Vid Kid: Music To My Ears

Yeah. But. Wow you guys sound tough. Bob we're rehearsing for the big tech the family reunion. Do you want to join us. He can't. He doesn't know I have. I don't play an instrument. Oh yes. It's true I don't but I've always wanted to learn. Why did you go to watch. Oh it's buying out an older. Yeah maybe I'll pick up some point. Down everybody. This run it's all over again OK. Why. Harry. Oh I don't know about you big kids but I'm feeling a little left out. Kids I'm the only one of my family that doesn't know how to play a musical yesterday.

I wish I could go somewhere to learn how I. Know and love and sounds great. Musical instruments are everywhere. Want to come with me in the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Can I learn how to play the instrument there. Sure. I am boss. Eric. Cannot recreate what's good. Hey. Where's that coming right.

Now out of every 10. Let us switch hands. I'm Bob I want to refresh you Nathan said and this is my child. How does it make that beautiful toy. Well we were using one of these which is called The Good Old Mill sort of white yellow part here is yes of course there's a very very tiny defined hole. And they have grips and so when you run it across the string. And Leo what do you have here this is called the violin. That's sort of the baby of the string family. So it's not quite a baby since it was maybe one 1753 this violin is two hundred fifty years old. Absolutely. And how old are you. A little younger. Denise that's a beautiful cello. How old is he was born in 1870 in France. How do you know he was born in 1870. Well there's a label on the inside kind of like a birth certificate that tells me. But how do you know he's a he. I just kind of decided that myself. And since we spend a lot of

time together I've also named him they call us Nicholas the cello. We are the strings to me were all the same how do they make such different notes look closer. You see how thin this one is and how thick this oneness. Yes I think it's one makes the lower thinnest makes the higher. You can see even easier on my cello and the differences in the strings. Look at this one here. Yeah you can see that the bottom one here is really kind of fat. Oh in general the smaller something is or the thinner it is the higher it's going to sound whereas the bigger it is or fatter it is the law. The sound to moving your fingers up and down all over the strings What do you do that. Well if we didn't use our left hand we could only get four notes. And that's very nice Mike. You really can't play a whole lot of songs that way. So we use our left to. Change the

picture. No I just saw you move your fingers and then that last note. CORNISH I want to I don't the whole no not at all. We call that what it does is it changes the tone of the play one note without it and then I'll add it and you can hear what it does. How much warmer it makes it sound. Can you play on the violin. Sure let me show you. I love the brother because it makes the violin sound like the human voice. You see if I don't use it it will sound much more mechanical. And if I will add it it will suddenly sound like. And that's. How do you feel when you're playing the violin. Well that really depends on the piece that I'm playing.

I'm playing something slow sank. It will make you look weird to. Me. If I claim I have. I can just have fun. That's it I'm gonna feel fairly generous. Now. But it's going to take some practice. That. You know what I used to get to relive. A song. That. You know what I want to play it for

but I can't find them anywhere. But we do really. This book was so rude. Who do you think went through. Do you think that's a good idea. Just stop. Now where's that coming. Hi I'm Bob David tellme program time Bob the Vitex plan to ensure I think I know that instrument Charles that's my brother. If it's taken. Up with lessons. Tell me how do you get that beautiful sound by buzzing your lips. No that's not. That's an elephant or. Something like that. Something like that. It goes through the mouthpiece and goes into the lead pipe. Powers for the truth comes out though.

Any brass instrument is simply an amplifier for the sound here. Dan how is the tuba different from the truck. Well as you can see it's quite a bit larger than the truck but yeah it looks like a well fed. That's the reason it's larger is because it's longer and the reason it's longer is because it plays lower and with all these twists and turns I would think the sound would get lost most There's only one place for it to go. Starts Here goes. Right down the mountain just like everybody's instrument. How often does a trumpet player in a symphony orchestra have to practice for practice every day. Really how many hours a day. Oh probably about two even if you don't feel like it right. It helps you keep your muscles and. Your things disposed to do. Dan when did they invent the tube the tube came about in 1835 after the invention of the bow. Why is it called a tuba. For. The. Trolls understand it's been around a long time. Yes they have. They didn't start off as brass instruments they used animal horns and by cutting the small end off the Mounties would give us.

