Maybe I should get a wind synth so I can play headphones

Reader

Have you ever wondered why the saxophone isn’t a standard part of an orchestra? It was patented in 1846, that makes it nearly 180 years old. You will sometimes hear composers add them, and it’s very cool, but why aren’t they standard for anything written in the last century?

Folks still consider the saxophone a “new” instrument, and sometimes it seems there’s not much happening in the innovation of instruments. But in the world of electronics, nothing could be farther from the truth. In this week's episode of Zeitgeist Radio, I’m speaking with a saxophone player about one of the newest innovations in wind instruments - the EWI, or Electronic Wind Instrument.

It may not have a place in the symphony either, but in the world of video games, it’s absolutely everywhere.

Joe Newman is an arranger and performer out of the Bay area in California. In this conversation he describes how the EWI works and a few different types of inputs (breath or sound), a few of the outputs (different sound types, LED lights). We also discuss the video game arranging competition Dwelling of Duels, and a themed jazz jam Joe started in San Francisco.

Regardless of whether you play video games or not, innovation is always cool to hear about. I think you'll love this conversation!