Dad3353

Disclaimer : I have terrible taste.

Whatever is being used on that track is fine 'as is'. If that's with the 'megaphone' effect, keep it. Sorry for the confusion; it would have been more clear if we had one track with, another without.

It's fine as it is; there's enough character in the voice to carry it, right through to the end. It needs no gadget megaphone.

The voting is up, and can be found here ... (Yes, click on the link/image above ^^^^; it won't bite..! ...)

Welcome to the end of August, everyone..! We have yet another splendid crop of entries this month based on a photo provided by last month's winner... @lurksalot He offered some cryptic words of encouragement with the photo ... "Whilst a bit chill, it's almost like someone has stolen the fire from the sun... so maybe chilling..!" Here are the entries for this month, please vote for your favourite 3 ... 1 @Leonard Smalls ...a punky and slightly garbled musing on collective emotion and tribalism inspired by West Ham's theme tune..! 2 @Dad3353 ...Yet another doomed effort to get away. It's not to be; the next awakening N° 6 will be back, once more, on The Island ... 3 @AndyTravis ...A little bubble floats off on a summers day... Happy and growing into a big strong bubble; a bird spots it and swoops to pop it... Does it survive the chase..? 4 @xgsjx ... Alone & broken-hearted, he sees the demon in the sky that took his love away... 5 @Doctor J ... the greatest of all the bubbles was a chimpanzee. Join the King of Pop's ghost on his journey through the nine circles of hell, trying to find his old pal... 6 @lurksalot ... a race to the moon, to strip whatever minerals would make the most profit, and leave a transparent shell..! 7 @upside downer ...A strange tale of being pestered by an annoying git who, for some reason, wants to ruin your day... 8 @Nicko ... Age-Related Macular Degeneration - a progressive eye disease that my father suffered from which leads to loss of central vision... 9 @MoonBassAlpha ... I suddenly felt the urge this afternoon ... 10 @Wolfram ... An introspective, ambient piano theme to relax you as you lay on your back watching the bubbles drift by through the deep blue sky... Whittle your favourites down to 3 , then tick the boxes. A superb selection again, this month. Voting will close at midnight on 31st August.

For MoonBassAlpha, above ...

14 seconds. Couldn't get out fast enough.

As per usual, I have the month's picture on my PC's desktop, as a constant reminder, and potentially source d'inspiration. I've been 'had' twice, now, in reaching for my aerosol of fly-spray, or a tea-towel to flick away the pesky fly bird at top right of the photo.

I don't think that it's the dimensions the issue, but the material. A nut has to be pretty dense and hard-wearing, and the materials used for 3D printing are seldom either. Nylon, or ABS could be an option, and some industrial-type printers can print metals, but I don't think there's any domestic printer capable of printing the equivalent of a brass nut. Our Eldest solved the issue by asking our local butcher for an ox bone. It made a fine enough nut, but the process of cutting, filing and polishing turned him off ever doing that again, as the odour is very unpleasant. My recommendation would be to either make a nut from a piece of brass, or raise the slots in the present nut using superglue and baking powder, which sets to become a very hard substance.

Only in the US of A, I suppose. Elsewhere, they're a delicacy, especially in Northern UK.

Yes indeed..!

Are you sitting comfortably..? Then I'll begin... For several years I was part of the 3 elephants festival organisation. 2004, our 'top of the bill' was Keziah Jones (further anecdotes relating to that show..!). On one of the secondary stages, I followed, backstage, Meî Teï Shô; this was one of their 'numbers', and, just like the video above, had full participation from the packed marquee. I retained from this performance the riff on the bass, played by Boris Kulenovic. I was inspired by this bassline ten years later in composing my entry for the Composition Challenge, adding to the 7/4 beat a secondary 'doubling' of one note, in 6/4, so that it moves around as the rhythm advances. Here's what's left of that composition, with the picture that inspired it, chosen by Mike (Urb...)...

Despite the above ^^^^, I still maintain that it's a broad spectrum, and some folk get on with swapping over for certain things, others less so. Obviously, a sample of one as 'proof of concept' is not enough in itself, but I am right-handed for most things (writing, cutting vegetables etc...) and played drums from the outset right-handed. After a couple of years, and not feeling the progress I was wanting, I swapped the kit over (bass pedal on the left foot, hi-hat to my right...) and have never looked back. I peel potatoes 'righty', but, as the peeler has a two-edged blade, I often peel 'lefty', just so as to use the other half of the blade. In my model-making, I often have to use my scissors in the left hand, or use power tools held in the left hand. I agree that to force anyone, especially young children, to do things 'righty' is an abomination (our grand-son is a hard 'lefty'...), but would always encourage anyone to at least try stuff the other way round (yes, righty trying things out with their left hand, too...). I've no idea as to the statistical spread, but I would guess that, most folk fall into the 'bell curve', and that their are many that are ambidextrous, at least to some degree. Those at either end of this bell curve are, I would guess, more of a minority than the basic '10%' are left-handed'. That's all I'm suggesting.

Yes indeed. I've seen since looking hard after past debates on the subject, that it's possible to buy a left-handed piano, but I still stubbornly maintain that, except maybe for a very few hard-line cases, it's perfectly possible to play any instrument as right-handed (or I would prefer to say 'normal'...), especially if starting out on the instrument for the very first time. I know from personal experience. of hard 'lefties' playing 'normal' guitar (my own brother, for one of many...). I know also that it's controversial, and that there are some that will violently oppose the notion, even as far as claiming some sort of cabal or oppression, but, to me, the case is proven in seeing these huge formations mastering their 'normal' instruments. Maybe one has to start young, s'all..?

BBC Four, the National Youth Orchestra are playing right now some rather more contemporary pieces (Over 160 musicians; that's a lot, even for philharmonic orchestras..!). The key word is 'Youth'; there seems to be about an equal spread of men and women, giving a lie to the notion that women aren't interested in playing music. On another note: I've no way of knowing for sure, but statistically, they would be about 10% of left-handed players performing. I've not yet spotted a left-handed instrument, though. Interesting..? I think so...

When I'm composing, I'm not often using 'random' notes, looking for one that sounds good. I'm probably not thinking 'notes' at all, usually. I'm looking for motion, transition, joining melodies, arpeggios and sections. For this, amongst other 'tools' such as experience, feeling and luck, I would often call upon the Circle of Fifths to give me a connection. I may not use it, or I may listen to several directions offered by this; I may change tack completely, but it's useful to have this option. Indispensable..? Not at all, but it's an extra string to my bow, which I can use if I want.

See above ^^^^