Good news for him he did the Cave men and women have orchestras back then. I don't know about orchestras but they use it for communication. They would signal each other good. But kind of a shell is that it's from the bag they would use just to signal that dinner was ready. I. Call this. Dinner is served. You can make your own morning home with some old garden hose. Make it any length of hose that you like put a finer one in the mouth on the other end. But your lips and you get a sound you know that looks like something used to water the garden. Well I do. That's it it's settled. I'm playing the garden. Bob why don't you give it a try. I can play the tuba.

And the tuba man. I get that a lot. And what's next for you in the spirit. Looks pretty good. During the course of the show couple gallons. Yeah. That's it. I'm going to be on the plane. Sorry not yet. You know we look for. I'm still trying to track him down but it's just not worth it. If you're groping for you. Think you should be able to. The signal from Bob to say don't give me. That. If Bob's not wearing his then guess what not to be able to find

others wounded would attribute their crazy green drill to be worth what it's gonna look we're going to lift it everywhere. Who put one of them do you think a failure for all we have to do is to tweak the yes to search for Bob and that will frequency. Whoa we froze over there here is. What's making that sound. That was beautiful high above the vintage actually but it's nice to meet you. Hi I'm Karen Smith Maine are two really unusual looking instruments. You know this is the bassoon I'm the lowest of the woodwind instruments. Why is this called a wooden one. Because it's made of wood.

And it's played with my breath. That's a very complicated looking instrument it's got all these kind of like silver squiggly things on them. What is horse. In her hand. Clarinet makes such a beautiful sound. Sounds made by. Vibration to produce the sound. Beverly does the receipt ever tickle you. Well not anymore but it used to be when I first started the clarinet. What made it stop tickling. I practice a lot. Hey oh you still take. The clarinet has one reed with fibroids against the mouthpiece the bassoon has to where they vibrate against each other to produce the sound. Now where are the two reasons there are very very small and fine and there are two sides. There you go. It feels funny and you'll have to buy. Let's follow the path of your

breath. Well it goes through the remark and into this half of the song which is called the wing joint. Wow. It's an instrument and it comes up and there was a vibration side of the boot joint and makes a U turn. The air comes up this side of the joint into the long joint. And it actually comes out the bell. Reve both the wing joint the boot joint the long joint and the bell. I'm the only one of my family who doesn't play an instrument what notes these are tone which you cover with your fingers. And these are cover holes which are at a greater distance away which you could never reach. So a key like this would operate something all the way down here. As we go lower and lower on the clarinet we add a finger and each finger that

you put down the sound that's the opposite is true when you raise a finger. Higher. How much would you have to practice. Well I practice at least an hour Dan. It's usually more than that usually two to three hours sometimes. How do you feel when you play. I feel happy. I really enjoy playing the clarinet. Play on the clarinet. So here's a read just for you Bob. Sure it's the waist and then put it on the end of the ball pull your lips over your teeth and blow. Hello I'm Bob. No other instrument has so many keys just for the thumb. Well I'm glad to hear that because. That's it.

I'm definitely playing the bassoon. I think I need some practice. That's very. Very. Hi Briana here. When I say so tap it right here. OK. I don't know why everyone is so worried about finding Bob. He's a big boy now. Well this morning we heard his feelings just that to someone you care about and he hasn't come back. Maybe I can at his room. This is serious. OK. We're finally really thank you Bob. You were worried about maybe just a little. Well you know it kind of comes and goes. It's located about. I don't like you.

And the drive was fun. That sounds loony. Wow cool instruments what I'm Bob. Hansell with percussionist. Why one of these qualities are called what blocks. I play one stick. By itself. That's not much. It sounds like a clock. I play two notes together. They sound like horses Holmes how does that happen. Somebody cuts out this hole right here. Pride block it like that. It sounds like you're hitting a table. Now we remove it. There's the sound. So the opening allows the sound to come through right. Anything you strike Bob is potentially a percussion instrument. Listen to this.

