Music Archive

Stroh Violin Repair

Author: | Categories: Favorites, Music, Projects, Video 5 Comments
I generally do not take commissions, however every once in a while a friend will ask me to make or repair something and it will be an interesting enough project that I will take it on. That was the case with this Stroh violin. The Stroh violin was an

Broken Strings Folk Punk Campout!

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Tickets are now on sale for BrokenStrings Music Fest and campout! The event is in Sacramento, CA September 25th-27th. Broken Strings is an incredible folk-punk campout at beautiful Camp Pollock, a former Boy Scout campground on the banks of the American River. It’s under a mile from downtown Sacramento,

Why Live Music? A Serious Question

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Your car stereo. Your computer. Your MP3 player. Your phone. We’ve never had more technology enabling us to listen to music, and that technology has never been more mobile. And with services like iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp Last.fm, GrooveShark, et al, we’ve never had more ways of discovering new

The Art of Distortion: Tradition & Reaction in Folk & Punk

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A fiddler tunes. A woman on upright bass stretches her hands. The banjoist adjusts his strap while the mandolinist takes a drink. In this moment before a song, the possibilities of sound are only as limited as the experience and the vision of the artists onstage. From the lineup

The Majestic Bellowphone – Hungarian Dance #5

Author: | Categories: Music, Video 1 Comment
My friend Len Solomon writes: “Here’s a clip of the Hungarian Dance #5, performed on the Majestic Bellowphone. The piece was originally scored for 4-hand bellowphone, but I come to find out that I’m the only one who plays this contraption, so I used my version; adapted for 2

Seattle rock show! 10/13: Ghost Town Gospel, The Mongrel Jews, and Thee Hobo Gobelins

Author: | Categories: Music 1 Comment
    This weekend (Sunday, October 13th) in Seattle THREE count 'em THREE of SPWS's favorite bands are playing together! The Mongrel Jews, Ghost Town Gospel, and Thee Hobo Gobbelins are going to be rockin'  it up at Ballard's 2 Bit Saloon. I'll be there, jumping around and having a good time, and if you're in the area (or

Dungeons & Dive Bars: A Music Industry Role Playing Game

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​ Photo: JessyLou D'Aprile of Louography Welcome, dear adventurer, to the Land Of Music! A mystical and mysterious land where you are one of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of musicians are battling the beasts of poverty, hunger, debt, poor credit, rocky relationships and bad business practices, all in the name

Not Enemies!

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Brand new from my bestie Nathaniel Johnstone and 2Tall Animation comes this re-imagination of a childhood classic!

The Music & The Theory: An Introduction To Your Place In Musical Culture

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Imagine a world without a record player. A world without recording studios, or record labels, a world without even radio to play us the music that we’d like to hear. Imagine such a world. Is that world depressing, or is it empowering? … In such a world, a scant

Orchestrions

Author: | Categories: Music, Steampunk No comments
"An orchestrion, if you’re wondering, is like a souped-up player piano from the early 1900s. These automatic music machines encased in beautiful wood cabinets don’t just play piano but also drums, bells, and pipes that can imitate violins as well as woodwinds and horns. As MP3 players get smaller