Get social with us!
Home / News / Rare opportunity to play a quarter tone trumpet!

  • › Rare opportunity to play a quarter tone trumpet!

    02/Oct/2022

    The St. Joseph Melkite Scouts Marching Bandi s proud to present a rare opportunity for an exchange of cultures!

    The Melkite Scouts have acquired a 'Levantine Trumpet', likely to be one of the first in Australia. This special instrument, an invention from the Levant (modern day Lebanon) that extends the Western tradition of 12 notes, producing an expansive 24 tones, a system iconic in Eastern music that was theorised in the 1800's in what is today called Syria. It makes possible additional sounds, sensations and feelings, allowing us to experience ancient music today.

    We are inviting local musicians to join us to learn the sounds of the East. There are only a few great trumpeters around the world who have mastered this method. Listen to Nassim Mallouf’s stunning Improvisation Taqsim on Trumpet here. Listen here to some further examples Eastern Trumpet.

    In return for this unique opportunity to play the Levantine Trumpet, we request your help introducing St Joseph Marching Band’s young people of refugee and migrant backgrounds to foundational music skills that we know will build their confidence and social connections through music.

    HOW TO PARTICIPATE

    • Volunteer: introduce young people to the foundation skills needed to play instruments including trumpet, trombone and saxophone.
    • Donate instruments, including mouth pieces for our group to use (or hire out or purchase at a reasonable price). We are happy to take instruments in need of love and repair.
    • Volunteer to service/repair brass instruments if you have these wonderful skills.

    WHAT WE CAN OFFER 

    • Experience genuine intercultural artistic exchange. Get to know about Eastern spirit and Eastern methodology to music and sounds, learn about 24 notes and how to incorporate this into your music.
    • Learn how to play a quarter tone on a Levantine Trumpet; likely one of the first trumpet of its kind in Australia.
    • Meet people from different backgrounds and cultures, have fun and make friends while learning and teaching.

    WHO ARE THE MELKITE SCOUTS?

    St Joseph’s Melkite Scouts is a community-oriented organisation with groups and activities catering to all ages. SJM SCOUTS offers opportunities to: go camping, build life skills, build friendships and community, provide services and assist others, be part of the St. Joseph Melkite Scouts Marching Band.

    For more information email nicki@cmvic.org.au