生活点滴....

最近好像在拍电影，电影里面的情节一幕幕的现在眼前，非常的真实。在人生的旅途里面，你拍过都部电影，而哪一部又是你最喜欢，最精彩的呢？而对我来说，最精彩的莫过于最难掌握。对于每一件事其实表面看起来是你在掌握，但是，实际上并不是这样。每个人都很想掌握自己的人生，自己的生活，自己的决定，自己的目标，自己的柴米油盐，还有说不完的一切一切。要掌握这一切，最简单的而又每个人都在做的，那就是【安排】，【规划】，【计划】，与【人际】。当这些都做完的时候，你真的能够确保100%一点错漏都不会出现吗？当然，你可以说有安排好过没有安排，有计划好过没有计划。这是无可否认的。但是，你这样的说法已经证明了，你也是认同，其实很多事情是无法100%掌握的。

人生里面，有多少样事情是真的能够让你称心如意？事事顺利？得心应手？心想事成呢？当然，在一年里面，一定有几次是真的可以让你得心应手，心想事成。但是，这不表示是你很本领，你很有领导能力，你很聪明，你很本事。有很多看得到，和看不到的东西，都一一牵连在里面。因为我相信，谋事在人，成事在天。每一样发生的事情，都有原因，不会白白的，或是无端端的发生。在你无法掌握的时候，你会有什么反应？当然，在我看过的事件里，都是有一个共同点，那就是找人来骂，找个人来出气，找个人来赖，找个人来顶罪，找个人来指责。你会不会觉得这些都成为了你生活中的一部分？而你却没有发现，还每天沾沾自喜 ，越演越起劲，越骂越兴奋。你虽然现在有权利，有钱，又有地位，但是，当你这些都不属于你的时候，你觉得真正会听你说，听你骂的人有多少位？真正能够从内心里服从你的又有几位？

其实，你的每一个决定都是从自己的角度与看法来做准则，来做出发点。简单的说明就是为了自己的利益。其实为什么不换个角度来看事情？换个角度来解决事情，换个想法来达到彼此的共识？可能你已经习惯了这样的生活，这样的方式，这样的行为，让你无法看清楚你自己。我个人觉得，用自己的权威，势力，权力，还有地位来压迫人，这种人是没领导能力的人，因为你完全不懂得什么是德行，与德性。当你除去那些权威，势力，权力，还有地位，你真还能够凭什么来领导？你真的有领导能力吗？真相与假象，你分得清楚吗？最可笑的就是，你永远不会认为你有错，因为你只能够活在对待的世界里，不能够活在平等的世界里。

口琴叫音乐，其实是很简单的东西，那就是结合两者的表现让身边的人都能够听到美妙的音乐。但是，一旦加入了复杂的人类，那事情就变得很乱，变得很烦。这些本来不应该有的，都加入进来，那其实还能够纯吗？还会存在美妙吗？换来的只是一堆即假又不美的现象。这就是你要的东西。

母亲节快乐 Happy Mothers Day...

祝天下母亲都永远快乐，安康，幸福。 Best wish to all mothers in the world,well-being, and happiness...

你静静的成为我们的一份子了...

不知道什么时候，也不知道什么时间，你就是那么温柔的，不可思议的，成为我们的一份子了，我们都很开心，大家都很高兴。

因为你，我学会了承担，
因为你，我学会了坚强，
因为你，我学会了勇敢，
因为你，我学会了牺牲，
因为你，我学会了坚持，

还有很多很多说不完的喜悦与幸福，这一切的美妙都是上天的恩赐。感谢上天所带来的这一切，一切尽在不言中。。。

Judy's Harmonica Ensemble new EP Judy's Baroque

A whole new playing style and new experience for harmonica ensemble, Judy's Harmonica Ensemble has breakthrough again and has create a new direction for harmonica ensemble.

In their EP, there are 2 songs, there are selected from Johann Sebastian Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G and also George Frideric Handel - The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

They have put up some demo and after I have listen to it, I am so exciting. Because I never heard any others harmonica ensemble and play classical music like that. This EP really worth for the money and worth for collection. Here's the demo link that you can listen to their demo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCT8DGD98sk

NC 64 Concert Harmonica

As I have post this news in my previous post, now I got more information about this harmonica on it specification.

Technical Specifications NC 64

This instrument was developed over a period of four years in collaboration with Franz Chmel, the well-known harmonica soloist. The goal of the project was to construct a chromatic harmonica that would relieve the professional player of substantial amounts of maintenance work.

* Chromatic mouth harmonica
* tuned in C major
* Range: four octaves
* c-d4

Compared to the familiar classic harmonica, many elements of the NC 64 are of a completely new design, here described in detail:

Comb

* Made of hard plastic, entirely nontoxic.
* Color: black

Each air chamber has been individually lathed with a CNC machine.

On the upper side of the comb are raised strips that extend the length of each air chamber. These strips are custom-fit to join with the spark-eroded reed-plates. Between the reed-plates and the comb the instrument is completely airtight. The air chambers are larger than those found in conventional harmonicas.

Reeds

* Made of special rustproof high-grade steel

Fastened to the reed plate with hexagon sockets.
The reeds are conical and cut longitudinally in order to minimize the risk of breakage. The reeds' conical manufacture allows for precise custom measurement.

Valves

* Made of two-ply plastic laminate

Mouthpiece

* Made of gold-plated brass

Milled on a CNC machine.

Slider

* Made of chrome-plated brass with a break-proof slider knob.

Cover Plate

*Made of rustproof high-grade stainless steel, thickness 0.5 mm

Gold-plated on request.

