Twenty, Part I

As far as Fridays go, today was wicked busy. So it's being divided into three parts.

Still no word from the bus company. I sent a follow-up email asking if there was any news.

Today was, strangely, a very busy day at work. We have several writing assignments due Monday; most of the writing was done yesterday, but we still need to revise them as a group. In addition, we had two meetings—one with our sponsors, to present our definition to them and figure out next steps, and another with both our advisors and our sponsors, to make sure everyone is on the same page.

We intended to get started on the writing right away, but we were sidetracked by an invitation to sit in on a music rehearsal. More specifically, a rehearsal where museum staff practiced playing Maori instruments. It was the kind of opportunity that no amount of work made worth passing up. Not only did we sit in, but they explained each instrument in detail, and even allowed us to play some of them.

There were three main categories of instruments. There were the ‘deep voice’ instruments, those played as you would play a trumpet. Conch shells were included in that category, as well as long tube-like instruments. As far as instruments go, they were simple and primitive, but incredible nonetheless. Different pitches were obtained merely through changes in breath and embouchure.

Then there were the higher-voiced instruments, a variety of kinds of flutes. What fascinated me most about them was that most of them had multiple ways of being played. The most basic flute was a hollow tube with a hole through the side near the middle of the length. It could be played at the end, like blowing across the top of a bottle; it could be played in the middle as you would play a flute; and it could be played from the other end like a bugle. There were no finger-holes; again, changes in pitch were all determined by adjustments to the mouth. They were about the length of my arm, but no two were exactly the same length, and as such no two had the same sound. These instruments aren’t meant to be played in an orchestra.

There were smaller flutes as well, and these ones did have finger holes, but they were only for the most advanced players. The basics were still achieved solely through breath and mouth control.

And then there were the wind instruments. There were bull-roarers, wood or bone disks attacked to a string that were spun through the air. Then there were smaller disks, with two holes in the middle and a circle of string put through the holes. The string was held on either side of the disk and wound up. By pulling on the string it could be unwound, and ridges in the disk would cause it to make sound. A wooden one sounded like the wind through trees; one made of a shell sounded like the ocean.

They let us use the wind instruments, and then had us play on the conch shells. The musician in me was overjoyed. I want to learn how to play the flutes, never mind the fact that I can’t make sound on a modern flute. I would love, so much, to go home with one of those instruments, but they cost more than I’ll ever be able to afford. But I think I can re-create one of the wind instruments, and I intend to try. As for the other ones… we’ll see.