The Array Mbira

The array mbira is a modern instrument of the African thumb piano family, usually played with the thumbs and sometimes fingers commonly using metal tines.
The array mbira is a radical redesign of the African mbira. The notes of the array mbira are arranged according to the array system, invented in the United States by inventor/perform-er/author Bill Wesley. The array system is a way to rearrange the pattern by which the notes are positioned on a wide variety of musical instruments, and is both isomorphic and unimorphic (meaning that all the notes of any given key signature will be unified into a single area that excludes notes outside that key signature). There is only one unimorphic planar system, and that is the system employed on the array mbira.
The array mbira is played by a number of popular musicians, including Ry Cooder (Buena Vista Social Club and Talking Timbuktu), Emil Richards, Pharoah Sanders, Mileece, Shannon Terry, and Imogen Heap.

SoundClips & MP3's Playlist

The Music of Mexico

Tlacochahuaya (La Noche del Castillo) Fireworks Night
About the video: As part of lighting fireworks, on some towns, that is also a night where the local band performs the best of their repertoire, and it may include different pieces, depending on the director, and how the musicians have been exposed to other arrangements while they are part of the State or Military Band. Luckily, this time this band seems to be well organized with a very talented director and members. Maestro Jose Angeles Martínez leads them in this performance of this "pasodoble" titled: "Forever Summer" (Sempre Verano)written by Maestro Martín Clavijo from Texcoco in the State of México. The soloist, Constantino Blas Pérez, proudly native of this town, displays a very good technique, sound and color on his trumpet, proof of the flexibility and adaptability of this instrument.



Another beautiful piece is this polka ("Al besarte Concepción") "When I Kiss you Concepción", (Concepción, is a popular girl's name in Latin América). We have this talented musician, Maestro Sergio Garcia Hernández, native of this town, who displays a very good knowledge of this instrument, and the velvety sound of it, combined with the playful tempo and melody gives us a magnificent performance. We can also hear how flexible this instrument has been in its adaptation to different genres. Through them we have proof of how well the bands in the Valley of Oaxaca have developed.



About the video: Every Orchestra, Band or Ensemble holds the tradition of having guest performers. The Band of Maestro Jose Angeles Martinez in Tlacochahuaya also puts that into practice, as a way to enrich the Band's performance with the talent and expertise of outside musicians. These are long time friends that Maestro Angeles has known when he was part of the State and Military Band, and also some musical organizations in Mexico City. Here, we have Maestro Erasmo Vasquez Martinez from the nearby town of Macuilxochitl performing "Czardas", a piece form the famous Italian composer Vittorio Monti. The piece seems very sober and melancholic in its beginning, but suddenly turns the tone into something full of charm and joy, proving the sweetness of woodwind trought the clarinet.



About the video: Another talented guest musician is Maestro Junior Martinez Garcia from the nearby town of Guelace, who interprets this "pasodoble" titled: "The Virgin of Tepeyac". This performer dispalys a very advanced technique and some notes are remarked with such brightness, that it matches perfectly with the genre, since "pasodobles" are ususally related to bullfight.



Ths pasodoble "The Virgin of Tepeyac" was interpreted by both, a local and a guest musician in the same performance, I only divided the video for it to upload propperly. Is the turn now for Maestro Constantino Blas Perez, proudly native of Tlacochahuaya, to delight us. Displays a very mature technique and also a soft dark sound, yet with a good balance in color and brightness.



This polka is titled "Hilda", which is also a popular girl's name in Latin America. This night concert was held to light fireworks to celebrate St. Jeronimo in Tlacochahuaya, Oaxaca, on September 2006. It is closed beautifully with a local talent, Maestro Constanino Blas Perez. Trough this magnificent performace we have an example of the great development that Philharmonic Bands have achieved in Oaxaca, and the skills of musicians and directors in this towns.

