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This file includes Bands and Musical Instruments, Banjos, Bassoons, Beat, Clarinets, Drums, Flutes, Guitars, Mandolins, Oboes, Pianos and Organs, Playing, Rhythm, Saxophones, Tambourines, Trombones, Trumpets, and Violin and Fiddle.

Also see Music, Performing Arts, Music Song Titles, Dancing, Musician Birthdays, and Lyrics.

Bands and Musical Instruments

Page Toppers

Quotes

Command Performance

The conductor of the local orchestra was frustrated because at least one of the musicians was absent at every rehearsal. At the final rehearsal, all were present and the conductor publicly thanked the pianist who hadn't missed a practice.
"Well, it's the least I could do," the pianist replied, "considering I won't be able to play at the concert." (from Reader's Digest)

Official State Musical Instruments

Only a few states have official musical instruments.
The fiddle was selected by Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota.
Others include: Iowa - trombone; Kentucky - Appalachian dulcimer; Louisiana - diatonic accordion (Cajun accordion); Texas - guitar.
Oklahoma also selected the drum as their official Percussive Instrument.
The unofficial state musical instrument of Wisconsin is the accordion.

Songs about Bands

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Banjos

Quotes

Songs about Banjos

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Bassoons

Quotes

Sooner or Later

There once was a brainy baboon
who always breathed down a bassoon
for he said, It appears
that in billions of years
I shall certainly hit on a tune.

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Beat

Page Toppers

Songs about Beat

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Clarinets

Quotes

Songs about Clarinets

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Drums

Page Toppers

Quotes

Songs about Drums

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Flutes

Quotes

Songs about Flutes

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Guitars

Quotes

Songs about Guitars

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Mandolins

Quotes

Songs about Mandolins

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Oboes

Quotes

Songs about Oboes

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Pianos and Organs

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Quotes

Piano

(D. H. Lawrence)

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.

In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
And hymns in the cozy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.

So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.

I've Heard an Organ Talk, Sometimes

(Emily Dickinson)

I've heard an Organ talk, sometimes
In a Cathedral Aisle,
And understood no word it said--
Yet held my breath, the while--

And risen up--and gone away,
A more Berdardine Girl--
Yet--know not what was done to me
In that old Chapel Aisle.

Songs about Organs

Songs about Pianos

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Playing

Page Toppers

Quotes

Songs about Playing

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Rhythm

Quotes

Songs about Rhythm

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Saxophones

Quotes

Songs about Saxophones

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Tambourines

from Mr. Tambourine Man

(Bob Dylan)

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Songs about Tambourines

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Trombones

Quotes

from Seventy-Six Trombones

Seventy-six trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand.
They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos,
the cream of ev'ry famous band.

Seventy-six trombones caught the morning sun,
With a hundred and ten cornets right behind.
There were more than a thousand reeds springing up like weeds,
there were horns of ev'ry shape and kind.

Songs about Trombones

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Trumpets

Quotes

Songs about Trumpets

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Violins and Fiddles

Page Toppers

Quotes

Violin Concert

Around 1955 a Rumanian gentleman was owed a favor by the celebrated violinist, George Enesco. He was persuaded to give violin lessons to the gentleman's untalented son. Three years later the father insisted he give a public concert, saying, "His Aunt said that nobody plays the violin better than he does." Although Enesco feared the consequences, he arranged a recital at the Salle Gaveau in Paris. Since the soloist was unknown no one bought a ticket.
"Then you must accompany him on the piano," said the boys father, "and it will be a sellout."
Reluctantly Enesco agreed and it was. One the night an excited audience gathered. Before the concert Enesco became nervous and asked for someone to turn his pages. In the audience was Alfred Cortot, the brilliant pianist, who volunteered and made his way to the stage.
The soloist was uniformly bad and next morning the music critic of 'Le Figaro' wrote: "There was a strange concert at the Salle Gareau last night. The man whom we adore when he plays the violin played the piano. Another whom we adore when he plays the piano turned the pages. While the man who should have turned the pages played the violin."

Songs about Violins

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Songs about Fiddles

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