Kay Musical Instrument Company

Although we can learn about various facts of prehistoric musical cultures from images and archeological remains, our understanding is severely limited by the lack of written record. Instruments themselves were made out of perishable materials, and few have survived. Luckily, pictures show how instruments were held and played, and in what circumstances music was used. Surviving instruments reveal details of their construction. For example, archaeologists exploring the royal tombs at Ur, a…

Within the first paragraph of Shooting Dad Sarah Vowell establishes her diametric relationship with her father. Vowell says she “never subscribed to Guns & Ammo,” “did not plaster the family vehicle with National Rifle Association stickers,” and always disliked “hunter’s orange,” which implies her father delights in these activities. She reveals her anti-gun stance, and shows the pro-gun stance of her father simultaneously. The historical term “a house divided” and the phrase “Civil War…

start I notice had me tapping my toes. I notice when the piece changed gears and calm was after the flutes had a solo part of their own. That was kind of the turning point. Also I had to give notice to the triangle player, even though he had a small instrument, the way he contributed was quite surprising. There was a long period of time he had to keep beat and pace with the rest which looked easy but I noticed he had to get into it himself with head bobs to keep himself in rhythm. I really took…

A Mariachi is a musical group that are originally from Mexico, consisting at least two violinist, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, a vihuela, and a guitarrón. The word mariachi was considered to be derived from marriage, which is the French word for marriage, since mariachi often performed at weddings. Mariachi music as we know today is originated Jalisco, Mexico. Mariachi is sound, also known as son, is a mixture of Spanish, native and African traditions, which differs form region to region. The…

This year, our Marching Band got the chance to go to Nashville, Tennessee where we encountered the different musical culture they had. We attended The Grand Ole Opry, a concert where many talented country musicians performed live in a giant hall. It was a fascinating experience when we learned about the musician’s lives through their music and what they consider everyday aspect of their lives that we don’t have farther up north. One of the band members got the opportunity to participate in a…

was their ability to arrange modern songs into a salsa format. It was a lively performance where many audience members danced along with the band, demonstrating the danceable feature of the music. The orchestra used many of the traditional salsa instruments, including timbales, conga drums, a cowbell, and a guiro. Mambo influences were also evident in the instrumentation. With the rise of big bands in the United States, the traditional flutes and violins were replaced with horns and saxophones,…

West African musical influences can be found throughout the rest of Africa and across the globe. These influences can be found throughout various genres of music, including jazz, blues, and electronic music. A modern example I discovered that demonstrates West African musical styles was M83’s Midnight City, an electronic song. Firstly, and prominently featured throughout the song is the synth pattern, or ostinato that is repeated through a large majority of the song. It is a simple four note…

In ‘Respect’ there are many different musical lines that bring together the piece. In the intro of the song it is just the brass, guitar, and drums playing for four measures until Aretha Franklin starts singing. The back-up singers and the piano’s entrance is about a half of a beat after Aretha’s entrance. At this point all of the instruments are in full swing. The brass has a solo about half way through the song; the saxophone having the melody and the trombone and trumpets playing the harmony.…

projector behind the performers had videos, and drawings displayed that was turned into amination, and it brought the drawings to life while making the story more entertaining. While the video would be playing in the back a performer would play their instruments to go along with the video. The cat was played with a clarinet, bird with a flute, grandfather was the bassoon, the wolf was played by the French horns, and Peter was played by the strings. The narrator would say a couple lines then…

marching band and drum corp. The section, if played correctly can blend perfectly together. Each instrument has its own unique history and has evolved from their ancestors into almost a completely different instrument. From being used for religious purposes to signaling or provoking fear into enemies eyes, the instruments have evolved into the beautiful yet powerful sounding instruments today. Brass instruments have vastly different histories and origins which have evolved to work perfectly…