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Having just attended a choir rehearsal (principal tenor, since you ask) I have much sympathy with the overburdened conductor, who must simultaneously wave the stick, play the Joanna and turn the pages. One of these tasks can be taken from him by this simple innovation.
In its most trivial form,
the page turning music stand is implemented using a pedal, coupled to a series of levers and pulleys. This contrivance can probably be strapped on to existing stands. It would be suitable for situations where the feet were otherwise unoccupied (thus excluding organists and kick drummers), but may have disadvantages in orchestral environments, where the concerted stomping of the first violins during a quiet passage might disturb the audience.
A more advanced version, better suited to the atomic age, would operate thus:
A processor of some sort would view the page of music upon the stand, by means of a camera, and determine the musical structure specified therein. It would also listen to the music, using a microphone. Applying a few appropriate algorithms, it would determine when a page turn was necessary, and send a signal to a suitable mechanical or pneumatic actuator, which would effect the page turn.
The musician is thus relieved of the rude necessity of page turning, and may better concentrate on the euphonious pursuit of his art.
Automatic Page Turner
http://www.halfbake...tic_20Page_20Turner seems redundant with this idea by [YesMe] from Nov 2000 [krelnik, Oct 04 2004]
Smart Sheet Music
http://www.halfbake...art_20Sheet_20Music here's the idea UnaBubba mentioned, actually by [beauxeault] [krelnik, Oct 04 2004]
[link]
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nice, where can I buy one :)
I saw another solution to this at a Melbourne Symphony concert a while back.
Each player had an lcd screen which were all linked to a central computer. The central computer kept track of which page was on the player's screen, and where appropriate turned the pages for them. They could also advance the pages manually by touching the screen. The pages would stay in the advanced stage until the music caught up and would then resume the automatic turning.
Good for those 40 bar breaks that the oboe players are subject to. |
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Also eliminates embarrasing problem of dropping your music, picking it up quickly while shuffling everything around, making a lot of noise with the papers, and finally playing, only to discover you've got the pages out of order. |
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A slight modification to the device would administer a small electric shock to awaken the slumbering triangle player, who has 90 minutes of rest, but must play a single 'ting' towards the end of Mahlers 24th ('The Intolerable'). |
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