We are still on the road to find what Mother had stored in her closets......................
This has been interesting to say the least!
Pull out a few towels and then you reach in and find
This!
Who ever in my family played this instrument? I can only guess it was one of my
brothers, as I know I didn't! Maybe, Mother played it--no reason to ask her, she doesn't remember
one day to the next.
Then you read Wikipedia description.......
The melodica, also known as the pianica, blow-organ, key-flute or key-ute, is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodion and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole, allowing air to flow through a reed. The keyboard is usually two or three octaves long. Melodicas are small, light, and portable. They are popular in music education, especially in Asia.
The modern form of the instrument was invented by Hohner in the 1950s, though similar instruments have been known in Italy since the 19th century.
The melodica was first used as a serious musical instrument in the 1960s by composers such as Steve Reich, in his piece titled Melodica (1966) and jazz musician Phil Moore, Jr., on his 1969 Atlantic Records album Right On. Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal developed a technique consisting of singing while playing the melodica, resulting in a wide tonal and harmonic palette. It is associated with Jamaican dub and reggae musician Augustus Pablo who popularized it in the 1970s.
Well, you have it! Popular in the 1950-1970! The time period of our household! Maybe, one of my brothers can clarify why Mother would save such a thing.
come back tomorrow to see what else we pulled out of mother's closets.
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