Ambrym is a large basaltic volcano with a 12-km-wide caldera. It is not only one of the most active volcanoes of Vanuatu, but also in the world. Ambrym’s caldera is a wide, impressive moon-like landscape containing an ash plain, cut by innumerable erosion gullies and containing several active craters and recent lava flows.
The caldera is believed to have formed during a major plinian eruption with dacitic pyroclastic flows about 1900 years ago. Activity after the caldera formation was concentrated around two vents that have become large complex craters called Marum and Benbow. Often, both Marum and Benbow (as well as other craters) contain small lava lakes, which occasionally erupt lava flows onto the caldera floor, or even exit the caldera through erosion gaps.
To capture close-up footage of this lava lake on the Pacific island of Vanuatu, Geoff Mackley and his colleagues had to brave excruciating heat and some rather precarious-looking abseiling.
Buried in the pages of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous 15th century notebooks, amongst the sketches of flying machines, parachutes, diving suits, and armored tanks, was a curious idea for a musical instrument that merged the harpsichord and cello. The Italian Renaissance polymath referred to it as the viola organista. The general idea for the instrument was to correlate keyboard fingerwork with the sustained sound of a stringed instrument, but among the dozens of ideas pursued by the gifted artist and inventor, this was one he never explored further. Nearly 100 years would pass before an organist in Nuremberg would build the first functional bowed keyboard instrument, and many others would try throughout history to realize Da Vinci’s vision with various levels of success.
Now, after an estimated 5,000 hours of work over three years and nearly $10,000 invested in the project, Polish concert pianist Slawomir Zubrzycki has unveiled his own version of the viola organista. Not only is the new instrument gorgeous, it’s fully functional and Zubrzycki demonstrated it in public for the first time at the 5th International Royal Krakow Piano Festival a few weeks ago.
In 1946, Salvador Dalí collaborated with Walt Disney animators on Destino, a surrealist animation that was storyboarded but scrapped due to budgetary concerns. Destino wouldn't be finished until 2003, when Roy Disney resurrected the project. The project features music written by
Mexican songwriter Armando Dominguez and performed by Dora Luz. The 18
second original footage that is included in the finished product is the
segment with the two tortoises
Created in 2000, the Hang (pronounced "hung") is one of the younger musical instruments. It comes from Bern, Switzerland, and was created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer OF THE PANArt Company. It was the result of many years of research on the steel pan and many other resonating percussion instruments from around the world: Gong, Gamelan, Ghatam, drums, cowbells, MUSICAL Saw...
There are many Hang models with various MODES proposed by PANArt. However, since each Hang is tuned individually, you are encouraged - if so inspired - to design your own "tone circle". Thus you participate in the creation of an instrument that best meets your own creative needs. The PANArt firm through its various regional representatives can help you in this project.
In the Bernese language, Hang refers to the human hand, as in "hand-drum." This percussion instrument is comprised of two metal hemispheres bonded together: the DING side and the GU side. The DING side CONTAINS 8 tone fields which together form the "tone circle" (scale or mode). This circle surrounds a central dome, called the DING (which sounds like a Gong). On the GU side, there is a hand size hole (called the GU) for sound resonance. The GU can be played like an udu, or used to modulate the sound of the DING.
There are many ways to invite the Hang to sound: with fingertips, thumbs, and the heel of the palm - and a mix of all three. Most of the time, the Hang sits on the player's knees, but you also could play it on a drum stand. Players can let their hands and their feelings discover how to play. Indeed, there are no rules for playing except one: the joy of music!
http://www.hang-music.com/
about Halos from their website:
The first handpan made in the United States. We are proud to say that Halos are being made, and being played around the world, as you read this. The Halo is Pantheon Steel's addition to a new twenty-first century family of instruments and sound sculpture descended from the steel pan. It is a resonant steel instrument played by hand in the lap; it is designed to engage the body and mind of the player in a new way. Rich in timbre and very expressive, and with no "wrong" notes to play, the Halo is made for free improvisation and meditative exploration. There as many styles of Halo play as there are players.
The idea behind Awaken is that there is an ecosystem inside each of us which can awaken an ecosystem in nature. As far as the natural world and our own are becoming more and more disconnected there are parallels between human well being and nature. This remarkable animation by Doug Chang is a visual metaphor for the balance that can be struck when our own ecosystems and that of nature achieve a certain harmony.
...And if that has raised an eyebrow, then that’s as may be. Whatever the case what I am sure that you will agree with is the fact that this is a visually stunning piece made by an exceptional animator! - www.kuriositas.com
