Advisory from Boys
Talents and Presents
November 2012

Vibraphone

What is Vibraphone ?
Eh ... the latest cellular phone from Apple, perhaps.

No. It is Xylophone like instrument. Difference to the Xylophone is the a pedal.
With a pedal you lock and adjust the pads.
Just you do with the pedals of the piano.

+ + Music Sets + +
In the picture you see instruments
from randomly selected music set.

In top left there is Xylophone
  then comes tambourine.

In the second row there are castanets
  and sticks for playing the xylophone.

Recorder is in the last row.

In recommended instrument palette Tambourine can be replaced with drum, and castanets with maracas.

* * Songs As Christmas Present* *

Christmas is coming. Last year you published an interview about buying digital songs as presents. How does it go.
How does it go ?

We could talk about it again. For this edition from the site.
Okay. Who starts ?

Yes. Is it possible to buy a single digital song as Christmas present.
Yes. You can deliver single songs on memory card and on self burned CD. Full sized CD is slightly cheaper but far more bigger than cheapest memory cards / USB sticks. 

Possible to buy more than one favorite song from the wish list, and store all songs onto single memory card. One song takes less than 10 MB storage space. Smallest and cheapest new memory cards cost as much as one song. Just like USB sticks.

Then you put the card into enforced envelope or small enforced pack. 
With this system you can tag and pack digital songs just like all the other presents.

The  memory cards are rather strong. The enforcing carbon piece do not have to be very thick. If you do not have carbon, you pack the card without any support. Cards are so small, that they do not bend and get broke very easily. If there is something magnetic near the card, the magnetic field around magnetic object can empty the whole card. Enforcers on both sides helps you to prevent damages like that.

You just buy and download songs, and copy them onto memory card / USB stick. 
Before buying the song, you should check that the file can be copied. At least twice. Some files in some resellers are copyright protected so, that you cannot give them as physical, packed and tagged Christmas presents.

During Christmas season most of the music is bought on CD's and as whole albums.
Packing and giving process could be easier.

If you already have small used memory cards / USB sticks at home, the single songs are rather cheap presents to your friends.

Cameras and Video Cameras have used the cards over ten years. There are lots of used cards, which are no longer in use, in the world. You get a new bigger card every time you buy a new camera. Card readers in computers support almost all used card types. USB sticks are always compatible with all computers, which have USB connector.

+ + + +

First Christmas presents ever were hand made.
Mothers made rug-dolls. And fathers wooden toys in their workshop.

Jack. You said, that you prefer hand-made presents from bought presents.
Had a poor childhood. 

Ou. Your parents didn't have money to buy presents to you.
No. Presents and money were almost the only things I got. When I was young, I was always crying time and attention from them.

Nice to know, that someone has spent lots of time for making a present to you.

Very easy to buy an expensive present from the shop.
No extra charges from packing and tagging it either.

+ + Music Sets + +

Any toy instruments for the kids ?
Xylophones, Pianos and Guitars. Then there are toy-drums and Accordions.

If you were young, what would be your wish for the Santa.
Music Set.
With Xylophone and recorder.

What is recorder ?
It is very simple flute. You blow to the open end of the pipe. Then you open and close air outlet holes with your fingers.

Sets have all the best playable instruments. Almost all available sets have Xylophone. Then there is a drum, castanets or maracas ... 
... You remember that Central American musician from Remember Me ...
... and recorder.

The best fully playable instruments are so simple and cheap, that they are nowadays sold in sets. The official age recommendation for the sets is 1 to 5 years. 

The instruments in Music Sets are evergreens as toys and presents. Children have played with them for ages. From the set xylophone is usually the most liked instrument. It is to easy play ... with the sticks. You can play one octave with toy xylophone. The sound is nice.

They are also the most popular instruments children use and play.
Nothing can beat Teddy Bears, Dolls and Cars.

No. But amongst instruments they are the most liked.

In the web stores young European musicians are Role players and in United States young musicians are also know with a name Pretend player.

These instruments are used in real life music making, even the recorder ?
Yes. Wooden recorder has a voice of it's own. Very different from other flutes.

If you plan a career as singer, tambourine is the instrument you should be capable of playing. If your band for example plays instrumentals, you are often asked to play tambourine in the live performances.

+ + Castanets + +

Castanets are instruments for women.
Mostly. You need wooden castanets when you dance flamenco. You click the castanets at the same time you dance and move your body. 

Enchant men with dance and castanets. Circling around them ... look straight into the eyes ... and you know ... there you go.

Flamenco is a Spanish dance.
Castanets for elder women are small wooden artworks. Often bought as souvenirs.