Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

It does not add a new sonority. The double-keyboard piano sounds like a piano, but with fuller chords and denser harmonies. Unlike an organ with additional stops and pipes or a harpsichord with separate strings for the second manual, the double-keyboard piano still has only one set of hammers and strings. And Mr. Taylor still has only 10 fingers.

But the two keyboards, one with the usual 88 notes, the other with only 76, lets him try some intriguing moves. The shorter keyboard plays notes an octave above the ones on the longer keyboard. Pressing a key on the shorter keyboard activates a mechanism inside the piano that pulls down the corresponding key on the lower keyboard, but an octave higher.

A few years ago, . . . I staged a tribute to Chuck and his incredible body of work, showing 15 of his greatest cartoons on the big screen as they were originally meant to be seen . . .

The interesting thing was that for weeks afterward, people told me how moved they were by "What's Opera, Doc?" Some had never seen it before. Others had seen it on TV, but absent the big screen and big sound, they had failed to fall under its spell. Seeing it that day, the way audiences first saw it in 1957, they were enthralled.

That's what makes "What's Opera, Doc?" the greatest cartoon ever, and that is why a piece of such grandeur will never be repeated.

Missouri Citizens for the Arts (MCA) is pleased to announce Mrs. Melanie Blunt, First Lady of the State of Missouri, as the 2007-2008 Honorary Chair of MCA, the state's only non-profit arts advocacy organization.

"The arts have an important and immeasurable impact on our culture and families," Mrs. Blunt said. "I believe the arts, in all media, enrich our lives and our perspective. I am honored to represent the Missouri Citizens for the Arts and pleased to join their efforts dedicated to public support of preserving and strengthening the state's arts industry."

Mrs. Blunt was chosen as an ambassador for the arts because of her love and support for the arts. Governor Matt Blunt and Mrs. Blunt's work to restore public funding for the arts in Missouri is essential. Their leadership and support has resulted in a $7.2 million increase in public funding for the arts over the past two years.

The Board of Directors of Missouri Citizens for the Arts and its citizen members throughout the state are honored to have the First Lady associated with the arts in Missouri. Missouri Citizens for the Arts looks forward to Mrs. Blunt's active participation in the organization.

According to Janette M. Lohman, President of the Board of Directors, "Mrs. Blunt's Chairmanship of our arts advocacy organization brings a deserving magnitude of attention to MCA and the important work we do to create a better quality of life for Missourians by fighting for public funding for the arts. MCA helps to distinguish Missouri's culture by uniting the hands of the citizens with government, business, and the art community to further the support and growth of arts and art education in our state. We are proud to have the First Lady associated with this important issue."

Founded in 1980, Missouri Citizens for the Arts is the statewide organization that promotes the whole of Missouri's art industry to the public and private sectors. This non-partisan, grassroots organization's work supports the arts by addressing public issues affecting the whole industry. By uniting members of the industry on issues of mutual concern and representing these concerns to elected officials and public agencies whose actions affect the industry, Missouri Citizens for the Arts seeks to secure a stable and growing base of public financial support for the arts and to ensure access to the arts for all Missourians.

With the exception of the wire strings, this instrument is entirely constructed out of LEGO parts--the keyboard, jacks, jack rack, jack rail, plectra, soundboard, bridge, hitch pins, tuning pins, wrestplank, nut, case, legs, lid, lid stick, and music stand are all built out of interlocking ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) plastic bricks and related pieces.

And is playable.

Specifications include a 1 x 8' disposition (single choir (one string per note), middle C corresponds to middle C on other instruments), single manual (one keyboard), 61 note range (5 octaves, C-c'''', A415), 6 x 3 ft. dimension, approximate 150 lbs. weight, and an estimated 100,000 LEGO piece count. The strings (brass gauges .012-.018 and steel gauges .008-.012) exert approximately 325 lbs. of tension.

It's taken two years of theorizing, designing, collecting parts, building, testing, and rebuilding. Originally, upon thinking about the potentials of making a LEGO musical instrument, I had hoped to reproduce a piano, but ditched the idea due to the enormous tension involved (40,000 lbs.)--there's a reason why pianos have steel frames.