Nao Nakazawa is an extraordinary film maker who has agreed to lend his imagination towards creating an instrument! Here is a link (http://vimeo.com/user2696976) to a little of his work - I'm a big fan of {X}.
Stringtotter?
post by Nao Nakazawa
To be honest, I'm not much of a carpenter and I'm a bit scared of power tools. So when I volunteered to make an instrument for Tim's CMT creates: music project, I wanted to make something simple that does not require too much sawing and nailing. This is no longer an option, because as I was brainstorming the instrument got more and more complicated and interesting.
The original idea was to make a ridiculously big string instrument. My concern with this is that although it would be big and ridiculous, it wouldn't be adding anything to the world of experimenting. So I thought about it for a little longer, like a month or so. One day, it came to me: since the instrument would be too big for just one person to play, it requires to be performed by at least two people. I thought, "Why not make this giant string instrument into a teeter totter!"
I researched online to see if it is possible for me to build a teeter totter string instrument. It seems like quite a lot of people have made their own teeter totters and blogged about it. I didn't know there were so many teeter totter enthusiasts out there. This guy, Homeless Dave in Ann Arbor, has an excellent website about his teeter totters and other cool stuff such as a bike powered washing machine: http://homelessdave.com/totterhome.htm.
The more I surfed the net, I realized it is not that hard to build, so it is time to get over my fear of carpentry and do this thing. After getting a little instruction from my housemate Sam on how to use power tools, I was ready. My first prototype is just the instrument part as I didn't want to build a whole teeter totter and then find out the instrument sounded horrible. So here it is:
And this is how it sounds:
This instrument part will be set on top of the teeter totter. One of the players will be at one end strumming, picking and bowing the strings and the other-end player picks the pitch and cords all the while going up and down on the teeter totter. It takes two to tango and to teeter totter. Playing this instrument is like having musical conversations and it requires you to pay attention to what your partner is doing in order to play good music. If you are a geeky couple, this could be the most romantic musical teeter totter experience you'll ever have.
Anyway, here are some parts that need improvements.
The box or the resonant chamber needs to be better. It has too much space between the walls. The top board is too thick - if I replace it with thinner one, I think it will sound better. I also feel like I could build something that's more aesthetically pleasing.
Here's the bridge. It needs to be higher so that when bowed, the bow doesn't hit the corner of the box. You can see the pickup microphone is between the bridge and the top board which works well, but picks up a lot of clunking sounds from the body of the instrument. I'm guessing that if instead I placed the mic on or in the bridge it would sound the strings more clearly. Maybe I should pick up a bridge for cello or double bass, but I'm afraid that will be expensive.
The tuning peg needs some better ideas too, I need to experiment more with this. Any suggestions? I also need to try other materials for the string. Right now, it's 40lb tested fishing line. I wanted something like 80lb tested line, but that's also expensive. Other ideas for the string are steel wire and tennis racket string. If you have any ideas for the string, please comment to let me know.
Lastly, as we were playing this instrument we came across a plastic ball with a bunch of holes and when we placed it on the string, it produced awesome sounds. There are so many ways to make sound out of this instrument and I certainly need to play more to find out other fun ways.
Oh, there's one more thing which is probably the most important issue. This little puppy needs an awesome name. Please let me know if you got one.
Thanks for reading!
CHARCOT MARIE TOOTH
Through this project I have recently come into contact with a great catalyst for CMT awareness, Gretchen Glick. I'll let her introduce herself through her post but can assure you she is someone who makes things happen. She has very kindly agreed for me to post two pieces of writing about her. The first was written by Susan Wheeler and describes a brief history of Gretchen's life with CMT. The second is by Gretchen herself and is an example of her current strength of mind. This is a link to a great online CMT resource that she both founded and runs: www.cmtushope.info (Tim)
Gretchen & CMTUS
post by Susan Wheeler with quotations by Gretchen Glick
CMT is the most commonly inherited form of peripheral neuropathy. Often referred to as a "family disease," CMT provides an element of emotional comfort within families that share affected genes. An unspoken connection exists, even if family members with CMT have died or are merely distant relatives. Since it's rare to meet strangers with CMT by chance, family ties may be the first and frequently--the only--hedge against isolation.
There is a small percentage of individuals with CMT where absolutely no genetic link can be found within their biological families; some of these individuals are adopted and are not privy to medical records. Others simply have no medical links. Though the percentages of such cases may be small, feelings of isolation are overwhelming for people in this rare category. Take it from Gretchen Glick someone who knows: "In some cases, individuals develop life-long addictions as a means to escape feelings of isolation or inner turmoil. It can be extremely difficult to sort through the haze of addiction and emotional darkness to re-create a life in which there is hope."
Now 57 (58 next month), Glick, has traveled an unusual path since her diagnosis of CMT at age nine. Clumsier than her friends, she recalls, "My feet always felt like they were burning, especially after hiking at summer camp. I'd be the first kid to eagerly jump into an icy cold stream, or should I say, fall into the stream." At that time, Glick walked outwardly on the left side of her left foot, and her right foot rolled inward, also to the left. This was corrected a year with surgical tendon transplants. Although surgery improved things physically, the real mystery was the origin of her CMT. Within her immediate family there was no genetic link. Neither parent had the disease, nor did her only brother, who was adopted and therefore excluded from the equation. Upon examination of her extended family, once again there were no apparent signs of CMT. The conclusion left Glick feeling like an outcast.
As a young woman she traveled the path of alcoholism until the age of twenty-seven. Now celebrating 31 years of sobriety she reflects, "I drank to ease the pain involved with CMT and my feelings of being alone and uncertain. After all, this was before computers, and finding information about CMT, or other people with the disease was almost impossible." This was something Glick would remember, and as fate would have it, she came full circle. Eventually, she created a Web site that informs and offers positive support for people with CMT.
Glick is outgoing by nature, and likes socializing with friends and having fun. Despite her ongoing inner struggle, she achieved a Master's Degree in Art History and went on to pursue an eclectic range of interests. She has worked as a Museum Curator, Public Relations Director, Nonprofit Fundraiser and in 1998, an independent travel agent specializing in eco-tourism. Glick has traveled all over the world, exploring destinations such as Australia, Central America and Europe, and readily offers firsthand advice to her clients. She lives in California, and enjoys what she calls "a balance of activity and couch time" as general fatigue is a daily battle. With her dog in tow, Glick likes to hike in the hills nearby and spends a fair bit of time in the garden.
To accommodate high arches and hammer toes, Glick wears custom orthotics to help stabilize her balance and ensure that her walking gait is heel-toe. "I'm a big fan of New Balance Shoes, even though I have to change my shoes three times a day." "Despite some muscle atrophy, my legs are pretty strong and I enjoy swimming, biking and snorkeling. I also have hand tremors which, thankfully, are very well controlled since I started first started taking the medication Elavin-Amitripytyline and now Symmetrel."
In 1999, Glick started CMTUS, an e-mail forum for people with CMT to share experiences and offer positive support to one another. Now in its fourth year, the membership is 600 strong, spanning 33 countries. She says proudly, "CMTUS has evolved to stand for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Universal Services, and our upbeat slogan for CMT is we 'Can Manage This!' Our goal is to increase awareness about CMT and offer support." Her organization has created informative Fact Sheets for both the medical profession and the general public. It has also linked with several neurology sites and to offer hundreds of useful links for people with CMT. "Through discussions we all learn a great deal from one another," she says.
Glick's goal for CMTUS is to move forward with upbeat and balanced steps, just as she has done with her CMT. "This is not a forum about being right or wrong," she says, "but instead a comfortable meeting place where like others can share and explore new and different ideas, one day at a time."
Music drives the devil away. (Martin Luther)
post by Gretchen Glick
How many times have we seen a movie and liked the music so much we went out and bought the sound track? It may have been classical music in the background, or country, western, jazz, or even rock music. Perhaps the music was soothing, or fun and spirited. It made us want to sing or dance. It was so good to listen to it made us feel good all over!
Music of many kinds can enrich the spirit, drive away our worries, and soothe tension. It's a gift we all can have as long as we can hear. And many who are hearing-impaired may still benefit from the rhythmic vibrations of music that are felt more than heard, but which can still be soothing.
My own experience with music helps me to meditate and focus on the NOW of the 'moment'. In doing so, I strengthen my emotional and spiritual life that sustain me as I continue living positive with CMT. The best music for this practice I have found is by Australian Richard Goldsworthy". (www.richardgoldsworthy.net)
When we take some time each day to stop and listen to music, we contribute to our physical well-being and our spiritual health. And we appreciate it when those who have the gift of making music share that gift with others. We may even find a music-making gift in ourselves that we can share and enjoy.
Affirmation: Today help me take time from the hectic part of my day and allow music to heal and refresh me.
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