All screws on this Chrom are of rustproof stainless steel

Cleaning: After removing the mouthpiece, let the harmonica soak for about two hours in a container filled with a soap-based detergent (suggested manufacturers provided on request), then rinse with clean water.

Firsthand test report on playing the NC 64 harmonica

In 2003 Mr Chmel business partner and friend Lutz Nölle, his son Bernd decided to develop a chrom that would handle well, would be capable of a wide dynamic range and -- our main goal -- would noticeably improve the durability of the reeds.

On the instruments that Mr Chmel have played until now, He have had to change up to six reeds and about ten valves every week.

In 2007, after many attempts with a wide variety of materials, They finally found a suitable material for the reeds.

We then developed a new process for the production of the reeds (they are cut lengthwise) and fitted them to the new reed plates, which we had already produced.

First sounds:

Fortunately everything seemed successful...except for the gapping, which was too small and difficult to adjust compared to what he was used to. Also, a few pitches required a different sound profile, because they were either too hard or too mellow. Since they were making and fine-tuning our own reeds, this problem was quickly solved.

The first tests:

He immediately noticed that despite its longer and stiffer reeds the NC 64 didn't require more breath, yet it still produced a larger sound.
His first rehearsal with pianist confirmed this impression. Without knowing that he was playing a new instrument, the pianist said to him right away, after they played the first piece, "you have a much bigger sound today. And above all your tone quality is so different....so much fuller and rounder!"

After 30 hours of practice time:

The second pleasant surprise: I didn't have to adjust the tuning of a single pitch...and not a single reed had broken!

After 60 hours of practice time:

Exactly as above!

After 100 hours of practice time:

As above :)

After 500 hours of practice time:

Unbelievable---but...no problems at all!!
Just the opposite in fact. The chrom was getting better and better (of course he was adapting to it, too).

Five hundred hours without any trouble -- Mr. Chmel'd never have dreamed it possible...but they 've continued testing...and so now he at about 1200 hours of playing and practice time! -- WITHOUT once having to adjust the tuning and NOT ONE reed has broken.

There remained only a small problem with the valves:

About a year ago they were provided with a material for the valves, which turned out to be ideal. After about 50 hours of playing these valves sometimes began to stick...but...they can be cleaned with a detergent solution even when the harmonica is STILL ASSEMBLED!
Take off the cover (not really necessary), put the entire chrom in lukewarm water dissolved with a bit of detergent, leave it overnight, take it out the next morning, rinse well with clean lukewarm water, let it dry a bit, and that's it...the valves are as good as new! They don't curl up.
So that was how we solved the valve problem. I've been playing with the new valves for nearly a year. I haven't once changed a SINGLE valve!!--just "rinsed" them a few times. :)

An evaluation using the criteria of all my previous harmonica tests:

Workmanship and quality of the individual parts:

All parts are individually made.
They are manufactured on high-quality CNC machines and electric discharge machines to our specifications.

For the CNC machines Bernd Nölle specially developed the necessary software programming. The construction of the the reed plates and air chambers allows for a hermetic seal and prevents assembly errors. The plates (2 mm and 0,9 mm) are made of high-quality hard brass and are gold-plated. The sizes and the bores for the reed mountings are spark-eroded for exactness. The reeds are made of extremely vibration-resistant stainless steel.

They are cut longitudinally and are individually screwed on (M 1.6 high-grade hexagonal socket scews). The air chambers are made of nontoxic plastic. The cover plate is made of stainless steel, either polished or gold-plated. The mouthpiece is milled from a single block of brass and is gold-plated. The slider is made of brass, spark-eroded and chrome-plated.

Quality of assembly:

Because of the precision of manufacture errors in assembly are practically impossible.

Ease of repair:

Basically, all parts are screwed on and easily replaced. However, this would only really be necessary after extremely heavy use, after at least 1200 hours of playing (which is where Mr Chmel now... and he still testing). Installing the reeds is a job only for really experienced experts, because the reeds are fitted to an accuracy of 0.02 mm. Caring for the slider is as with other instrument manufacturers.

Handling of the instrument through all octaves:

Even the lower registers can be played without the nose (with a bit of experience, naturally). The upper register plays easily, with EVERY pitch playing equally well.

Breath:

At full volume a bit more breath is certainly needed, but full volume on this instrument is quite a bit bigger than on other instruments. So: playing at a volume level comparable to other instruments uses a comparable amount of breath. Highest volume:

Sufficient for all situations :)

Lowest volume:

Depending on gapping, can be extremely soft.

Tone quality (subjective opinion):

Full sound, rich in overtones.

"Bending" capacity (subjective opinion):

Lends itself very well to "my" type of vibrato.

Durability of the reeds:

In his comparisons with other instruments (playing at the same volume, same amount of practice time, same repertoire), the reeds have now lasted forty times as long without breaking!! (And testing isn't even yet finished.)

Durability of the valves:

Can't yet really determine, because cleaning them is so easy, but at the moment certainly much greater than other valves.

Durability of the slider:

Basically the same as with other manufacturers, however cleaning can be done in an assembled state together with the valves!

Instrument feel (subjective opinion):

Not counting the instrument's somewhat greater height (30 mm vs. 26 mm) and the slightly longer slider (8.5 mm vs. 7 mm), playing this harmonica takes a bit getting used to. But once you have become familiar with it, chords, octaves and fast chromatic passages are no problem. This is of course Mr. Chmel subjective opinion, such as it affects his own playing technique.

General evaluation:

He don't think he would ever again play an instrument of any other manufacture :) The durability of the reeds and the valves are reason enough alone.

Suggestions for improvement:

With the NC 64 there may well be room for some improvement. And of course they will continue to research and test.