MUSI 3041 Assignment 4: Musical Instrument Assignment - Sustainability of Reeds in Woodwind Instruments

 MUSI 3041 Assignment 4

Musical Instrument Assignment

Sustainability of Reeds in Woodwind Instruments


Topic and rationale


For this assignment, my focus is on the reeds of woodwind instruments. More precisely, whether the processes involved in producing reeds are sustainable and eco-friendly as well as the raw materials themselves. I am interested in the topic after I learnt from lesson that the body of Oboe, clarinet and Bassoon are carved of endangered wood species, namely African Blackwood and Rosewood. As a former oboe player, I would like to whether the production of reeds would harm the environment as well, considering they have high turnover rate due to them being fragile and having short lifespans. 


Material


The vibration of reeds is the source of sound in most woodwind instruments. The sound is then regulated and amplified by the body of the instruments to produce music. Whether it is single-reed instruments (with the reed vibrating against the move piece), or double-reed instruments (two halves vibrating against each other, or even quadruple-reed ones (with the reeds folded), almost all of them have reeds made of cane. 


Cane, sometime knows by the names giant reed or Arundo donax, is a type of plant growing in the muddy area by the water. Originated from areas surrounding the Mediterranean sea, it is now commonly found all over the world. It is one of the fastest growing plants, which can grow up to 10cm a day (Noaman 2018). In fact, it was widely considered one of the toughest invasive species due to its resistance to weather and is a target of control (Pilu et al. 9166). Moreover, it is a sustainable plant that provide benefits to the environment through its ability to reduce soil erosion, regulate water, reduce carbon dioxide in air (Noaman, 2018).


Cane have similar structure and properties to bamboo. Straight, sturdy, cylindrical hollow tubes ranging from 2 to 8 metres tall sprout from the ground divided into sections. Due to its abundance, as well as properties such as durability (thanks to its silica content in the outside tissue), low density, resistance to humidity, this material receive recognition since ancient Egypt (Noaman, 2018) and has remained popular in modern times. Its products include but not limit to walking sticks, fishing rod, building material, woven baskets, musical instruments, both as reeds or tubes for aerophones. Recently, it attracts attention as an energy crop (Noaman, 2018; Pilu et al., 2012) and as a eco-friendly building material (Noaman, 2018) 


Manufacture


Despite the abundant supply of wild grown cane, reed production could not take advantage of it as only specially cultivated canes in Southern France are suitable for reed production (Bucur, 2019). They are harvested  after two to three years of growth, between December and march, when the plant stop growing, are less moist and less vulnerable to insects' or cryptogamic attack (Bucur, 2019). The cane then go through selection process, which only straight tubes with golden brown colour are desired. Then, the tubes go through curing and ageing that can takes one to two years before they are ready for reed production. For double reed instruments in particular, it is common for performers to hand-make their own reeds for control of quality and tailor to their liking. The main procedure involve shaping, gouging (removing the soft inner material, keeping the hard bark and a thin layer below it) and binding the two halves with strings on the stand. In fact, oboe reeds from 18th century are thicker at the tip on average compare to modern ones precisely because of the absence of gouging machine (Bucur, 2019).


Conclusion


It is delighted to acknowledge that reed manufacturing for musical instrument is sustainable and eco-friendly. Learning the production of musical instrument not only remind us how precious they are, but discovering a deeper connection between music ecology and actual ecology. The network of musicking does not just confined to the real-time experiences in the performance or the composition of music, but also the preparation process, that takes time, effort, craft and grace from mother nature. 



Reference list 


Bucur, V. (2019). Physical, Mechanical and Acoustical Properties of Cane for Reeds. Handbook of Materials for Wind Musical Instruments (pp. 167-265). Springer, Cham. https://doi-org.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/10.1007/978-3-030-19175-7_4


Bucur, V. (2019). Manufacturing of the Reeds for Reed Driven Instruments. Handbook of Materials for Wind Musical Instruments (pp. 559-577). Springer, Cham. https://doi-org.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/10.1007/978-3-030-19175-7_14


Noaman, S. (2018). Usage of Arundo Donax L. as a sustainable material in interior design and architecture. In Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts. Routledge.



Pilu, R., Bucci, A., Badone, F., & Landoni, M. (2012). Giant reed (Arundo donax L.): A weed plant or a promising energy crop? Afr J Biotechnol, 11. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB11.4182





























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