The Djembe

When I record the djembe, I record with a mic up top and a mic down at the bottom.  Here I have turned it into a stereo track with some live reverb. The bottom mic captures the bass sounds, and the top mic captures the subtle treble timbres.  For this example, I'm playing a Latin based rhythm quickly followed by an African beat. This drum has substantial sustain for it's size.  Today humidity has affected the drum a little bit.

Fantasy in C minor

Included in the standard repertoire of flutists the world over is the Fantasie by Gabriel Fauré, Op. 79.  It seems that the piece was not composed as a result of a flash of inspiration.  Paul Taffanel asked Gabriel for a piece suitable for his flute examination at the Paris Conservatoire.  I am not completely fond of every aspect of Fauré's Fantasie, but it does communicate a certain charm, and the story behind the composition of this piece is the

Inland Seagulls

The time of the deep mist is here again.  Fall is knocking on the door. Last year I went out on one of these misty days to take pictures, and I'll have you know that we are more than 30 mi in from the sea.  At the town square was a flock of seagulls, and as I approached they began to swirl in flight around me.  It was like being in a whirl wind.  I attempted to video tape