 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-04-04 00:31
It certainly is "heart-warming", showing what ingenuity and devotion can accomplish. I would suggest that some of the techniques for modifying/accommodating the [conventional] alto [others?] sax structure to the limited fingering requirements be "written-up" as one [or several] patent applications and filed in USPTO, for possible commercialization. Maybe a project for U of Neb. Law School patent training?? At least, please make record of inventor, dates, descriptions, conversions-to-practice, pics etc for future claim to invention. At the moment, watching OSU lose?? to GA Tech, I have been doing patent sub-class 84/382 searching re: clarinet bore pats, nothing new yet [AAR], but found a "velly-interesting" bass [etc?] cl structure patent, US 2,494,251 [Mason, NH, 1950], using "body structure" similar to bassoon ! It will take some careful reading of it and its references-cited for understanding/analysis. Will report, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-04-04 01:37
Thanks for the link. Very good to hear and it helps lift the spirits.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Tom A
Date: 2004-04-04 03:42
Anyone remember the old TV show "That's Incredible"? You'd have to be at least 30 to have any recollection. Anyway, being a primary school clarinet player at the time, this one stuck in my mind.
A jazz sax player had lost his arm (the left, I think) above the elbow. Not long after, he saw a demo of an electric prosthetic attachment which allowed the remainder of an amputee's arm to do certain actions. I don't remember exactly how. So he checked with the inventor of the device, who soon realised that the musician was interested in it in order to play his horn again. It wasn't suitable for that, but the inventor decided to adapt it for this purpose.
Picture this: The remaining upper arm goes into a plastic tube, with a little room to spare so the arm can move slightly in each direction. The tube is a little longer than the arm. At the bottom end of the tube are four electrical contacts, each with a wire leading to the musician's saxophone. By pushing his arm into the contacts, the various keys of the left hand were activated.
I suppose the contacts worked singly, and also if they were pressed two at a time. This would allow eight different manipulations of the left-hand keys, rather than the inadequate four if one contact worked only one key.
I remember the guy's performance being as good as it had been before the loss of the arm. He described it as being very slightly sluggish in response compared to normal playing, but he would get used to it.
Sound familiar to anyone?
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-04-04 04:00
Let's hear it for Yamaha, for their generous donation of two saxophones to get the build started.
That's Incredible was THAT long ago? Sheesh!
Regards,
John
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Author: Wes
Date: 2004-04-04 04:43
Hank!
That's a great story! Do you remember that Roland Kirk lost use of one of his arms in his later days, probably from a stroke. He continued performing, although his playing was mostly jazz.
Good Wishes!
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-04-04 11:17
Hi Wes,
I do not remember that story about Roland Kirk but I do remember him playing in my home town of Sandusky, OH in about 1956 or 1957 for a week's gig one summer. We were amazed at all the saxes that he had around his neck, a flute stuck in the bell of this tenor, and the fact that he could play several saxes, very well in harmony at the same time. RK's tenor playing was outstanding. All this from a blind sax player from Columbus, OH. We were so impressed.
HRL
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-04-04 14:30
Or think of the great guitarist Django Reinhardt. Already well-known in his early teens, he was badly burned in a fire at the age of 18. After his wounds healed, he was left with just the use of his index & middle fingers on his left hand.
He invented a new system of fingering that used just those fingers, and went on to join the pantheon of jazz guitar player "gods".
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Author: Jeff Forman
Date: 2004-04-04 17:59
Great story. I just did a search and found an almost 6 minute Real Player streaming video story oon it where you can hear him play the sax, and they talk to Jeff Stelling, the guy who built it. There is also some playing by the yourng Korean boy who lost his arm in a plane crash. Here is the site:
http://netdb.unl.edu/statewide/
Jeff
PS - it's the last story on this page. Scroll down and you'll find it.
Post Edited (2004-04-04 18:00)
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Author: ksclarinetgirl
Date: 2004-04-04 18:37
They (University of Nebraska-Kearney) are our main athletic rivals, and about 2 hours north of my school. I'll have to pop up there sometime and check it out!! Thanks for sharing, this is absolutely fascinating to me
Stephanie :o)
"Vita Brevis, Ars Longa"
Post Edited (2004-04-04 18:38)
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-04-04 22:42
Jeff,
Wonderful link and some great footage. This whole story should make us examine our own problems/challenges in a different light.
HRL
PS We have a lot of great people here in Nebraska.
Post Edited (2004-04-05 02:25)
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