As we’ve discussed before, some musicians aren’t content to just make music; some like to make the things that make music, then use them to make the music! This affects musicians of all levels and in all walks of life. Don’t believe me? Find a professional oboist (or bassoonist) who doesn’t hand-craft their own reeds. :-)
Anyway, I ran across this great article from our friends at Instructables explaining how to make your own bongo cajon. If you’re a percussionist, especially one who plays la musica latina, you may already be familiar with the concept…but for non-percussionists, a bongo cajon is a cajon (“large box” in Spanish) that produces pitches like a bongo: high and low. This allows the percussionist to play bongo patterns on the cajon. It’s a rather clever instrument and looks like it would be relatively straightforward and fun to make.
Whether making or playing, keep the music coming!
Musically yours,
Mark
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Tags: bongo, build, cajon, craft, DIY, do it yourself, how to, Instructables, instrument, make
General, Percussion | admin December 14, 2011 | 
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Someone passed along a nugget recently and it has been bouncing around in my head ever since. Hopefully it will do the same for (to?) you.
Our friends at 48 Days posted a quote from noted theologian A.W. Tozer that dealt primarily with a person’s vocation, but applies equally well to our avocation, our passion, of music:
“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.”
A.W. Tozer
So…why do you do it?
Whether overtly or covertly, whether we realize or admit it or not, we’re all spiritual creatures…and music touches us at our very deepest level. Most of us play music of various types, and most play both sacred and secular music, depending upon the occasion.
Regardless of what you may play, take a moment to think about it. Why do you do it? Coming to an understanding of the ‘why’ may help you reach a deeper understanding of yourself and take your music to a whole new level.
Keep playing,
Mark
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When we needed a sturdy, portable music stand a few years ago, we bought a Hercules…folding music stand, that is. I’m a big fan of Manhassets when space is no issue (and we own several!), but when it just has to fold, Hercules is our stand of choice.
Another Hercules in the Family!
We needed another folding music stand recently when our family had to head in different directions to cover two gigs at once, and I didn’t even think twice before buying another Hercules BS100B. I wrote about the first one in this linked article, and it continues to serve us well. Many stands lose their ability to stay positioned correctly with age – if they ever were able to do so in the first place – but the little Herc does so without complaint. Bad stands can ruin a gig, while good stands do their job so well they may as well be invisible. That’s the BS100B.
One piece of advice: the EZ Glide locking mechanism takes a bit of getting used to, as initially it seems to be either too “sticky” or too loose. Just like my car’s AC, though, eventually I got it adjusted to “just right”…and I’ve pretty much ignored it ever since.
If you’re looking for an excellent folding music stand, check it out. Many places carry them, including Amazon, Musician’s Friend, and our advertising friends at Guitar Center (please see ad in right column). I hope it works for you as well as they have for us!
Keep playing,
Mark
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What do you do when life drops a plateful of challenges in front of you? What if the music – or at least the music-making – must stop for a bit? Well…you adapt. :-)
As mentioned in our last post, there are numerous things you can do to get your music fix, even if you can’t directly feed your playing addiction. We’ve been making our way through a few techno-medical challenges in the PartTimeMusician (PTM) command center, and while they’ve certainly made things a bit more interesting around here, we’re making our way back to a more normal (whatever that is!) balance of music-listening and music-making as we go along. We’re also beginning to put the technical hurdles in the rear-view mirror, and by this time next week, they should be nothing but a humorous footnote in the logs. Well, that’s the plan, anyway. :-D
For those who have contributed to the backlog of material that is crying out to be shared with our greater PTM family, thank you! And thank you all for your patience, kind thoughts, prayers, and common love of making music. As often as it’s said, it’s true: it’s all good!
Keep playing,
Mark
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March brought some new challenges and victories, and (hopefully) some nicer weather! Below are some select articles of the past month for your review. Enjoy!
Recording Gear Review: MXL V63M Studio Mic
THE Two Keys to Success in Music (and Life)!
Starting Over: One Person’s Journey
Annoying and Alienating your Fellow Musicians
How to Make an Ocarina
Musical Stylin’
Starting Over: One Person’s Journey, part 2
And now a quick (and well-deserved) plug for the PTM advertisers: if you need anything for your music-making, please check with them first. They’re good folks, and their prices, service, and quality are tough to beat. Their ads are in the column to the right (—>). Please give them the chance to earn your business and in doing so, you’ll be giving back a bit to the PTM community at the same time…without paying a single dime more!
All the best to everyone, and thank you for another great month!
Keep playing,
Mark
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