Wednesday 14 November 2007

WHAT'S JACOB UP TO?


HANDS OFF THE BULLDOGS MATE! MARK O'MELEY, BRAITHE ANASTA, NATE MYLES AND NOW BIG WILLY! WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT? GET BACK TO MUSIC PRACTISE, BEFORE YOU COMPLETELY WRECK MY TEAM. I THOUGHT YOU WERE A FRIEND.

Monday 17 September 2007

Message from Ruud

Hello Julie Anne Dave and Jacob
Mrs Edith McNally would be very welcome to visit us. I can show her around at the school and the rehabilitation centre. The rehab and school are in one building. We have 200 children visiting our school. The students that follow the music program would love to play some music for her. So she is very welcome for a visit! I think it would be very interesting to exchange idea's, also I can say that our school Principal Jan Kraaienbrink would like to meet her too.
Is Jacob playing his first tunes?
I just finished these pages. It is a collection of song I use for playing with my students
http://freesheet.googlepages.com/simple is in the common musical notation
and http://freesheet.googlepages.com/ is that same collection in the easy to read musical notation that we use over here.
If you have troubles with finger position or the D and E let me know please.
Keep on rocking Jacob!
Ruud van der Wel

Sunday 16 September 2007

visit from Australia

Hello Ruud and all at Mybreathmymusic!
Hope you had a nice holiday Ruud.
We have been talking recently at Jacob's school about his WX5 and his friends in The Netherlands.
Ironically, the Principal from Jacob's High School, Mrs Edith McNally is travelling to your part of the world over the next few weeks and may call by to see you. She has visited our blogspot and if she gets the time will contact you Ruud and make a time to perhaps meet with some of the boys. She is fluent in Dutch and is very impressed with what you are doing in The Netherlands.

Tuesday 28 August 2007

HAPPY HOLIDAY RUUD


Have a very Happy Holiday Ruud,
best wishes
Julie-Anne and Jacob

Sunday 19 August 2007

Jacob and his WX5


Hi Guys,


Glad to hear you are recovering well from your op Dave.


There has been much noise and excitement at our house as (with the help of Dave's diagram and a look at the manuals) Jacob is now making sounds from his very own WX5 through his MU80. We are amazed by the versatility of the WX5 and have only just begun to explore it.

Jacob is struggling with postioning a little and feels some neck strain when playing but with the help of our friend Lisle who has custom made other equipment for Jacob we will be fine. Lisle has visited our blog and is confident he can make a supportive arm just like Avram's. He hopes to visit us this week.


Many thanks again to all that have made this happen...= )

Wednesday 8 August 2007

I'M BACK!

JULIE-ANNE!! I 'M GLAD YOU GOT THE POSTING THING HAPPENING. GOT OUT TODAY, AND GLAD TO BE HOME. HAVE YOU RECEIVED EVERYTHING? HAVE YOU ATTEMPTED TO GET THINGS WORKING?

JACOB!! MATE, MY COMPARITIVELY SMALL OP HAS GIVEN ME AN REAL INSIGHT TO WHAT YOU AND OTHER MD PATIENTS GO THROUGH WITH THE BACK SURGERY. I MET SOME NICE AND UNDERSTANDING NURSIES!

RUUD, I WILL BE OUT OF ACTION FOR A WHILE YET, SO I HOPE YOU CAN HELP JACOB FOR A WHILE

Thursday 2 August 2007

Our first post!!! We did it!!!

Here we go for our first posting to Jacob's blog....

This has been an amazing journey since my first email to Ruud at Mybreathmymusic in the Netherlands, not so long ago.
We have been blessed by meeting (though not always face to face) some truly special, kind and very talented people. Jacob is very close to joining the boys at mybreathmymusic in playing his very own WX-5. We have managed to pick up (with Dave's help) a Yamaha MU80 sound generator on e-bay at a good price and it is on its way to us by mail now. Two new pieces of equipment at our house that only 2months ago I had never heard of!

Dave was today admitted to hospital for a planned surgery on his back. He has been working very hard to have things set up for Jacob before going in.

We wish you a speedy recoveryDave.

Julie-Anne & Jacob

Sunday 29 July 2007

THE MYSTERY SOLVED?

RUUD, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM MY PREVIOUS POST, WE HAD A PROBLEM ON SATURDAY, TRYING TO GET JACOB TO PRODUCE A SOUND.
GOING BACK TO WHEN JACOB TRIED MY INSTRUMENT HE HAD NO PROBLEM MAKING SOUNDS, BUT WE WERE USING A YAMAHA MU80 SOUND MODULE. BEFORE I LEFT FOR JACOB'S PLACE ON SATURDAY, I TESTED THE NEW WX5, AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY.
THIS WAS WITH THE ROLAND SOUND CANVAS. I TOOK THESE ALONG TO JACOB'S, ONCE AGAIN THEY WORKED FOR ME, BUT NOT FOR JACOB. VERY STRANGE!
I ADJUSTED THE WIND GAIN AND ZERO TO THE MOST SENSITIVE BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. I TOOK THE INSTRUMENTS BACK HOME WITH ME, TO COMPARE WITH MY WX5 AND I CAN'T DETECT ANY DIFFERENCE. I THOUGHT THEN, THAT MAYBE THE ROLAND MODULE IS NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH? COULD THIS BE POSSIBLE? I HAVE RESET IT TO IT'S FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS, AND I CONNECTED A MIDI KEYBOARD
AND ADJUSTED THE VELOCITY. WILL THIS HELP? I SHOWED JACOB A HOW TO TONGUE HIS NOTES, HAVE YOU HAD A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WITH OTHER KIDS?
JACOB HAS PLENTY OF BREATH. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR IDEAS.

