One of our favorite days!  It combines ingenuity, design, art and music - it's nothing short of amazing and fun!

"It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.
– Johann Sebastian Bach

Well Mr. Bach, what if the instrument you’re working with doesn’t have keys? There are all sorts of instruments in the world, and most of them have keys or strings of some sort. But there are drums that lack both, and instruments like the Theremin that is uniquely bizarre in that to play the instrument, you do not touch the instrument. Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day encourages you to broaden your idea of what an instrument is.
History of Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day
The history of Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day is really just the history of the many types of instruments in the world today, and the less commonly known producers of that music. There are hundreds of instruments you’ve likely never heard of, things like the contrabass balalaika, easily the least unusual of the instruments you can research. It has a large triangular body and is either played with the fingers or leather plectrums.
Another odd type of instrument is the American Fotoplayer, a specific form of player piano that was designed to play out the sound effects during the 19th centuries silent movies. One of our personal favorite unique forms of instruments is the armonica, also known as the ‘bowl organ’ or ‘hydrocrystalophone’. It is an instrument comprised of glass bowls of varying sizes that produce different notes when friction is applied. Think of it as an automated crystal wine glass player. These are just some of the amazing Uncommon Instruments that you can learn about, and they come from a long history of musical tradition in various parts of the world.
How To Celebrate Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day
The easiest way to celebrate Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day is simply to take some time researching the many and varied instruments of the musical world. From the Singing Ringing Tree to the Gameleste, there are more instruments in the world than you can even begin to fathom. Uncommon Instrument Awareness Day encourages you to get out there and learn about them, who knows, you may even find an instrument that calls you to play it. So get out there and explore the musical world, and maybe find yourself a new hobby or passion, it’s high time the world had another high profile Holophonor player."

References: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/uncommon-instrument-awareness-day/

In order to perform well, many music educators schedule additional practices just prior to a concert. The increased strain on the voice of singers may actually produce the opposite of the desired effect on the quality of the performance according to a preliminary study published in the March/April 2017 issue of Journal of Singing. As in athletics, early preparation and then tapering rehearsal time as the concert approaches may result in increased vocal quality.

"The results of the current study suggest that a tapered rehearsal schedule may be beneficial for some performers in improving vocal quality, at least as measured by postperformance vocal function. The participant who derived the most benefit from the tapered schedule was an individual who exhibited significant tissue changes during the preperformance exam and thus required additional rest and healing time." (Gorham-Rowan, Paoletti, and Morris, 2017)

Researches studied choirs who tapered rehearsal time by ten percent (10%) each week, up to thirty percent (30%), for three weeks prior to the performance.  Additional research should be conducted to explore rehearsal duration and the correlating effects upon performance.

Praise Hymn Fashions is committed to providing excellence in fashion and service and sharing tips for excellence in the classroom and in life for educators.  We are an approved vendor in many school districts across the United States and proudly support schools and universities not only with our products, but also by giving back to the education community. To learn more about our children's concert apparel division, visit Ginger Snaps Apparel online.


References:
Gorham-Rowan, M., Paoletti, K., & Morris, R. (2017). Effect of a tapered rehearsal schedule on voice in choir singers. Journal of Singing, 73(4), 391-401. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1874694784?accountid=12085