Blog posts

• October 27, 2022 The Evolution of French Horn
  

  he modern orchestral brass French horn was an invention based on early hunting horns. Horns were first used as musical instruments during 16th century operas. During the 17th century, modifications to the bell end (larger and flared bells) of the horn were made and the cor de chasse, or French horn as the English called it was born.

• October 24, 2022 Recorders Galore - Just Arrived at Golden Music
  

  What are they made of?  Recorders are musical instruments that were originally made of wood, but today recorders made of resin are available.

  Wooden recorders have the timbre of rosewood, with emphasized gentle, sweet characteristics.  Ebony has a distinctive power and charm.
  Kingswood has elegance and sweetness even amid its strength.
  Castelo wood has a tone that expresses subtlety rather than strength.
  Maple has a sweet, clear sound, with an exquisite harmony, prominent when playing within an ensemble..

• October 23, 2022 Where Did 'Jazz,' the Word, Come From--America’s Classical Music?
  

  When it comes to the origin of the word “jazz,” it seems that each person simply believes what she or he wants to.

  Some would like the word to come from Africa, so they firmly believe the stories that support that. Others want it to be an African-American word, so they look for that. The word “jazz” probably derives from the slang word “jasm,”which originally meant energy, vitality, spirit, pep.

• October 22, 2022 Origins of the Violin - the Byzantine Lira
  The violin was first built in the early 16th century, in Italy. The earliest evidence for it's existence is in paintings by Gaudenzio Ferrari from the 1530s, though Ferrari's instruments had only three strings. The Academie musicale, a treatise written in 1556 by Philibert Jambe de Fer, gives a clear description of the violin family much as we know it today.