Music Creativity

Palawan Music Lovers

GONG at RITMO ng KONTRA-GAPI

Lunggating Pilipino, Edru Abraham at ang
KONTempoRAryang GAmelan PIlipino (KONTRA-GAPI)

1. Ating Pilipinas sa Timog Silangang Asya
2. Ritwal ng Baybaylan: Alay sa Kalikasan
a) Una
b) Pangalawa
3. Kaya ng Pinoy
a) Una
b) Pangalawa
k) Pangatlo
4. Palu-palo ng mga Ivatan sa Batanes
5. Binalig ng mga Magindanaw sa Katimugang Pilipinas
6. Aliwan ng mga Ita sa Bundok Pinatubo
a) Una
b) Pangalawa
7. Tallelet ng mga Yogad sa Probinsiya ng Isabela
8. Pangalay ng mga Tausug sa Tawi-tawi
9. Gangsa Palook ng mga Kalinga sa Kordilyera
10. Kaysarap Mabuhay sa Bayang Payapa
a) Una
b) Pangalawa

The Music of Nilo Alcala II

NILO BELARMINO ALCALA II

Nilo Alcala is the 2004 2nd-prize winner of the Asian Composers League (ACL) Young Composers Award for his chamber piece "chuck d' cheeky chat" during the ACL Music Conference held in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel on October 18 t 24, 2004. He was also the Philippine delegate to and a featured composer ("Dancing Delusions") in the CD and DVD recording of the 1st I'mPULSE International Music Camp organized by the Asia Europe Foundation at the Philippine National Arts Center, Laguna and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in February 2005.MORE>>>

Nilo Alcala is a Music Composition graduate (2007) at the University of the Philippines College of Music. His compositions have been awarded/featured in the following national/international competitions/festivals:

-Asian Composers League Festival in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel (2004),
-Florilege Vocal du Tours in France (2006),
-World Choir Games in Xiamen, China (2006),
-Busan International Choral Competition in Busan, Korea (2006)
-I’mPulse International Music Camp of the Asia-Europe Foundation (2005),
-NAMCYA Youth Choir Competition 2005
-Mga Awiting Bayan Choral Writing Competition of NAMCYA and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (2006), and
-the MusicUnderKonstruction Concerts of the Metro Manila Community Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines 2006 and 2007

Alcala sang with and wrote music for the world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers from 2003 to 2007

In February of 2007, He received the GAWAD CHANSELOR Natatanging Mag-aaral Award – the highest recognition conferred by the University to students with outstanding achievements.

1. Diary of a Synaesthete (excerpt)- Orchestra
A symphonic work premiered by the Metro Manila Community Orchestra on Febuary 2006 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Conductor: Josefino Chino Toledo

2. Speak to Me My Love/ You are the evening cloud
An artsong (for soprano and orchestra) based on 2 poems lifted from Rabindranath Tagore's 'The Gardener'. Premiered by the Metro Manila Community Orchestra (MMCO) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Feb. 24, 2007 (Soprano-Karlene Denolo)

3. Chuck d' Cheeky (ACL 2004, Israel)
This chamber piece won 2nd prize in the 2004 ASian Composers League (ACL) Young Composers Competition held at the Mishkenot Sha'ananim Music Center in Jerusalem Israel (in cooperation with the Israel Composers League)

4. Song of Dawn (excerpt)- UP Madz & UE Chorale
This composition was commissioned by the Bangkok Voices (Thailand) and premiered at the 2006 World Choir Games in Xiamen, China. This version is a live recording of the combined voices of the UE Chorale and the Philippine Madrigal Singers

5. Dancing Delusions (1st ImPulse Music Camp - ASEF)
Featured in the CD and DVD recording of the 1st I'mPULSE International Music Camp organized by the Asia Europe Foundation at the Philippine National Arts Center and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in February 2005.

6. Dayo-Dayo Kupita (Philippine Madrigal Singers)
A Choral work based on a Maranao children's play chant (Southern Philippines) imitating the sound of the Kulintang (a set of small graduated bossed) Performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers (Florilege Vocal de Tours, France)

Musicians' brain are different

Brain scans have found that the corpus callosum, the contection but the two halves of musicians’ brains tends to be significant enlarged in comparison the corpus callosum found in the brains of the non-musicians. A number of other differences between the brains of musicians and non-musicians have been found, including enlargements to the cortex, auditory and motor parts of the brain. Another finding was that music tends to be processed in the left hemisphere of musician’s brains in the same areas as language, whereas the right hemisphere tends to be responsible for this task in the brains of non-musicians.READMORE>>>

Oliver Sacks’ book, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain discusses these findings, and other music and language-related cases, including one of a man who after being struck by lightening, developed an overwhelming urge to play the piano and to compose music, and felt that he was actually tuning in to the music of heaven.