#yes i know what bassoon is in other languages

[funyjuice]

these are some of the worst reeds i have ever played on 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 not even joking rn

[findafight]

Hey! Do you have any headcanons or ideas RE Mr & Mrs Buckley? (Or Mr & Mrs Harrington?)

I like to imagine that Robin’s parents have some suspicions that Robin *maybe* isn’t straight. Melissa *desperately* wants to say something, let Robin know that they love and accept her no matter what (when she finally does come Melissa’s like “You could become a cop or join the army and I’d still love you!”). Richard is very firm that they should leave it be and let Robin come to them if she’s ready.

This doesn’t stop Melissa from dropping hints, trying to prod Robin into opening up to her, but all Robin hears is “Mom is already scared I’m gonna die a spinster”.

This is part of the reason they’re wary of Steve when he starts hanging around. Like, he’s a nice enough boy - if they were sure that Robin liked boys, he’d be a lovely little son in law.

Oooh yes I love her parents I know the companion novels are only like. Half canon but greatest gift we got was Hippie Christmas. (I like to headcanon that Richard and Melissa have a bunch of friends who go by the names they choose in the 60s. Robin's got at least an aunt Periwinkle, and an uncle Salmon [goes by Sal for short!])

Mr. Buckley is the son of Italian immigrants and spoke it at home growing up, Mrs. Buckley was the daughter of French immigrants and did the same, which is how Robin first got her love of language speaking three different ones at home! Richard Buckley loves to cook and little chicklit Robin helped him with a special kitchen foot stool 🥺 and also he is very dad-shaped I think. Melissa probably is the one between the two to decide she's going to read war and peace in one sitting (original Russian optional) and make derisive noises at parts she doesn't like but won't elaborate on what happened. Also she is probably the one to play an instrument (maybe saxophone or bassoon?) There is at least one Buddha in the Buckley house.

I think her parents are supportive to the best of their abilities. Maybe they were in a really welcoming scene before Robin was born (also. Depending on when Robin was born [I've said she's a December 67 baby in a fic but I'm really not picky] she could be a summer of love baby and when she realised this she was horrified and refused to acknowledge it ever again lmao.) And so they pick up some...vibes when Robin was young and would moon over pretty teachers or princesses, give each other Significant Looks when she did.

Robin's line about her mom reminding her she rambles I think is just natural strain between parent and child, and possibly even her mom trying in an awkward and seemingly harsh way to protect her because Robin does have some clearly neurodivergent traits, which people can find off putting and she might be picked on for.

Love what you're putting down with Mrs. Buckley saying they'd always love her to show they'll stay by her if she comes out. But I think the delivery would be more. "Robin, we will always love you. Always..." Here she paused to think of something that isnt about being gay but would still convince Robin even if they thought it was bad they'd be there. "Even if you...decided you wanted to be a c-🤢 a cop. Or maybe even...🤢 Joined the🤮 military..." While Mr. Buckley is looking at his wife trying to charade to her that this is NOT a convincing speech!!

When they meet Steve and he and Robin are just hanging all over each other and bickering, and the Buckleys have to take a step back because did they get it wrong? They like Steve and he seems delighted to meet them and spend time with Robin and is so obviously fond of her... Of course people can like both but they were pretty sure Robin didn't...but her and Steve fit together so nicely.....except when Melissa brings up that it'd be perfectly alright for her to introduce Steve as her boyfriend Robin makes a gagging sound and screeches that he is her best friend and just because she sometimes want to crawl into his brain does not mean she ever wants to crawl into his pants.

Neither Melissa or Richard Buckley actually know what to do with that.

[ramonaflow]

Thanks for the tag @liamgallaghers ❤️

tea, coffee, or soda? It depends on the weather, black coffee if I'm cold and coke zero all other times

dogs or cats? Both! I generally prefer cats but my dogs are obviously the best!

can you play an instrument? The bassoon! Lol. It's been years though..

what’s your sun sign? Taurus

first song lyrics that pop into your head? It came like a wave. They came crashing over me. If I could breathe I could swim away. Moonlight by Death From Above 1979

do you have any tattoos? Yes, I have 7. Both feet, left wrist, right forearm, stomach, right shoulderblade and the back of my neck.

favorite place you’ve traveled? France.

what’s the last movie you watched? Bodies bodies bodies.

what languages do you speak? English. And I've just started learning French on Duolingo.

do you have any hobbies? Reading, writing, watching movies, walking.

you can hang out with one fictional character for an hour, who do you choose? Oh definitely Shoresy!

compliment yourself: Oh god, I don't know. I'm nice?

Tagging: @saraminia @flowertrigger @rainbowcoloredpalmtrees @reasonandfaithinharmony @beaiola 💖

[edengarden]

BNHA CONCERT BAND AU BC IM A NERD

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS OR HEADCANONS AKSJHD PLS ASK ME I LOVE BAND I LOVE MUSIC AND I LOVE THIS-

Izuku Midoriya:

Boy definitely plays a wind instrument. I’m assigning him clarinet

Wants to be first chair so bad, he practices so freaking much I swear

ALWAYS. IN. A. BAND. ROOM. with Iida and Uraraka. They’re always practicing

He’s so confused with music theory, please help him. He just,, WHY is it minor?? WHY IS THERE A SOLO WITH NOTHING WRITTEN?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE HAS TO IMPROVISE WITH THE CHORDS WRITTEN OVER THE BARS-

Ochako Uraraka:

ALTO SAXOPHONE-

She’s also comfortable enough to play 2nd or 3rd clarinet if needed, or even soprano saxophone

Doesn’t have her own instrument, she borrows from the school and she HATES the reeds, they’re crap. When someone gives her a good reed, she CHERISHES it.

In jazz band also! With the same instrument, but she doesn’t feel ready for solos so she’s usually 2nd or 3rd. Bro when she has to switch from swing to straight she ALWAYS forgets and it’s the band’s downfall.

Tenya Iida:

TRUMPET TRUMPET TRUMPET TRU-

And he’s one of THOSE trumpet players, by the way.

“Sir the French horns aren’t tuned” yeah, he has perfect pitch

Literally plays flight of the bumblebee as warm up. Or has his own warm up scales. Never practices right before practice though, he thinks it’s “too late” for that

Has his own trumpet, it’s silver with hints of gold/brass. Takes care of it RELIGIOUSLY.

He HATES having to blow out spit onto the floor, but dude what other choice do you have??

Momo Yaoyorozu:

Sweet angel 🥺🥺 she’s an oboe player

Definitely bought her own instrument

Sight reading MASTER. she instantly gets the key bro, it’s so rare that she forgets an incidental

Definitely leads sectionals all the time. And she does it WELL.

When people (*COUGH* BASSES*cough*) slowdown, she’ll sway to the beat in hopes that they’ll follow her

Kyoka Jirou:

Electric bass or contrabass, give her either and she’s good to go dude.

Also has perfect pitch and knows her music theory WAY more than a high school student should know. She’s a genius.

Her warm ups? Jam sessions with Hanta and Todoroki. She just shouts a key and they go. It’s usually jazz, she plays a pretty constant pattern, Todoroki tries to improvise but hanta takes over pretty quick-

Definitely in jazz band as well. Also in a school competition band (like singer and stuff), also a one-woman-band. She’s in so many bands dude.

Shouto Todoroki:

TENOR SAXOPHONE

Also has a background in flute bc his parents wanted him to have ~versatility~

Knows all the theory in his head, like he knows what’s going on, he just doesn’t know how to explain it

*false note* “sorry my instrument isn’t warmed up, it’s probably my reed”

Has plastic reeds. And reeds ESPECIALLY for jazz.

Oh yeah he’s in jazz band! Loves that he’s like, the only tenor saxophone so he gets all the solos

Rikidou Satou:

TUBA PLAYER IN DA HOUUUSSEEE

Buddy actually brings the tuba home to practice, he drags that thing AROUND.

Always. Slows. Down. But no one knows it’s his fault most of the time, they blame Sero-

Firmly believes in the “basses are the foundation of the orchestra” mindset, he’s so proud to be a bass

Kouji Kouda:

Soprano Saxophone, but can also handle clarinet if the need comes (he just loves the sound of soprano sax you guys)

DEFINITELY in jazz band, but as a Tenor Sax 2 bc he knows if he went as a soprano sax he probably would’ve gotten solos

Is it Momo’s oboe?? Is it Kouda’s soprano sax?? No one knows the different except those two and Jirou

Plays Shostakovich’s jazz suite no. 2 as a warm up

DEFINITELY A SWAYER. He just gets into the mood of the music and SWAYS.

Tooru Hagakure:

Flautist!! She chose it as an 11 y/o bc it was a girly instrument but she really likes it lol

A mediocre player, she spends most of warm up with Mina tho, she thinks that she’ll get to warm up when she’s playing bc I mean— no one hears the flutes

Wanted to main the picolo for the sole purpose that it’s an Ear Destroyer. Aizawa heard the mischief in her voice and said no.

Sight reading?? What’s that?? She has no idea what’s going on, she just pretends to play and when she’s comfortable with the melody, she’ll just step in. NEVER notices key changes and signatures.

Yuuga Aoyama:

LASKHDSJ FLAUTIST!! Also clarinetist. He loves being able to stay where he is during practice even though he changes instruments it’s sort of funny

His cheeks get SO SORE when he plays clarinet though and he WILL complain.

“My flute is so heavy!” Kind of guy.

Definitely has his own instruments and takes GREAT care of them.

Wetting his reed with his saliva?? No, he plops it in a glass of water instead (the reeds are definitely his own, and expensive)

Tsuyu Asui:

Trombone gang bro.

Positions are burnt into her brain dude she’ll never go out of tune.

SO SMOOTH. SOOOO SMOOO- dude she plays so well?? It’s never spitty, but during jazz (yes she’s in jazz), if it’s a moody piece she KNOWS how to make it juuussssttt airy enough to be beautiful

Not that good with fast songs, but she makes up for her amazing ass vibrato and her range. GOD-LIKE RANGE.

Mashirao Ojirou:

FRENCH HORN!!!

Omg he plays like a king. And he’s so proud of being the ONLY one playing French horn, but there is PRESSURE, because a French horn is rlly tricky to tune dude. Have you SEEN it??

Always keeps his mouthpiece with him, as if he’s afraid someone will play his instrument?? Like no dude it’s good in it’s case but you do you I guess

He doesn’t stand out that much, but in the majestic pieces where he has a 5 measure solo?? He gives it his all and he pulls it OFF. Those moments are always the highlight of the piece

Mezou Shouji:

Bass clarinet!!

Once he managed to growl through bass clarinet and literally ALL the saxophone players were jealous AS FUCK

Buddy goes to a low E♭ like it’s nothing?? And then he goes up to like a high high C and you’re sitting there like THE FUCKING RANGE-

His warmups are like, quick scales and arpeggios. Bro he’s so steady when he plays and he could play for HOURS. Sore cheeks?? Don’t know her.

He so proud of being a bass clarinetist, but when he saw an octobass clarinet?? Aizawa better order one of those for him RIGHT. NOW.

Fumikage Tokoyami:

Baritone saxophone. Also lowkey really wants to learn bassoon because it’s such an old instrument

SKSKS he and Shouji sit next to each other, Tokoyami loves to read off of Shouji’s partition and create the WORST fourths you’ll ever hear. Even Midoriya told them to shut the fuck up once

In jazz band too!! Still plays bari sax

Such,, a good,, sound. So,, meaty,, and full,, and HOT. Bari sax is HOT!!

Plays moanin’s intro as a warm up. Search up the song. It’s bomb.

He loves to figure out new sounds with his bari sax. The Too Many Zooz type of sounds

Hitoshi Shinsou:

PERCUSSIONIST. Especially loves the bells, timpani, vibraphone and marimba.

He’s in the back judging EVERYONE. It’s so great for him, he gets to stand there and cringe and no one will know

Totally able to play 4 mallets like the king he is

Surprisingly enough, he’s rlly good in music theory. Like he could probably compose or transpose something no problem

Aizawa’s favourite, of course. Will ask him to sit in front while they play and circle the parts where he thinks something sounds off

Now that we’ve talked about the NORMAL band kids, I present to you,,, the gremlin band kids

Mina Ashido:

Percussionist as well!! She loves snares but you’ll see her pick up castagnettes even if y’all are playing something like Gymnopédie no. 3 she’s a bit confused but she got the spirit.

CANNOT READ SHEET MUSIC. Like notes?? No. She can do beats, just not notes. Let Shinsou figure out the ancient languages dude

Her and Hagakure don’t warm up, they just gossip together.

Did this to Bakugou more than once

SHE DROPPED SO MUCH EQUIPMENT LIKE HOW DID SHE NOT BREAK ANYTHING YET??

Denki Kaminari:

TRUMPET.

Buddy AIMS to have his spit land on someone sitting in front of him (rip Todoroki and Uraraka)

Thinks he’s cool because he plays trumpet, but he always loses count. God forbid Iida cant show up to practice because Kaminari will die

“Where are we? What are we doing? Which piece are we doing? Where are we starting?” Oh my god he’s so lost can SOMEONE please help him

Always gets in trouble during band camps dude. He and Sero are the Bad Brass duo

Eijirou Kirishima:

EUPHONIUM BABEY!! He thinks it’s so cool and he’ll get so insulted if someone calls it a “mini tuba”

DONT GIVE HIM SHEET MUSIC IN BASS CLEF HE HATES IT PLS JUST TREBLE CLEF

So!! Protective of his euphonium. His name is Johnny, by the way. He named his instrument.

When they finish practicing a piece, he’s the first to give feedback. Usually it’s good, like praises for classmates he heard and thought were really good!!

He’s so sweet. Willing to help others during practice and sectionals too!! It’s so sad that he’s literally on the other side of the room bc KAMINARI NEEDS HIS HELP-

Katsuki Bakugou:

Hehehe he’s a flautist. I’ve stood by this headcanon for like two years.

And he wants to be THE BEST. You never knew growling could be done through a flute until you met Bakugou.

CANNOT STAND slow pieces. He wants to go all out all the time, he always speeds up when the tempo’s slow.

Also in jazz band with what? Flute. Yeah, this is George Benson Time.

Will hit you with his flute if you ever think badly of him for playing flute. He’ll defend flute ‘till he dies.

Hanta Sero:

TROMBONIST!!! TROMBONE BABEY.

Will be so happy if he’s in charge of bass trombone?? Like yay??

Always wants to hit Bakugou’s head while playing.

Bro his playing style?? You know the like, lazy-ish trombone playing? But it’s just so full and smooth and heavy anyways? That type of shit.

In jazz band, he’s actually a natural at jazz, doesn’t practice that much so he’s like not even in a good position, buddy just slouches and sight reads.

I love Hanta sm guys I could talk abt trombonist!Hanta forever

[vergilboyfriend]

You should do all of them questions and 90 is true

I love you!!!!

1. Favorite instrument?

I work at a music store u can’t just ask me this. When my coworkers play it’s the saxophone or the flute, when the boys in the repair shop are testing repairs and they harmonize with each other or try to outplay one another it’s the bassoon or the trombone or whatever they’re fixing at the moment. When I hear 🎺 give his lesson on Wednesday afternoons it’s the trumpet, and when I think about middle school it’s the clarinet, the flute, the French horn. When I hear the nutcracker pas des deux is the oboe and when I hear edith piaf l’accordeoniste it’s the remarkable human voice. Really my favorite instrument is all of them, it just depends.

2. Favorite fic trope? Mutual pining 🥺

3. Sport you played for the longest amount of time? LMAO I wasn’t a sporty kid but I did ballet

4. Shoe size? 10-11

5. Most recent (good) dream? Uhh I had a dream last night about my coworker 🎹 it wasn’t bad though I can’t really remember what it was about

6. Last person in your DMs? smugg

7. Can you do a handstand? Nooo nooo lmaoo nooooo

8. Unpopular food opinion I don’t like oranges or red meat

9. Conspiracy you believe in? There’s some kind of weird weather dome in my hometown around the military base that makes most storms pass around us

10. Is your hair its natural color/style? Most of it is I dyed the bottom layer of my hair tho so it’s blonde rn

11. state a useless fact all that’s coming to mind is outright lies rn hold on. The inventor of pringles is buried in a pringles can that’s so fucking nasty omg

12. most interesting gossip you’ve heard? Idk I don’t really care for gossip uhhhh have u heard tho rin dippindogs is a huge gay hah she uhh she like men AND women lmao gaaay gaaaay

13. Middle name? Carolyn

14. Sexuality? Bisexual

15. Amount of sleep you got last night? Idk actually I think like 9-10 hrs tho I slept in until 11

16. Opinion on ice cream cake? Tasty!!!

17. Opinion on (cup)cake frosting? It’s depends buttercream is usually too sweet for me in large amounts so I prefer whipped cream frosting

18. Last board game you played? Idk??? We played hunt a killer tho last Thursday me n my family I guess that counts kinda

19. Project you want to start? I need ideas first baby

20. Project you’re working on right now? HAHAHAHAHAHA

21. TV show you’re watching? nothing rn I just rewatch bojack a lot if I watch anything

22. Last movie you watched? Lego batman I think

23. Ever left anon hate? Not legit hate

24. Ever left anon love? Yes all the time. Sometimes to strangers it’s my favorite thing to do

25. Best Disney movie? The princess and the frog

26. Best Pixar movie? Soul or Up I can’t decide

27. Best Star Wars? Um. Empire strikes back

28. Last thing you consumed? Fuit gumy

29. NoTP? Idk I don’t really hate ships unless they’re gross like pedophilic gross

30. story behind your (nick)name? When I was a fetus my great grandfather had a dream that my name should be Carolyn Marie but my parents were huge dweebs so they named me Marina after the actress of Deanna Troi in Star Trek. Idk about my nickname ive just always been Rina/Rin as long as I can remember

31. ice cream order? Lately it’s lemon sorbetto I know it’s SO high in sugar but I love it

32. describe your blog in <5 words I love you

33. how many blogs do you follow? 436

34. Describe your voice it depends usually I sound like a sick child but my customer service voice is really pleasant

35. Describe your smile it’s cute :)

36. What is the place you live known for? LMAOOO LMAO we have a military base nearby and like. I could go on abt that one but also like. There’s a lot of gang violence and a lot of the other consequences of poverty. People from the cities around us see us as “””ghetto””” or violent but it’s just. It’s more than that it’s always more than that. And idk what else there’s nothing really particularly special about this town except that we’re all here and not anywhere else

37. What is the place you’re originally from known for? (if they’re different)

38. pronouns? she/any idc

39. Languages you speak? English

40. first friend you made through tumblr? Idk. I probably don’t talk to them anymore :(

41. Person on tumblr you know in real life? my brother

42. First dog breed you think of shih tzu I have 2 next to me rn

43. room wall color? Purble!!!! The paint color is called grape juice that’s why I picked it!!!

44. Song that’s stuck in your head right now? It’s tricky to rock a rhyme to rock a rhyme that’s right on time it’s trickyyyyy

45. Favorite number? 5, 34

46. Color you associate with your name? Red

47. Favorite jolly rancher flavor?watermelon

48. Pets? 2 dogs rocket and groot and 4 cats loki danni who r from the same litter and we raised from kittens, miss kitty who we adopted from a shelter after my boy blue moon passed away and ben (his real name is Kylo Ren thanks to my mom but I refuse to call him that) he is my little baby and he has 7 toes on his front paws

49. Collections? Hot wheels

50. Character outside of your fandom you’d marry? Girl what lmaooo idk

51. Character outside of your fandom you’d kill? That’s mean :(

52. Have you met any celebrities? NO thank god id have to kill on sight

53. Favorite time period in history? Itslian Renaissance & Romantic Era

54. What time is it right now? 2:35 am oops

55. History or future? Future but like . A good one. Or prehistory

56. Space or ocean? Space

57. Fears? Abandonment

58. Command + v and post. It’s this list of questions u don’t want that

59. Favorite season? Spring

60. Describe your aesthetic. Messy just a mess, neon and old buildings and things, antiques, countryside if there weren’t so many trump pence flags still lmaoo give uppp give up, nature just al of nature and space and places humans can’t touch and places they used to touch but can’t anymore

61. MBTI? Infp but I haven’t taken it in a few years

62. What’s your relationship with your family like? Normal.

63. “Biggest fan” in your tumblr activity? I’m in mobile hold on acc to tumblr it’s akky

64. Favorite musical? Sweeney todd

65. Comfort book? Idk how to read 💔💔💔 wuthering heights tho

66. Comfort movie? Whisper of the heart

67. OTP? Girl idk

68. BroTP? Joey and Tristan yugioh

69. AUs or canon compliant? Canon ig idk

70. Opinion on the person who’s sending the ask? It’s an anon!! But I love them

71. FMK + 3 characters anon didnt leave any characters and I was going to say something very bad but I won’t

72. Dream date? I’ve wanted to do this for a while but ideally it would be after we’d been together a while maybe even engaged or whatever, I wanna go to like a Home Depot or a furniture store and pretend to be married and looking for house paints and furniture and plan what our home is going to look like I wanna do that so bad. But idk for a first/early relationship date i really want to go to the zilker botanical garden it’s one of my favorite places, we could also go to the natural gardener which is a plant nursery in Austin I really love it there too and it’s not that far from zilker.

73. Relationship status? Single

74. Ever dyed your hair? Do you plan to? Yes and perhaps. Maybe

75. Dream job/career? Idk anymore I used to have big girl goals and I haven’t had any in a while. But when I was younger I wanted to be a game warden

76. Favorite band/singer? Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

77. Something that makes you soft/that you find adorable? My cats

78. The first thing you would do if you won the lottery? Buy a house

79. Are you superstitious? Yes

80. Character you project onto? Shizuku tsukishima

81. Fictional character you’ve had a crush on? Vergil devil may cry. Forever husband

82. Celebrity crush? LMAO

83. Person on here you’d date? my mutuals

84. Person on here you’d marry? 🥺 my mutuals

85. Person on here you’d throw into the void? Smugg

86. Other social media you have? I’ve got a photography insta that I barely use and a Twitter that’s just nintendo switch screenies that’s it

87. Finish the sentence: Due to personal reasons, ___________i will be passing away

88. Bad habit? I find it rlly hard to say no or like to say when and why I’m upset I don’t feel like for the latter I don’t feel like I should bring something that’s upsetting me up because I know I’ll get over it on my own and I don’t really trust myself to be upset about rational things. Idk I’m working on it

89. Three things you like about yourself? I’m hot, I’m kind, I’m resilient

90. Ily and you deserve the world I love you!!!!! YOU deserve it too!!!

[caladhel-iarian]

About the Player

ABOUT THE PLAYER

NICKNAME.

As this graph clearly shows, I’ll answer to almost anything.

REAL NAME.

Hi, I’m Ren.

ZODIAC. Capricorn. If you go by the Gregorian calendar, I’m a Fire Tiger. If you go by the Chinese calendar, I’m a Wood Ox.

HEIGHT. 5′4″. 

WHAT TIME IS IT? 9:37P.

FAVORITE MUSICIANS / GROUPS. I like visual kei, but I’ll listen to almost anything once. Except K-pop. I don’t like K-pop.

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM.   I know sports teams about as well as I know how to do calculus. And I failed math in high school. Twice.

OTHER BLOGS.  @calaglin-iarian​ @calabren-iarian​ @discordias-apple​

DO I GET ASKS? Yes, and I’m grateful for every single one that pops into the inbox. Even if I’m a bit behind on answering them. I don’t delete any asks. If you send something to any of my characters, rest assured they will answer it. Eventually.

HOW MANY BLOGS DO I FOLLOW? 880 on Dhel’s blog.  

TUMBLR CRUSHES.  I... don’t really have any? If I follow you, it’s because I want to read your work. And likely, I want to be friends with you.

LUCKY NUMBER.  5, 8, 13. 

WHAT AM I WEARING RIGHT NOW?

DREAM VACATION. Anywhere with good food and plenty of architecture so I can get reference material for comic making. But my top choice would probably be Greece.

DREAM CAR.  My feet. I’d like to live in a place where I don’t need a car to get where I want to go.

FAVORITE FOOD. Mediterranean. Japanese. Korean. Indian. Cajun. If it’s fermented/pickled, I probably like it. Except natto. That shit can fall off the face of the earth. I am the sort of person who drinks pickle brine from the jar.

DRINK OF CHOICE.  Water. Hot herbal tea. Grapefruit juice.

LANGUAGES. English. Some French. Still learning Japanese and I’d like to learn Russian.

INSTRUMENTS.   To play? Piano, bassoon, French horn, and guitar. To listen to? Guitar, erhu, koto, French horn/brass sections, drumlines, piano and violin, string quartets.

CELEBRITY CRUSHES.  I know precious little about celebrities. When I look at people and find them attractive, it’s not that I am attracted to them so much as they have something--a look, a personality trait, a style--that I want for myself. And right now, at the top of that list is this person. I wish I had her aesthetic and stage presence.

RANDOM FACT.  Water is wet. If you had a bathtub big enough to hold it, Saturn would float in it. When people tell me they’re intimidated by me, I don’t see that as a compliment; I see it as a barrier I don’t quite know how to cross to make friends. It doesn’t sound like, “You’re so good at stuff!” It sounds like, “I’m worried your standards are insanely high and I’ll never meet them, so I’m afraid to talk to you.” Truth is, I’m just as scared of anyone who finds me intimidating as they claim to be of me. And the only one who will never meet my standards is me.

TAGGED BY. @lady-duskveil​ - Thank you for the tag! I appreciate your thinking of me!

TAGGING.@dae-shadowvale @veleanthe @safrona-shadowsun @nyyght @kolabooc @snowfallen-nymph @waroftwowolves​ @alastar-wyatt​ @videtur-existentia​ @sanasunbringer​

[der--untermensch]

I was tagged by the forever amazing @runenoctem! Thank youuuuuu. :)

Rules: Answer 21 questions then take 21 people you want to get to know better.

Nicknames: Kats, Gurk. 

Zodiac: Scorpio

Height: 5'5″

Last movie I saw: Oof. Umm... I think Pride and Prejudice (2005)? I adore Keira Knightley in it. 

Last thing I googled: Zebra Mildliners. Yes, I’m a pen/marker freak. And for those of you who know what bullet journaling is, yes, I do that too. 

Favourite musician: OH god. Voice-wise and just for sheer compositional talent: Gino Vannelli. Purely voice and character-wise: Peter Steele. Bassists: Mark King, Verdine White, Mono-Neon. Keep in mind these change from day to day, really depends on mood and whatever the day’s genre is.

Song stuck in my head: Ghost-Note’s Fragile

Other blogs: None at this point. 

Do I get asks: Recently, pretty frequently. Thanks to everyone that’s sent something. :)

Following: Mmm... a lot of people?

Amount of 💤: Typically, 7 hours. 

Lucky number: I don’t really have one... but 8 has seemed to be pretty good to me. 

What I’m wearing: White cable-knit sweater, jeans, an EU toque, and Native mukluks. 

Dream job: Thankfully, already there. :) Sound designer is the name of the game. 

Dream trip: Australia, Italy, Greece.

Favourite food: Key lime pie. Key to my heart. 

Play any instruments: Piano, vocals, sax, bassoon, some drums, I’ve attempted the flugelhorn, violin...

Languages: English, Estonian, I can understand French well, speaking is another thing altogether, some Spanish

Favourite songs: If anyone has ever answered this question, they’re clearly a demon. (I agree wholeheartedly)

Random fact: I’m a vinyl freak and an audiophile? That’s where a good amount of my free money goes. 

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: Hmm... fog, soft grey or other pastels, dusk, red grapefruit, a tartan, that smell right before it rains?

[solidagocm7]

Get to know me!

Thanks for tagging me, @oldcomplaintsrevisited!

Rules: answer these questions then then tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better!

Nicknames: Debby and Deborah! When I was s freshman my small friend group had nicknames/alter-egos for each other when we were fucked up. However, I’m particularly adventuous when I partake in psychoactive substances so my friends would scream “Deborah!!!” quite a lot and it eventually stuck. Now Everyone who’s queer at my school calls me Deborah casually.

Zodiac: Aries sun, Gemini moon, Aries mercury, Aquarius venus, Aries mars. Honesty I could keep going. 

Height: 5′10″ approximately 

Time: 23:40 because I stay up too late and I use 24-hour time because I’ve accidentally set too many alarms for 8:00pm

Favorite bands/artists: I’m still really obsessed with STRFKR and MGMT because of their new album. Been listening to a lot of Brahms and Beethoven for school and I love it. TBH I haven't been listening to a lot of music because of my tinnitus, but I could go on for a while about bands, artists, and composers I love. 

Song stuck in my head: The shop music from Undertale

Last movie I saw: As Above, So Below. Very good horror movie set in the Paris catacombs. My friends and I have been watching LOTS of horror lately

Last thing I’ve googled: “Cortez Aztec” because my friend asked me if Cortez caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and I said yes but I had to make sure.

Other Blogs: Yes! Follow me at @gaymathsmajor if you like math!

Do I get asks: Not really, no :(

Why did I choose this username: “Music Speaks” was a choir piece I liked in high school and the major seventh is one of my favorite tonal chords, so yeah, musicspeakscm7.

Following: 1624

Average amount of sleep: I try for about 8 hours but I normally can’t get to sleep before midnight so usual its more like 6-7 hours when I have to get up early and like 10-11 hours when I can sleep in.

What I’m wear: My red, green, blue, gray goodwill sweater, light wash jeans, stripy socks, light pink converse, and a brown beanie. 

Dream job: Mathematician and professor + part time musician

Favorite food: I could not possibly choose one but good golly I love odwalla smoothies.

Play any instruments: I play bassoon at university, as well as piano per course requirements. I also try not to suck at the ukulele.

Eye color: Mostly hazel but they change depending on what I’m wearing or my mood 

Hair color: Black or like really dark brown in summer

Language you speak: My native language is english. I was almost conversational in french in high school but I’ve lost most of it from not using it. Right now I’m learning Abenaki/Wabanaki and I’d like to conversational or even fluent

Most iconic song: I’d don't really listen to “popular music” but I couldn't get “Nobody” by Mitski out of my head for like a month so that I guess 

Random fact: I forage for wild plants and mushrooms!

Describe yourself as aesthetic things: Sepia photos of abandoned roads and buildings; cozying up with sweaters, blankets, and tea by a windowsill on a cold, rainy day; the smell of a wood fire and essential oils just after it rained; stacks on stacks on stacks of books; 1980′s computer-generated math textbook covers; math problems written out of music paper

I tag: @cardboard-theocracy @searching-for-words @anime-mangos @teehn-dream @3m4il @absolute-minimum @lovelylittledoubt @sen9746 @ginger-sprinkle @hella-of-niflheim @vaepormeme @spodrick @quarterpounding @startorrent02 @shostakovich11 @my-hero-measure-zero

[fossil-friendly]

— answer these questions then tag 20 blogs you’d like to know better!

Name: Mindia is the name and yes that's actually my stupid fucking name. I'm not on anything in the thrift stores. Can't share a coke with me, nope.

Zodiac: Saggitarius

Height: 5'5"

Time: 12:57 PM

Favorite Band / Artist: Its hard for me to have just one because there are so many artists who have inspired me throughout my short life so far. For music, John Powell knocks it out of the park. I've spent hours listening to the soundtracks of many of the movies I grew up with. I can't wait to hear what he comes up for How To Train Your Dragon 3! And the biggest artistic influence in my life has been @vivziepop . She's always inspired me to keep chasing my love for art, and to draw for myself. Seeing her come out with her own production with her own characters just proves that with hard work and persistence you can achieve your dreams. Check her out if you haven't yet because she's amazing.

Song Stuck In My Head: "Flying With Mother" from HTTYD 2 because now I'm thinking of John Powell.

Last Movie I Saw: "Cold Skin" with David Oakes. It was okay, a simple concept really. Some of it didn't really make sense, I think there were some holes in the plot, but other than that it was.. cute.

Last Thing I Googled: If nitenpyram is effective for killing fleas. The answer is: yes, but after about 72 hours, the fleas come back.

Other Blogs: Nah.

Do I Get Asks: Once in a blue moon.

Why Did I Choose This Username: I didn't choose this username. This username chose me. ( Aik is the nicest of my characters, and the most approachable. When I roleplay with new people I try to introduce her first because she's not a jerk. You could say she's my main when it comes to my characters and roleplaying. )

Following:  199 ( whoa, when did this happen )

Average Amount of Sleep: I go to bed around 9, and wake up at 5 usually. So you're typical 8 hours. I have insomnia, so I try not to go to bed too late, because once I wake up, I'm up. For some reason, I just wake up at 5 in the morning. Occassionally I'll wake up at 6:30 or 7. I consider that sleeping in. Bad days are when I wake up at 3.

What I Am Wearing: Uhm... Khaki's.. Nah. I'm wearing a dirty plaid shirt and a pair of messy pants.

Dream Job/Career: Y'know, I'm not sure. My dream would be to be fully self sustainable. Whether I'm some mountain man in the Rockies, living off the land and what I farm, or a small successful artist in a little apartment with all the necessities, I'd be happy. I just don't want to work a dead end job, and I certainly dont want to work up to be someone who manages people who end up working that dead end job. If that makes sense.

Dream Trip: I want to go to Yellowstone. It's not much, but I've always wanted to see the rainbow pools and see the hot ass water shoot out of the ground yeah!

Favorite Food: Pizza

Play Any Instruments: In high school I played this bong looking instrument called the Bassoon! I miss it sometimes, it had this amazing, deep-rich sound that went great with bass brass instruments.

Eye Color: Hazel

Hair Color: Brown

Languages You Speak: English

Most Iconic Song: Uhm. Eye of the Tiger?

Random Fact: Emetophobia is the fear of vomiting, and I have it.

Describe Yourself as Aesthetic Things: Water stain on the ceiling in your ninth grade classroom; a mildew-soaked, military-green sponge on the bottom of a pile of week old dishes in the sink; large, endless fields of nothing but porcupines.

Tagged by:  @zimvasion

Tagging: @littlegreeneyedinvader @little-gaz @radio-gentleman @couch-house @tallest-spork-greenbean And anyone else who wants to do this because boy I can NOT think of 20 people.

[ladylucifer6-blog]

Get To Know Me Tag

I was tagged by the beautiful and amazing @jongdaeulittleshit, I’m sorry it took so long!

Rules: Answer 20 questions and tag 10 others

Nickname: A lot of people call me “Chlo” in passing, I’m not a huge fan of it

Gender: Female

Zodiac: Leo

Height: 5′6″

Time: 2209/10:09 pm 

Fav band/solo artist: BTS, EXO, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Logic

Song stuck in my head: Silver Spoon - BTS

Last movie I watched: The Conjuring (I cried so hard I was so scared)

Last thing I googled: Priceline (i’m going to Vegas for my birthday this year)

Other blog: Tbh I need to revamp my other two blogs, but yes I have them! One is a very NSFW blog and the other is a fitness blog

Do I get asks: Not at all, please send me some? I want to interact with my lovely people!

Reason behing the username: I feel like I’m in a goth chic phase right now...

Following: 895, I thought I was following more

Average hours of sleep: 6 hours

Lucky number: 8

What am I wearing: Jammies~

Dream job: Desk job that travels

Dream trip: Okinawa, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska 

Favourite food: Udon 

Instrument: My primary instrument is the bassoon, I also play trombone, alto saxophone, ukulele, and oboe

Favourite song: Aiya~ that’s hard... RIGHT NOW it would have to be Tropical Night by Monsta X and Paradise by BTS

(Jooheon slays that shit and his blue hair is EVERYTHING)

Favourite color: Baby blue and light pink 

Sibling: I have 3 older sisters and 2 older brothers

Pet: I wish I had pets, I’m too busy to be a mommy right now

Sexuality: Heteroflexible, tbh I have this huge crush on my boss because she is the greatest person I have ever met

Hometown: G-Town sucka! (Gig Harbor, Washington)

Significant crush: ^^def my boss, but I know nothing will happen and that’s okay. I try to pass it off as strong admiration

Languages: English only because I suck. I’ve been slowly trying to learn Korean and I want to learn Japanese, but I’m not sticking with it

Favourite time of the day: Afternoon 

Nationality: American

I am tagging: @byuntae-ah @dearbangtanboys @jjong-dae77 @peaches-of-1 @noona-clock @guardians-of-exo @piratequeenofbangtan @agustminsuga

[funyjuice]

i’m so fucking nervous 😭

i have a concert soon

[guess--monster]

Get To Know Me

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag people you would like to get to know better

Star Sign: Aries

Height: 5′2!

Favourite Bands: Monsta X, SHINee, Seventeen, EXO, Wanna One, iKON, BoyStory, Stray Kids, NCT (all 80 units), Day6, N.Flying, The Rose, Astro, Big Bang, Block B, The Boyz, Golden Child, Pentagon, the list literally never ends... 

Favorite Solo Artists (K-POP): Zico, Hyuna, Jessi, Giriboy, Flowsik, BeWhy, DEAN, Sunmi, Jay Park, Kris Wu, Jackson Wang

Current Favorite Song: Uh kpop wise it’s Dally by Hyoryn and Other it’s This Is America by Childish Gambino

Last Movie I Watched: Deadpool 2

Last TV Show I Watched: Boys Over Flowers

When I Created This Blog: No idea, but at least 2 years ago or somethin’

What I Post: Shitty content that attracts blogs better than mine! C: 

Last Thing I Googled: Smile Flower Seventeen English Lyrics

Any Other Blogs: yes, but it is a private blog and only a few people who pay attention know about it...

Do I Get Asks: rarely... you heifers never communicate

Following: 5000, i should probably clean that out at some point... 

Followers: 559, uwu thank you!! 

Favorite Colors: Black and anything pastel

Average Hours Of Sleep: 2 - 4 hours

Lucky Number: 3

Instruments: I used to play the bassoon...

How Many Blankets I Sleep With: I actually don’t sleep with blankets at all. I sleep with 2 sheets

Dream Job: Language Arts Teacher in Highschool

Dream Trip: To Japan

Do I Have A Crush: I’m in a relationship so yea ig

Favorite Animal: Cows

Hair Color: Auburn

Tagging:🌙✨🌸

@kpopcinnamonswirlroll @baozibunns

[beesintrees1-blog]

Hey there @lekawaiiiunicorn That’s such a cute name honestly I would want to be your friend! Anyways, @langblrsecretsanta has paired me up to be your Santa so whoop! Hope you enjoy! I tried to include as many of your stated interests as possibleeee!

LA MUSIQUE / MUSIC

Do you play any instruments?

Joue-t-il des instruments?

Yes, I play the ____. Oui, je joue _____.

du basson - bassoon

du corn - french horn

du piano - piano

du trombone - trombone

du tuba - tuba

du violon - violin

du violoncelle - cello

de l’orgue - organ

de la cornemuse - bagpipe

de la harpe - harp

de la guitare - guitar

! jouer au = to play a team sport || jouer du / jouer de la / jour de l’ = to play an instrument !

Jouer du : Masculine | Jouer de la : Feminine | Jouer de l’ : Vowel

Je joue /ʒu/

Tu joues /ʒu/

Il / Elle joue /ʒu/

Nous jouons /ʒwɔ̃/

Vous jouez /ʒwe/

Ils / Elles jouent /ʒu/

I compose music. Je compose de la musique.

LIRE / READING

Do you like to read? Aimez-vous lire? (formal)

Do you like to read? Aimes-tu lire? (informal)

Yes, I like to read. Oui, j’aime lire.

No, I do not like to read. Non, je n’aime pas lire.

! When in conversation, it is normal to drop the “ne” in a negative sentence ! e. g. ”Je n’aime pas lire” would become J’aime pas lire. Just as “I do not” would become “I don’t”

What is your favourite book? Quel est ton livre préféré?

My favourite book is ___. Mon livre préféré est ___.

I cannot choose a favourite. Je ne peux pas choisir un favori.

I have no favourite book. Je n’ai pas de livre préféré.

There are too many. Il y a trop.

Who is your favourite author? Qui est ton écrivain préféré?

! écrivez = to write | écrivain = writer !

What kind of books do you like?  Quels genre de livres aimez-vous?

I like ____. J'aime les livres de ____.

I don’t know. Je ne sais pas.

Fantaisie - Fantasy

Conte de fées - Fairytale ! Sentence : j’aime le conte de fées !

Horreur (d’horreur) - Horror

Roman - Novel

Littérature - Literature

Développement personnel - Self improvement

LES AUTRES / OTHERS

What is your favourite subject? Quelle est ta matière préférée?

My favourite subject is ____. Ma matière préféré est ____.

Les sciences ( surtout la biologie ) ! surtout = especially !

La chimie - chemistry

La physique - physics

La géographie - geography

La langue - language

Le français - French

L’anglais - English

L’histoire - History

Les arts - arts

Les mathématiques (les maths) - math

L’éducation physique et sportive (l’EPS) - Physical Education (Phys Ed)

I also like to draw. J'aime aussi dessiner

What kind of things do you draw? Quel genre de choses dessinez-vous?

I like to draw ____. J’aime dessiner des ____.

Chats - Cats

Licornes - Unicorns

Dragons - Dragons

Arc-en-ciel - Rainbows

Scintillement / étincellement / miroitement - Sparkles

Fées - Fairies

I like animals. J'aime les animaux. ! animaux = plural of l’animal !

I like mythical creatures. J'aime les créatures mythiques.

I think ____ are cool / awesome. Je pense que les ____ sont supers.

I think ____ are pretty. Je pense que les ____ sont jolis / jolies.

I think ____ are cute. Je pense que les ____ sont mignons.

EN PLUS / BONUS

I highly recommend the youtubers Sulivan Gwed, Apaulo, and DamonAndJo.

Sulivan and Apaulo are native French speakers so it really helps with spelling and testing understanding with their French captions switched on. They have a really fun personality and just overall pretty cool content.

However, I highly highly recommend DamonAndJo as they are travel vloggers (and bloggers) who film their day-to-day life as well as some other content. Not only do they have some “classes” in French (though they’ve kind of stopped those) they also have videos that are in French but because they are not native, I find that it is easier to understand them (and the almost always have English captions). They also provide tips and tricks to travelling under a budget and some other fun music-related stuff and yea I just love love love them so much!

Besides youtube, you might also want to check out movies and books they have listed in their blog. I also really recommend Memrise, HelloTalk, WordReference, and Bescherelle.

I prefer Memrise over DuoLingo simply because I find their system works best for me but I don’t know, to each their own!

HelloTalk is an app that allows you to converse with real life native speakers of your target language or people with the same target language. It allows you to translate sentences mid-conversation and correct other people’s sentences and I just love it so much!

WordReference is basically an online dictionary and all my teachers recommend it. Not only does it show the equivalent word for whatever you are trying to translate but it also gives an example sentence, the (noun/verb/adjective), and gender so I find it really useful.

Bescherelle is more for conjugation and to be honest I don’t really use it all that much but teachers recommend it so whoop!

Sorry this was kind of late! Hope you’re having a merry christmas (whether or not you celebrate it) and happy holidays!!

[ao3feed-haikyuu]

They call me "emotional" but I prefer "a musician"

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NVWLsL

by Crazyfanboi

“Kage- Kageyama? Hello? You still alive?”

“Five”

“Huh?”

“You have five minutes to get ready and get your fucking ass over here”

“Wha-”

“It’s Saturday”

“Yeeeessss?”

“Of the 5th of July”

“Yes, dates, I am familiar with them”

“.....I- You fucking idiot, boke. WE HAVE REHEARSAL”

It was in this moment that Hinata knew he fucked up…..veeerrry badly.

“OH SHI-”

So basically, I'm your crack narrator(not all the time, I'm pretty chill) and this is a musician AU slice of life for the Haikyuu gang featuring mainly the Karasuno 1st years(Hinata will be the main protag) but mostly everyone is going to make an appearance.

I hope you enjoy!

Words: 464, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Haikyuu!!

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Yachi Hitoka, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Karasuno Volleyball Club, Other Character Tags to Be Added

Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou & Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou & Yachi Hitoka, Hinata Shouyou & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hinata Shouyou & Everyone, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio & Tsukishima Kei & Yachi Hitoka & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added

Additional Tags: Slice of Life, Karasuno gang but instead of volleyball it's music, muscian au, just a little bit of crack, ok maybe a lot of crack, Author as narrator, Switches between point of views, I'm gonna try to make it as clear as possible for that part, Ok so my tags got deleted and I'm sad cause they were so fun, Like sooooo much fun, f in chat for my tags, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, But he's also sometimes deadass done with life, Tsukki is salty french, Yachi is innocent but not and full of anxiety and I relate, Yamaguchi is wholesome boy that is seriously the MVP for dealing with them, he's the only sane one, sometimes, not really - Freeform, They're all wack, Tsukki plays trombone, Yachi plays oboe, Yamaguchi plays French horn, Kageyama plays marimba, Hinata plays clarinet, both Bb and Eb, he switches between them, I had a hard time picking their instruments, Oboe is perfect for Yachi and you can fight me on that, tsukki reminded me of a trombone player I know, Yamaguchi reminds me of a french horn player, but he also has the sort of stable feel horn players give off sometimes, I gave Hinata clarinet cause one I play it, and two you can sound shit, but there's a lot of potential to sound amazing, I literally chose to write this over sleep, I have to practice tomorrow, I was supposed to research college audition requirements today, I'm actually gonna suck at them, RIP my semi normal sleep schedule, These tags are still chaotic so I approve of them, I'm high off sleep deprivation, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing with this honestly, Help, Sneak peek of the life of a high school musician, Basically my life but Haikyuu, I was gonna make Kageyama play bassoon but nah, I gave him marimba instead, 1st years are all in a chamber group together, It's so unbalanced, Sort Of, Probably weird cause there's no trumpet, Karasuno gang are an orchestra, I'm gonna make Johzenji a jazz band, It's perfect for them, not sure about the others

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2NVWLsL

[literatelobstersareliterate]

On Composing for Woodwind Quintet

by Zeke Hecker

This essay originally appeared in Consorting, newsletter of the Consortium of Vermont Composers.

    Since I first played oboe in a woodwind quintet at about age 13, I've been a fan. I love the richness of five distinct, heterogeneous voices that blend in innumerable ways, so unlike the insistent unity of the string quartet. (Only two of the quintet instruments share the same sound-producing mechanism, and even those two don't sound much alike. The oboe and bassoon are both double reeds; the clarinet is a single reed; the flute has a sound-hole; the horn isn't even a woodwind, but just wandered in from sheer curiosity, and stayed for 200 years.)

    I have played through much of the regular repertory in ad hoc groups, for fun, and I've been in one or two longer-lived quintets. I first wrote for woodwind quintet in the mid-1970's, and since have composed about 90 minutes' worth of quintet music, in addition to doing some transcriptions (yes, there are always transcriptions). The point is that I'm an admirer, not an expert. What follows are some observations, some half-baked truths, some principles I try to follow but often can't.

    The standard woodwind quintet -- flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon -- first appeared in the late 18th century. It flourished briefly around 1800, all but disappeared until the late 19th century, and made a triumphant reappearance in the 20th. The very qualities which left the Romantics cold have recommended it to modern composers: precision, clarity, lightness, wit. Since 19th-century values and repertory still dominate concert life, the woodwind quintet has never achieved the status with audiences that its tireless and passionate sister, the string quartet, enjoys. Permanently constituted touring woodwind quintets appeared only in the 1950's (the Philadelphia group was perhaps the first great one), but in recent decades they have proliferated as part of the chamber music boomlet. Amateur quintets abound. The repertory, overwhelmingly 20th century, has been enriched by hundreds of composers, including some of the most eminent.

    The first things to consider when composing for this medium are the capabilities and limitations of the individual instruments. I won't say much about that here. You should know their ranges (if you don't, keep a chart on your piano rack); you should know what to avoid in the clarinet's throat register; you should know which fingerings drive bassoonists crazy.

    But don't think primarily in terms of limitations. The refinements in design and construction of woodwind instruments (achieved mostly by 19th century French builders), combined with the increasing demands made on players by 20th century composers, have produced astonishing results. Wind players can do much more than is customarily required of them. The virtuoso potential, especially of the treble instruments, is tremendous; players often have great flexibility in rapid passages. The expressive potential is no less powerful. Modern woodwind tone is rich and sensuous, with phrasing influenced by subtle uses of vibrato and inflection. We are a long way from the village band.

    The players usually sit in a semicircle: from audience left, it's flute, oboe, horn, bassoon, clarinet; sometimes horn and bassoon are switched; no array is sacrosanct. In score the order from top down is flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon. I do the score at written, not sounding, pitch, since it's mainly for the players' use: flute, oboe, and bassoon in C, horn in F, clarinet in A or Bb depending on the key orientation of the piece, if any. Each player is usually given only the appropriate part, not the full score, to play from, the score being reserved for study and consultation.

    Here, then, in only a vague semblance of sequence, are some suggestions:

Woodwind players must breathe. Unlike a viola, a clarinet can't keep up an unbroken Alberti-bass-type figure for 32 measures, but needs a 16th note rest every few bars. This is not to say that woodwinds can't sustain long phrases; they can. To gauge breathing intervals, think in terms of the human voice. Make breathing part of the music's essence.

Woodwind players must also rest. The muscular effort of forming the embouchure requires periodic, and fairly protracted, relaxation. A woodwind part should not appear on the page the way the first violin part of a Beethoven quartet does, nearly solid black. Rests ought to occur frequently, and at least some should last measures instead of just beats. After a particularly strenuous passage, give the player 10 or 15 seconds to recover. Before a demanding passage, give some time to prepare the embouchure.

The temptation in quintet writing is to take the traditional "pastoral" approach: sighing zephyrs, rippling watery effects, bouncy folk-style tunes. Certainly, if that's what you had in mind when you chose the medium, go ahead. I've done it myself. But be aware that the combination is capable of more than that, of more serious, less predictable modes of expression. (John Harbison, in his recent and much admired quintet, delibarately avoided the pastoral, with impressive results.)

Don't think of the instruments as a fixed heirarchy, with the flute invariably soaring on top, followed in score order down to the bassoon lurking on the bottom. That way boredom lies. Juggle instruments vertically. Use the clarinet's chalumeau register as bass to another instrument. Put the horn on top, or the bassoon. Try the flute on the bottom.

To make such tactics work, give your vertical writing space. Write chords in open position, wide open. Winds are rich in overtones, which will fill in the spaces if you deploy your forces cleverly. Example: if you want to hear the low-register flute as a bass, put the melody 1 1/2 octaves above in the oboe.

Don't make the sound bottom heavy. Avoid thickness in the tenor region. Get the horn and clarinet, in particular, up on the staff. It'll sound better, and you won't bore the players.

Avoid purely triadic thinking. You've got as many as five notes to sound simultaneously, which means the richness of "color" chords: 6ths, 9ths, 11ths, and beyond. (If the technical language is opaque to you, as it mostly is to me, all I mean is that you can add interesting notes to the common chord for expressive purpose.)

But don't use all five instruments all the time. Make permutations and combinations: create a kaleidoscopic effect, instead of a monotonous one. The great virtue of the woodwind quintet is color, so mix your palette. (To give some idea of the range of options, David Van Vactor's Music for Woodwinds consists of pieces using every possible combination of the quintet instruments from one to five, ending with double quintet. There are over thirty of them.)

Think, too, of variation in texture. Straight homophonic writing (sustained hymn-like chords, or melody with chordal accompaniment) works fine for a while, but does not show off this ensemble to best advantage if carried on too long. Try a more contrapuntal approach. These instruments like to move, not just hang on to notes, even in slow music.

Speaking of color, you can achieve some startling and wonderful blends. High bassoon and low flute can be virtually indistinguishable. Horn and bassoon together, in parallel motion at consonant intervals, sound like a pair of hunting horns. Above the staff, the three trebles begin to sound very much alike. Using these and other combinations, you can create an almost orchestral effect.

Don't be casual about doublings. Treat them more as colors, less as ways of manipulating balance or volume. Horn and bassoon in unison make hardly more noise than either alone. Octave doublings can be effective, but use the cliche ones (flute above oboe, for instance) sparingly. I'd rather double high flute with low bassoon, four octaves down, and stick some contrasting material in the middle. But mostly I try to steer clear of doubling. Why waste your resources in redundancy?

And then consider extreme contrasts: a zippy flute, in rapid staccato motion, against a lazy legato horn figure, or a lugubrious low-reister oboe fighting off a jaunty bassoon. Use the group to invent various simultaneous "musics".

...which further suggests that you avoid excessive uniform legato. These instruments offer a vast menu of non-legato possibilities, from nasty accented staccatissimo to gentle pulsation. Make horizontal space as well as vertical. Silence is essential in wind music.

More about attacks: don't demand unobtrusive entrances in, say, the oboe's low register or the flute's high one. Extreme registers require extreme discretion from the composer, because that's where the player will most likely experience technical difficulties.

But use those extreme registers. Get away from Middle C.

Think of dynamics as part of the meat, not just the sprig of parsley. You can do a lot with woodwind dynamics (as Elliot Carter shows in his Eight Etudes for Woodwind Quartet, a demonstration piece well worth your study). The horn can purr, or blast the audience out of the room. The flute gets louder as it gets higher; the oboe does the reverse. The clarinet is more capable of immense crescendi and diminuendi than are the flute, oboe, and bassoon. Use these and other dynamic capabilities of the group to your advantage. Get away from the constricted mezzo-piano-to-mezzo-forte range caused by too much composing at the keyboard.

Since the bulk of woodwind repertory is modern, players are skillful at counting, and can negotiate tricky time signatures and frequent metrical changes. (My string playing colleagues often envy us our sightreading abilities in contemporary music; but hell, if you're a wind player, what else is there?) Don't stick to unchanging 4/4 or 6/8. Play around with rhythm and metre.

Finding intervals on wind instruments is much easier than on strings, since all we do is push buttons to get our pitch (or pretty near it). Passagework thus doesn't have to be as predictable, as key- or scale-oriented, as string players are accustomed to. Tuning chords is obviously easier, too, so non-traditional (and non-consonant) harmonies work out more easily than they do in string groups. Take advantage of that.

Wind players are good at handling wide leapps, especially articulated (that is, not slurred), and at moderate tempi.

The wind bag is full of new tricks: microtones, bending and sliding pitches, flutter tonguing, key clicking, muting, blowing into detached mouthpieces or instruments without mouthpieces, and so on. The horn can do elephant calls and harmonic glissandi. Use these, of couse, but again be cautious: it's easy to be seduced by them. Don't fool yourself into thinking they will mask a lack of musical substance. Multiphonics are the most recent major development in woodwind virtuosity, but they are beyond the competence of many players, and are somewhat difficult to notate and unpredictable in practice. (Check out Lukas Foss's Cave of the Winds for a wild ride through Multiphonia.)

Most flutists play piccolo; many oboists play English horn; some clarinettists play bass clarinet. You can widen your color range with these, or go even farther: alto or bass flute, oboe d'amore, Eb or alto clarinet, contrabassoon. I've dreamed of writing a movement for the lowest member of each instrument family: bass flute, Heckelphone, contrabass clarinet, contrabassoon and low horn or Wagner tuba. But a dream is what it should probably remain. Practically, unless you know the arsenal of your players, you ought to stay with the basic combination. Many players don't like to fool around with switching axes in mid-swing, anyway.

    I wish I actually practiced half of what I've been preaching here. Usually what happens is that, after a shaky start, I get rolling on a piece and slide into a groove, like a bowling ball in its gutter, with results that lack the variety I was aiming for. And then it occurs to me how presumptuous this has all been, anyway.

    Most of it has undoubtedly been said, and better, in textbooks, or else contradicted by same with unchallengeable authority, and many of you reading it are in a better position to hold forth on the subject than I am, having actually read and even taught from those same textbooks. And further: Can you really learn how to compose by reading about it, in authoritative textbooks or presumptuous articles? And futher still: I can't say that this article is truly about composing at all. It's more like musical cosmetics. The way you ompose for woodwind quintet is, I assume, pretty much the way you compose for anything else; it has something to do with the incarnation of an impulse, a thought, a shape, a mood; of couse the Word must be made flesh, but what good is the flesh if there's no Word behind it? Ives wasn't being merely truculent when he asked what music has to do with sound, anyway.

    Enough, already, of the metaphysical digression. Let's wrap this up, earthbound.

Woodwind quintet, which really is a sort of miniature wind band, works nicely in combination with other forces. I particularly like voice(s) and quintet. The group goes well with piano, especially if the keyboard writing is percussive and motoric, to match the winds' attack. Add solo strings to the basic quintet, and you have a miniature orchestra, as Piston and Martinu, among others, have demonstrated. Some composers have successfully woven electronics into the quintet texture. And then there is Janacek's Mladi (Youth) sextet, where the addition of bass clarinet seems to open new sonic worlds. Unfortunately, quintets don't often get a chance to expand beyond the conventional unit, the concert world being what it is.

To test the waters, try transcribing something. Arguments about the aesthetic validity of transcription always rage noisily, but you won't hurt beloved old Johann, or your local flutist, or your own technique by perpetrating an arrangement or two. The repertory has been fertilized by some excellent transcriptions; they were vital in the decades before a substantial original body of work emerged. Some works have lent themselve beautifully to the medium, ranging from the French baroque to Ravel's "Tombeau de Couperin" (in several versions, notably by Philadelphia hornist Mason Jones and hornist-plus-everything-else Gunther Schuller). You'll probably succeed better with keyboard music than with music originally conceived for strings, for reasons suggested earlier.

Listen to reams of quintet music. The big names from the classic era are Danzi and Reicha, both estimable advocates of the medium. Two persuasive late Romantic works, by Klughardt and Foerster, are worth attention. Acknowledged masterpieces of the repertory include everybody's favorite, the Nielsen, and Hindemith's Kleine Kammermusik Op. 24, No. 2. Schoenberg's formidable quintet, his strictest twelve-tone work, is seldom dared by either players or listeners. The French have predictably excelled: Milhaud's Cheminée du Roi René, Ibert's Trois Pièces Brèves, and dozens of others. Barber's Summer Music is one of his loveliest, most engaging creations, and other major American composers (such as Fine, Piston, Druckman, Carter, Dlugoszewski, Persichetti, and Alec Wilder) have made notable contributions.

    So too in Britain and Eastern Europe (Hungarian Györgi Ligeti wrote two superb works). These few hardly suggest the extent of the repetory. Consortium member Don Stewart's group, the Boehm Quintette, has programmed something like 100 works covering all eras, including some transcriptions and numerous commissions, and there are lots of other groups functioning on a similarly ambitious level. Consortium members who have written quintets include Don, Lou Calabro (IsoNova, a nifty piece), Gwyneth Walker (Braintree Quintet), Jim Grant, Nick Humez, Allen Shawn, and probably about two dozen I don't know about.

    Make friends with a quintet (approach confidently but slowly, without showing fear; they can sense that) and watch them rehearse. You'll discover more in one session than from having read this whole discourse.

(via Zeke Hecker: On Composing for Woodwind Quintet)

[piilokarsastus]

Instrument Asks

STRINGS Violin - Are you a perfectionist? no Viola - What makes you different? my memory and ability to be good at stuff Cello - Favourite place to be? home Double Bass - How do you like to relax? by doing unproductive things online Acoustic Guitar - What instruments do you play? piano, violin(not anymore really) Electric Guitar - Do you experience synesthesia? not actually, but I do associate some things with different colours Electric Bass - What do you want to study? music Electric Cello - Favourite composer? Mozart Electric Violin - Have you ever been in a musical/play? yes Harp - Favourite piece you’ve played? mmm a tough one but I’m gonna go with Liszt’s Liebesträume No. 3 Ukulele - Are you a good performer? I’m proud to say I am, especially interpretation-wise Sitar - Where do you see yourself in 10 years? teaching music theory/history/composition Balalaika - Do you enjoy playing sports? lol nope Mandolin - Who inspires you? idk? people

WOODWINDS Piccolo - Describe your personality a pedantic music&language nerd with a love for cats and forests Flute - Have you ever gone overseas? yes, whatever it is that you mean by this ambiguous expression Oboe - Favourite kind of weather? Finnish summer at its best: sunny, a few clouds here and there, 25C  Cor Anglais - Introvert, ambivert, or extrovert? ambivert I guess Clarinet - How much time do you spend online? next question Bass Clarinet - Favourite item of clothing? long coat Bassoon - Do you enjoy online shopping? no Contrabassoon - Are you brave? no Bass Flute - Can you dance? no Soprano Saxophone - How many times have you broken a bone? maybe my pinky toe once? not sure whether I did break it or did it just hurt because of the impact Alto Saxophone - Have you ever pulled an all nighter? no, although close Tenor Saxophone - Favourite film? asdgfhk King’s Speech maybe? Impossible to say though Baritone Saxophone - Describe your dream bedroom cozy, aesthetic, a big bed, a computer desk by a large window with a nice view, a piano

BRASS French Horn - Where are you from? Finland Mellophone - Favourite musical? Haven’t seen that many but The Book of Mormon was great Trumpet - What makes you happy? life with its small things and nice people  Slide Trumpet - Do you like being outdoors? generally yes, although depends on the weather and the environment Cornet - Favourite genre of music? classical Flugelhorn - How do you feel about your past? i’m quite happy with it Bugle - Would you ever join the army? no Trombone - Describe your dream meal I’m too much of a food lover to be able to decide on one perfect meal but if it includes good meat I’m pretty much sold Valve Trombone - Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? no Bass Trombone - Are you reliable? yes Tenor Horn - What do you aspire to be? a knowledgeable musician and an inspirational teacher and composer Baritone Horn - Do you have perfect pitch? no Euphonium - Favourite food? see question number trombone Sousaphone - Who is your hero? BATMAN Tuba - How/Why did you join Tumblr? I was kinda sneakily lurking on here without an account for a while and eventually my friends tied me and forcibly made me sign up while chanting praises to the meme gods sort of guided me here

OTHER AEROPHONES Melodica - Do people consider you annoying? i certainly hope not because otherwise i want to die Harmonica - What makes you laugh? tbh it’s like 15% normal, intelligent humour and 85% incomprehensible shit and weird memes + some intentionally misspelt words. hehe. LORGE. Accordion - Favourite Tumblr blog? I don’t have favourites Air Horn - Are you good with kids? no Ocarina - Do you know how to do CPR? more or less (reassuring, isn’t it?) Whistle - Favourite smell? good food cooking Slide Whistle - What TV shows have you binge-watched? oh boy... Didgeridoo - Tell a funny story! story machine broke Recorder - How well did you do in school? let’s just say... well.

PERCUSSION Xylophone - Do you like classical music? is this a trick question? Marimba - What’s your ringtone? you’re gonna think I’m a weeb for saying this but Kôkyu he no Yûkai by Yuji Nomi (from Neko no Ongaeshi) Glockenspiel - Are you talkative? with the right people, I can be Bongos - Can you jumpstart a car? no Wood Block - Describe your dream house aesthetic Snare Drum - Favourite colour? blue (also purple and green and black and white) Bass Drum - Would you want to be able to read minds? yeah but not all the time Timpani - Do you enjoy meeting new people? yes Gong - Are you a loud or soft person? soft  Triangle - Could you imagine being the President/Prime Minister? yeah Steel Drum - Favourite season? summer