When Yoko strikes one of the 88 keys, a number of things happen to produce that beautiful piano sound. First, the key itself acts as a lever, connected by other levers to lift the hammer and damper. The key, the other levers, the hammer, and the damper are known together as the “action.” The hammer,…
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For most of us, the next couple of weeks will bring Easter or Passover, April Fool’s Day, and tax day… events that happen every year. However, for many would-be college and music conservatory students, the next few weeks could be life-changing. At Berklee College of Music, applicants will find out whether they have been accepted…
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In January, I reviewed the first episode of Ken Burns’s 2001 documentary JAZZ. Today, I continue with episode two, The Gift. One of the best anecdotes in the episode is the story of Louis Armstrong’s first record, made with King Oliver’s Band. Before microphones, musicians stood around a horn like the one on a phonograph to record.…
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