Hear a difference. Yes the the bigger one is lower and the smaller one is higher. The more wood to lower the sound. Would. Be higher. Now I only have good locks but some stomp a little bit older than I am. He gets to play many different by the way. Just like the wood block the lower the number. Why is percussion so important to the orchestra. Percussion is the heartbeat of the orchestra. It keeps the time. There is no tone you voice singing but there is a rhythm articulated. The music doesn't get too fast. Too slow it stays just right. When all of the percussion instruments provide the beat for the orchestra rhythm is the beat. That's a good way to put it. Wow that's the biggest drama I've ever seen what's of call the base jump off the lowest drum that we use in the symphony orchestra.

The snare drum has a high pitch has a smaller circle bass drum bigger circle bigger. And deeper sound. While they they kind of look and sound like the bass drum. They seem different. They are they're sort of a cross between a drum which I strike. And the xylophone which is pish. How do you change pitch on to modern to me have pedal. When the fellows are connected it goes around the plastic when I push the. Poles on the head and the pitch goes up. The pedal. The victim populace officials music director of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra

all day long of the morning about August. But I want to play them at the same time. Is there a way I could do that when I was a little girl I wanted to play all the instruments of the orchestra too. And then I figured out a way how to how you can become a conductor conductor What is a conductor. Well a conductor is the leader of an orchestra. With so many musicians on the stage they need someone to lead them. 174 175. Otherwise you wouldn't really have any music at all if they all just played when they wanted to. Play. Conductor is there to make sure that everyone starts on time and again on to. The. Finishes on time. And in between. Make sure that they're playing all the notes that the composer asked them to play. I see something that's called a baton It's French for stick as the orchestra got larger and larger it got harder to see the conductor stand.

So conductors use a stick so that everyone can make sure they know where the beat. SURPRISE FOR YOU. Your own baton. By top. OK Elizabeth where do we start. Well I'm in the process of rehearsing the overture to William Tell by Rossini. I think you'd actually. Conduct that quite well. First of all this is the score. Everybody's music is on each of these lines so I know exactly what everyone is playing and when they find it you can read all of that simultaneously that's why it takes so many years of study and you have to put all that into your head. Almost picture it in your imagination before you can even begin to conduct it as a conductor need to know. Well a conductor needs to know the tempo of the piece of music and that means how fast or how small the composer also tells us that he's organized the rhythm to be one to one. I think you're getting the idea. Keep practicing.

But. The One. Who we're really waiting woman who looks to do is pull this group sure. Looks cool. Still I don't see why we come here and see. What's been. Said before. Your. Movie didn't show why I want to introduce to you. A gentleman who is going to make his debut with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Please give a big hearty welcome to Bob. Jet that. Flew through all of this is going to be soo. So are you going to quote him able to throw the ball to York you think you need to mother fell hard.

Well Doctor you look Aaron good luck. Bob I want to thank you thank you one of their own aides through the outer ball could be Walker's group. Thank you Elizabeth I am a little nervous I must admit I've never conducted before. Give it my best even that began. Thank you. Oh. My God. I'm. Really. Do you. Anything. Anything. Anything.

You're. Right.

Will.

Will. Will Lead floor. To floor full. I want to thank you both Sure. Can't believe I forgot. I did it. Thank you for that exactly. Forfeit would have been shortened the war in. Syria. How many kids Bob back here at the Vic club. Wasn't that an incredible day. And it looks like everything worked out. Papa found this food's gone.

They've apologized for picking on me. Oh I'm sorry. And Briana has the band almost ready for the big family reunion. Very special thanks to all the incredibly talented musicians of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and their musical director Elizabeth shills for helping me learn about all the different sections of the orchestra and letting me know what we're about to start rehearsal. You want to give us money. Sure. Now that's too long.