I found this video on a blog I read called open culture. I had heard a lot about these patterns, they are sometimes used in acoustic instrument making, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen it. These patterns called Chladni Patterns after Ernst Chladni who apparently invented this technique in the 1700′s.

The study of the visualization of sound is called Cymatics, here is an extract from an interesting article called Cymatics – The Art Of Sound by Katherine M.J. Osbourne.

“Cymatics and Music

Music is not a linear experience, it is four-dimensional. The sound is produce through the vibration of strings in roughly one dimension (the string has thickness). Surfaces and cavities (such as the body of a violin) vibrate in two and three dimensions. All the vibrations propagate in three dimensions through space. The air in a room filled with music is vibrating, and the shape and material of the walls also have resonant frequencies just as the instruments do. Cymatic visualization is used as a tool in acoustics to develop high quality instruments and sound systems. A movie theater outfitted with a THX or Dolby sound system has been optimized for a pleasurable aural experience by analyzing the building materials, placement of speakers, and other considerations.”

I find it very fascinating to be able to ‘see sound’. Even zooming in and seeing the wave-form representation in recording software is of endless entertainment to me. It amazes me the way something can be both so simple and so complex at the same time.

What do you think about visual representations of sound?

What is New Zealand Music Month?

According to the NZ history website …

New Zealand Music Month began in 2001. Each May, New Zealand music is showcased on radio and television and in live performances.

New Zealand Music Month aims to boost the visibility and success of New Zealand music. It was developed to support the New Zealand music industry by creating a commercially successful platform for local performers. In 2000 airtime for New Zealand music on commercial radio stations made up around 10% of programming. By 2005 this figure had increased to nearly 23%. The amount of New Zealand music sold increased from 5.45% of the total market in 2000 to over 10% by 2004.

Us NZers are lucky to have a whole month in celebration of NZ music! It’s not just about going out and buying a CD by a NZ musician though… Get out and go to gigs, learn an instrument, start a band or get your mates over for a jam. Tell your friends about your favorite NZ bands. Support, celebrate and enjoy NZ music.

My 5 favorite New Zealand bands/artists this May are…

1. Matt Thomas – I heard Matt’s song “Come back round” late one night on a drive home and just couldn’t get it out of my head for the rest of the trip. Love it

2. Battle Circus These guys are cool. I always seem to have their song “Send in the Clones” floating about in my MP3 player. I love the way they muck about with odd time signatures.

3. Plum Green I heard about Plum Green through a friend of mine, the production/recording on some of the songs is a little rough but the songs themselves are beautiful. My fav is “Below the Water”.

4. Infinite Flying Kick I love to see IFK play live! They’re fantastic My fav IFK song is “Sad Robot”.

5. Crash Test for Favorite Things I don’t believe I’ve been to one of their gigs yet, but I somehow ended up on their mailing list and after spending half a year deleting their spam I finally gave in and checked out there website – and there’s some really great music on it

There are heaps of great NZ bands, but I’ve just listed 5 for today so as not to overwhelm readers with a spectacular Spaghetti of links. I will list another 5 next week.

I have been dying to get a Piano for a while now, however with the stairs, and the tuning, and the space it just hasn’t proved practical. But I’ve been also needing a new MIDI controller Keyboard. Mine is only two octaves, and a few notes don’t work so good after the coffee incident… So I found a good medium point. A fairly decent digital Piano. I didn’t go overboard and get one with all the bells and whistles since I’m going to be using it with my computer anyway. It has a great Piano sound and feel, a USB port, and who needs anything else?

It has a GH3 Keyboard which has different weightings on the hammers, so the action is heavier in the lower end of the keyboard and lighter in the high end making it very realistic to play.

Within minutes of setting it up I found myself writing this piece. Apologies for my rusty playing – I haven’t lived with a piano since moving out of my parents house about ten years ago, so I have a lot of practicing to catch up on