MY-LAH DRUM-KEY (Mila Drumke) (Kate content)

[Renee Rosen <lilitu@cjnetworks.com>]

At 11:51 PM 7/30/97 -0700, you wrote:
>I also have to mention her wonderful band, who
>deserve so much credit for bringing Mila's music
>to life. Lyris Hung is an amazing "violin" player,
>one I could listen to for hours, no matter whose
>music she was playing. I put violin in quotes because
>what she was playing at Mila's concerts was a most
>unusual instrument. It was sort of like a violin, with
>only the string part of the violin remaining intact,
>with the rest just....gone. I've seen similar quasi-violins 
>played by a member of Big Hat, Ben Mink, and a couple 
>other people I can't remember at the moment. Whatever
>it was, it sure sounded cool!

Well, I haven't heard Mila Drumke yet, so I can't comment on her, but I
plan to check out her webpage now--I hope it has some samples (though I
can't listen to them here at work anyway). 

As for the violin, that's a *real* violin, just an electric one. (I'm a
violinist and I play both electric and acoustic.) I know the violinist for
Big Hat played Zeta 5 string violins (at least the 2 or 3 times I saw them
live), and Zeta makes one that's just the strings with no body. (Not saying
this is the Zeta one, since someone else might make one, but Zeta is known
for making the best e. violins that aren't just acoustics with volume nobs
and pickups--they also make MIDI violins and pick ups.) Since it's
electric, it doesn't need a body to resonate. It also has optional boughs
(sp?) if I remember correctly--those are the curvey parts on the side--I
could have the name of it wrong, since it's been a long time since I
learned the parts of the violin. At any rate, if you put them on, then you
can tell where the body of the violin would be (useful for knowing what
position you are in, especially when shifting)--OTOH, if you leave them
off, you can shift higher easier than on a regular one. I've never gotten
the opportunity to play that model, though I'd love to check it out. (Mine
is a black 4-string Zeta, though I'd love a 5 string if I could afford it.)

At any rate, that's probably more about electric violins than you wanted to
know. *grin* So I'll stop for now. I bet Zeta has a website somewhere,
though I've never looked for one.

Renee
lilitu@cjnetworks.com
http://www.cjnetworks.com/~lilitu