melodica
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Happiness — playing melodica with Bojan
Roaring Lion had a three-hour practice in Yatala, at lead vocalist Glen’s church. (He’s the pastor! No wonder he has such stage presence, hey?) After we finished, I was packing up and could hear a melodica — what? Was I imagining it? I’m the only one that plays melodica in these parts! My good friend… Continue reading
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My Hohner Piano 27 melodica circa 1960 ❤️
I’ve been looking for this kind of melodica for ages — it’s the kind that Augustus Pablo played. Hohner piano 27 melodica – called piano because the earlier models had buttons rather than an actual keyboard. It has a very warm tone, not bright at all. I really want to play it in Roaring Lion… Continue reading
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My name is Joanna and I am a melodicaholic
Bottom to top: Suzuki Melodion M-32C, Suzuki Pro-37, Hammond Pro-44H. I just joined a Facebook group called Melodicaholics Anonymous! It’s a private group created by a lovely bunch of melodica officianados. The founder is lead member of the Los Angeles melodica band Monsters of Melodica. Lots of melodica info there, and pictures of vintage melodicas… Continue reading
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Baby’s got a new mouthpiece
I ordered a Suzuki melodica trumpet mouthpiece and it arrived yesterday. I didn’t like the original mouthpiece because I have to put it inside my mouth and sometimes it hits my teeth. I actually like to play with no mouthpiece, but am not sure if it’s an efficient use of breath. This mouthpiece feels great!… Continue reading
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Bath time for melodicas
My melodicas (Yamaha M-32C and Suzuki pro-37) are getting a bath! The guys at Melodica World encourage cleaning them out to prevent mould and fungus growth, which could lead to lung infections. It’s an excellent site for melodica enthusiasts 😊. I’ve had the Yamaha for 12 years and the Suzuki for 10. Haven’t looked at… Continue reading
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Celebrating the world Under This Sky!
It’s been a week since the 85-piece orchestra, that my Melodica and I were so lucky to be part of, performed in Under This Sky (UTS) on Aug 1 and 2 2015, out on the playing fields of Logan Brothers Rugby League Club. I intended to review Under This Sky until I realised that I… Continue reading
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UTS tech rehearsals. Brrr!
BRRR! Under This Sky (UTS) tech rehearsals into the cold night! The lights are blue, like our hands. Steve Francis plays a haunting bass clarinet solo in one of the early scenes in the show. Steve composed this piece in a songwriting workshop last year, and the QMF team sought him out and asked him… Continue reading
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And soon it begins…
So we had our first on-site orchestra rehearsal, on raised scaffolding with a backdrop of purple up-lit trees! Our orchestra pit (can it be a pit when it’s raised?) is in a massive field, with front-of-house on a smaller platform. Continue reading
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Festival pass and a t-shirt
I have festivals passes labelled MEDIA but this is the first which says ARTIST. Yay! Continue reading
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QMF “Under This Sky” is in 2 weeks! Go Melodica!
There is an overwhelming sense of community being part of this production. Under This Sky pulls people together for orchestra, choir, dance and drama. Everyone in it is from Logan, this thing is happening in my neighbourhood! Continue reading
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Orchestra rehearsal: awesome band and a touch of greatness
In this week’s orchestra rehearsal for the Queensland Music Festival “Under This Sky” event we were joined by music heavyweights. Continue reading
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Melodica: Jammin’ in da orchestra
It’s the second rehearsal of the Logan Orchestra, which performs Aug 1-2 as part of this year’s Queensland Music Festival (QMF). Continue reading
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Melodica goes to orchestra rehearsal!
Look at that! Scores for my beautiful melodica to play in a Queensland Music Festival orchestra in Logan! The pdfs arrived in my inbox a day before the first rehearsal. “You have arrived at your destination,” said my GPS, on the Brown Plains Road with trees everywhere and not a sports centre in sight. Aw… Continue reading
About Joanna
Joanna is British Australian. She worked mainly in financial news in London. In her forties she moved to her parents’ birthplace, Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. She became a pianist at the Jesselton Hotel in Kota Kinabalu and wrote a blog about musicians, which was popular among Sabahans at home and abroad. The blog was turned into a coffee table book when the Ministry of Tourism and Culture expressed interest. Joanna came to Australia in 2012. This is her second blog.
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