try to compete with the real wooden instruments. These instruments are mostly made in Asia, and are mostly made from injection mold plastic.

Pbone and Ptrumpet

ptrumpet

pbone

Tiger Brass

plastic trumpet plastic trombone plastic euphonium plastic tuba

Nuvo

plastic flute nuvo flute

Vibrato Sax

plastic sax

 

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The technology and resources available for making musical instruments is at an all time high. I was very impressed and surprised when I visited the Fox factory and was able to see what went in to making an instrument. I have found some interesting videos on instrument production that range from small scale productions to large factories. This is the whole orchestra in score order being made. Sorry Violas.

Flute

Oboe

Clarinet

Bassoon

Trumpet

French Horn

Trombone

Tuba

Violin

Viola

Cello

Bass

Harp

Sax

 

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With the price for new musical instruments skyrocketing, it’s not surprising that some people have actually gone into building their own instrument! Most of the people I have found who built their own horns don’t actually play but are master carpenters or handymen who are curious. Others are musicians who are testing out different possibilities of their instrument families.

This man made a wooden trumpet out of a home workshop. Although he isn’t a trumpet player, this is a functional piston trumpet.

 

The Bamboo Sax has been around for a while, I saw one on vacation in 2006

 

The least embarrassing bassoon related video I could find was of Robin Howell making a bassoon bocal, which would be interesting to try but I don’t think I would trust it!

 

MY favorite video on youtube right now is of this guy who built his own CONTRABASSOON! It actually sounds nice, has a recognizable scale, and doesn’t look like garbage. I was really amazed when I saw this.