Saturday 28 July 2007

A BIT OF A BUMMER

I GUESS TODAY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A BIT OF A BUMMER.
WE GOT TOGETHER, WITH JACOB'S NEW INSTRUMENT, BUT IT DID'NT WORK!
BEFORE I CAME TO JACOB'S HOUSE, I TESTED THE NEW WX5 AND IT WORKED.
WHEN I ARRIVED AT JACOB'S, AND JACOB TRIED IT, IT DIDN'T WORK FOR HIM, BUT IT DID FOR ME. WE TRIED ALL ADJUSTMENTS FOR WIND VELOCITY AND GAIN, BUT TO NO AVAILE. I HAVE TAKEN JACOB'S INSTRUMENT HOME TO COMPARE WITH MINE. (JACOB PLAYED MINE AND HAD NO PROBLEM?) I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS ANY DIFFERENCE. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, IT WAS REALLY NICE TO MEET WITH JACOB, JULIE-ANNE, AND FAMILY AGAIN. I HOPE I CAN RESOLVE THIS BEFORE I GO TO HOSPITAL NEXT WEEK!

Friday 27 July 2007

WX5 MOUNTING BRACKET




AS THE PHOTOS SHOW, USING A CUT DOWN MICROPHONE STAND, I USED A LENGTH OF PVC PLUMBING PIPE, POP RIVETED INTO TO STAND. THE INSTRUMENT FITS NEATLY AND SECURELY, SAVING THE NEED TO DRILL HOLES IN THE INSTRUMENT. IT TOOK ONLY 30 MINUTES TO MAKE.

Tuesday 17 July 2007

JACOB'S WX5 IS HERE!

JACOB'S NEW WX5 HAS ARRIVED. NOW IT'S DOWN TO WORK, TO MODIFY THE INSTRUMENT AND SECURELY MOUNT IT TO THE STAND. AND THEN THE BALL IS IN JACOB'S COURT. I THINK HE WILL DO WELL AND ENJOY HIS MUSICAL JOURNEY.

Saturday 7 July 2007

Hiep hiep hoera!!!

Hello, Julie Jacob and Dave.
It is very special to see the photo's of Jacob and Dave meeting.
Dave did a really great job with the microphone stand and the arm rest he made to support Jacob's arm.
I wired the money to Steve Marchall so Dave will have the WX5 soon.
So we can say that our mission is a success and that Jacob will have his own instrument soon.

The persons who made this possible are in my heart for ever and I thank them all by mention them here.
First Ron Hiles, he lives in England, writes beautiful stories on http://www.morewriting.co.uk/user/150/
Ron donated 290 Euro (460 aus dollar) for Jacob.
The rest of the money was donated by mybreathmymusic I used the money from album sales of Michael Marks "king paper clowns"
Michael is a Singer songwriter from Whales, he donated this beautiful album to us. All sales are for us!
http://michaelmarks.nl/
and then there is Steve Marchall . Steve got us the WX5 for a dealer price and that is spectacular gift too!
He also paid the shipping. Steve build invented a trumpet wind controller http://www.morrisondigitaltrumpet.com/ check it out!
Also thanks to the people who responded on my call on the Yahoo wind controller group. All the information you send made this possible too!

And last but not least thanks to Dave and the parents of Jacob.
We made it happen and we did it together!

Ruud

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Sunday 1 July 2007

A COUPLE OF FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN MUSICIANS

JEFF ST JOHN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST ROCK SINGERS IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS

JIM CONWAY IS AUSTRALIA'S BEST BLUES HARMONICA PLAYER, BOTH THESE GUYS PERFORM REGULARLY.

Saturday 30 June 2007

Hello Julie Jacob and Dave

My first message. I hope Jacob has a wonderful birthday. Today was also a busy day for me.
I had a classical recording all day, I have a small recording business too.
www.audiorhoon.nl
It is great that you had such a nice meeting and wish I could have seen Jacob and Dave play.

I'll will send Steve Marchel the donation this week so Jacob will have his own instrument soon.

I'll be back soon.
Enjoy your weekend!

Ruud

SATURDAY 30 TH JUNE 2007

TODAY I, DAVE ,WENT TO JACOB'S HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
IT WAS A REALLY EXCITING THING FOR ME , TO MEET A WHOLE FAMILY AT THE SAME TIME, ALL FOCUSED ON JACOB'S INTEREST IN MUSIC.
JACOB SANG FOR ME DURING THE TIME WE WERE PLAYING WITH THE WX5. HIS MUM THOUGHT HE WAS PRETTY GOOD. I THOUGHT SHE WAS BIASED. WHEN I HEARD HIM, I WAS REALLY AMAZED! JACOB'S GOT A GREAT VOICE; GOOD INTONATION, AND A GOOD STYLE. I THINK HIS SINGING AND NOW HIS WIND SYNTH PLAYING WILL HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HIS LUNG FUNCTION. EQUALLY, I THINK THAT THIS NEW ASPECT IN HIS MUSIC, WILL HAVE A BIG INFLUENCE ON HIS CREATIVITY.
JACOB IS KEEN TO GO AHEAD WITH THE WX5 PROJECT, AND MYSELF AND JACOB'S FAMILY WILL SUPPORT HIS INTEREST.
WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP.