Blog

Black Cat Acoustics will be providing a seminar at the Music Education Expo 2013 event being staged at London’s Barbican venue, 20/21 March, on the topic of ‘Simple Solutions to Noise Problems'.

The session will address common noise problems and their solutions and will offer an opportunity for members of the audience to put their noise problems to our specialists, who can suggest some practical and simple to implement solutions. Make sure you attend the Black Cat Acoustics presentation in Seminar Theatre 1, Weds 20th March, 10.15 am and enjoy our free coffee and pastries, served to everyone who attends and don’t forget to collect your free conductor's baton as well.

Black Cat Music and partner company MusicPracticeRooms.com are proud to be Platinum Sponsors of Music Education Expo. Delegates' tickets are free if you register in advance.

When Joe Hughes, Head of Music Technology at Eastbourne College was busy procuring equipment for their new music building, his research quickly moved in the direction of Black Cat Music and the range of Wenger products they supply.

“In preparing for the opening, we had to go round various music schools to see what the best options were for us and we were able to see that Black Cat had an excellent reputation, the build quality was excellent and that is what we decided to go for.” Joe explained. Instrument storage lockers were one such item on the procurement list. He continued, “Prior to installing the lockers we had to make sure we had the right sizes for the various different instruments we have and Black Cat were able to provide us with a range of sizes that suited our needs. It was also important they had the right look, the build quality was there and in a brand new, crisp looking building, the lockers reflected that and fitted in with our style. I would definitely recommend Black Cat and Wenger to other schools.”

Musicians chairs were also on the list of requirements, “It was very important to us that these matched the auditorium … Black Cat were able to supply samples to match fixed auditorium seating and that attention to detail was very important. Being a music school where pupils are sitting down for quite a few hours playing their instruments, it is very important that their posture is looked after which is what these chairs are able to do. The trolleys make it easy to move chairs from room to room as we need them.“

Joe Hughes summed up, “It is good we have Black Cat to supply lockers, chairs, music stands and everything we need in a professional way.”

The full interview with Joe Hughes talking about the products at Eastbourne College can be viewed on the Black Cat Music YouTube channel.

Subject to a special 10 per cent discount only during March is a recently introduced dual-headed, bright white LED light that simply clips on to any music stand to provide even illumination of sheet music.

The adjustable twin goose-neck lighting heads pack the illuminating power of 4 bright white LEDs that thanks to economic operation give extra long battery life. Supplied complete with 3 x AAA batteries the stand light is ready to use straight out of the box. And there is also the alternative option of using the included USB power cable supplied in the pack.

Normally sold at £11.99 plus VAT, as a special offer for March only, Black Cat Music currently has these brilliant LED music stand lights on offer at just £10.79 plus VAT and delivery. A great opportunity to brighten up the orchestra at an affordable price.

The Black Cat Music team was delighted to meet with its US counterparts from Wenger Corporation last week.

Wenger representatives met up with the Black Cat team in Tonbridge Wells to catch up and talk about exciting new product developments, including Wenger’s new StageTek staging system – a portable staging that is easy to transport and store, yet is strong, safe and configurable into any combination. StageTek, available from Black Cat Music, is a refined smart staging system resulting from extensive research, engineering and technical advancements in materials and manufacturing. These technical advances have resulted in a staging system that is 20 per cent lighter, stronger, easier to handle and faster to set up.

Another exciting Wenger development is the new-look RoughNeck music stand. This rugged all-metal music stand is designed for general practice and performance. With its welded base and new trigger-lock mechanism, the Roughneck music stand always stands straight, won't lean or wobble and will never need tightening. The steel desk has a durable powder coat paint finish and rolled edges to add strength - rolled edges also mean no worrying about scratching or denting expensive instruments. The toughest music stand on the market has just been made even tougher!

For more updates on the latest products from Wenger and Black Cat Music, keep an eye on our news section, follow us on Twitter, or take a look at our Facebook page.

Musicians should be aware that good posture is essential to minimise health problems and that playing wind, string or percussion instruments can lead to repetitive strain injuries. This human interaction can benefit greatly from an understanding of ergonomics and application of the insights revealed applied to the design of equipment and instruments and how they are used. For players of wind instruments holding a good posture, with the instrument properly held, opens up the chest cavity allowing for good breathing. There are differences, sometimes significantly different, between sitting and standing postures. Musicians who have learned to play in one position may find it difficult to play in the other so both postures need to be exercised in order to strengthen the necessary muscles.

Repetitive Stress Injuries - tendonitis, bursitis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Back, Neck and Shoulder Pain and Calluses - are risks for musicians who play for any length of time, whether professionally or for pleasure. Many musicians are likely to suffer from some level of repetitive stress at sometime since playing and practising music calls for repetitive motion. To counteract it you need to know what causes repetitive stress injuries and ensure that you warm up properly, stretch before and after playing, take breaks and generally keep fit.

Standard chairs let the musician slouch, allowing the spine to be forced out of its natural supportive position. This lowers the rib cage and constricts the diaphragm, reducing airflow. Wenger Music Posture Chair design redefined what a music chair should be by providing the seated musician with the same strong, natural posture as if they were standing. Nota takes that concept to the next level, providing rear and forward seating positions that allow musicians to sit in the manner that best suits their style and instrument. Both the Premier and Standard models also feature a narrow convex back that provides lumbar support while still allowing freedom and range of movement, and a rounded waterfall front that provides better circulation and comfort for a wider range of body sizes. Nota popularity is growing fast because there’s no other chair like it and it’s built to work and look great for the long run.

Black Cat Music and partner company MusicPracticeRooms.com are Platinum Sponsors of this month’s Music Education Expo 2013 event at London’s Barbican venue, 20/21 March 2013.

Talking about the sponsorship tie in, Black Cat Music’s marketing manager Alice Dagger said, “We are delighted to be involved as Platinum Sponsors of this exciting new event and to also be providing the Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Black Cat Music will be exhibiting a wide range of its music performance equipment including music stands, staging, choral risers, music folders and conductors' equipment at the show. Black Cat Music has exclusive distributorship of Wenger Corporation’s extensive product range - acknowledged as the largest manufacturer of fully-guaranteed staging and music performance equipment in the world.

When you visit the Black Cat Music/MusicPracticeRooms.com stand (E19) not only can you see a fully functioning sound isolating music practice room and try it out for yourself, but you can buy this very same room for a special ex-demo price after the show. While you are thinking about acoustics, make sure you attend the Black Cat Acoustics presentation in Seminar Theatre 1, Wednesday 20th March at 10.15 am on the subject of 'Simple solutions to noise problems'. Enjoy our free coffee and pastries, served to everyone who attends the seminar and don’t forget to collect your free conductor's baton.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at the inaugural Music Teacher Awards & Gala evening which is organized by the publishers of Music Teacher magazine to celebrate excellence within the UK’s music education scene and takes place on the evening of the 20th March in the Barbican’s Conservatory and Garden Room.

Described as “the largest gathering of music education professionals in the UK,” organisers Rhinegold promise, “The UK’s most comprehensive music education event. Comprising a major exhibition, a dynamic educational programme and exceptional networking opportunities. This two-day event offers music educational professionals a highly rewarding experience - both professionally and personally.” And it is not too late to register for Music Education Expo 2013 now.