KDI MUSIC

Playing the Soprano Sax is very different than playing the alto or tenor saxophones. The Tenor Sax and Alto Sax tend to respond with a loose embouchure and many tenor players strive to keep the embouchure loose for a big sound. Soprano Sax needs a little firmer embouchure to play it well. Not tight so it does not respond but firm mostly for the upper register response. For example when you first play the high notes just pushing the key does not mean the note will come in.. a slight adjustment to the embouchure is necessary. Also the biggest mistake most players make when trying to play Soprano Sax is they do not push the mouthpiece far enough on the neck cork. If the mouthpiece is out a little too far then the bottom of the Soprano Sax and sometimes the high notes will not work. Pushing the mouthpiece in helps on most saxophones for the response. Find what is called the “Sweet Spot” where everything works. Remember to Practice as often as you can to achieve the i...

The 2015 Nisei Week Grand Parade celebrated its “75 th Anniversary” in Los Angeles as they “Let the Good Times Roll” on Sunday, August 16 th .  Once again, the Nisei Week Foundation Marching Band & Ondo Dancers took part with our largest group-to-date with 65 band members, 3 taiko drummers and 82 dancers.  And it was a busy but fun-filled day for all of us. We started the day with a mini concert at Centenary United Methodist Church playing the popular Ondo dance song , “One Plus One”,  as the congregation gathered for service.  The excitement of the music had people on their feet and some even joined our dancers in moving to the song. Then we went over to the Japanese American National Museum for a tour featuring Japanese American culture and history which helped many experience the legacy of the evolving JA culture in the United States.  It was followed by a traditional Japanese bento box lunch before our concert at the Little Tokyo Galleria Mall....

On Saturday, August 1 st the Magic Kingdom Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel played host to a truly magical night.  Nearly 300 people had gathered to celebrate “60 Magical Years of Disneyland” at the Disneyland Alumni Club’s anniversary gala. The KDI Music Volunteer Team started their day with breakfast at 7:00AM to “fuel up” for all the work ahead of them. By 8:00AM, under the direction of the KDI Music - Managing Director, and Creative Marketing Director, the team was ready for the set up. The Creative Marketing Director took the role of Volunteer Coordinator -   to work on the registration set-up, VIP gift bags and oversaw everything from “Volunteer Central” (she even commandeered a cocktail table by piling all her boxes, bags, files and event-related stuff on it).  The KDI Music Managing Director was busy helping set up the silent auction, coordinating the photo shooting by the Photographers, setting up stage hands to help load in the...

It was a bit of a grey morning due to the overcast sky on Sunday, June 14th as we headed to Cal State Long Beach.  But the atmosphere was anything but dreary when we arrived on the campus.  It was alive with excitement as 1,100 athletes along with their supporters, staff and volunteers came together for a day of competition and fun that was the Southern California Special Olympics - 2015 Summer Games. Getting the game booth ready We were among the 3,400+ volunteers there to support this great event.  After checking in and picking up our name tags, we headed over to the "Family Fun" area sponsored by Toyota for our assignment.  That area featured carnival-style games, crafts, and live entertainment for all to enjoy.  We took our shift in the "hoops" game booth where people tossed hoops to loop over prizes from Smurf figures to Power Ranger glasses to stuffed animals.  It was a lot of fun talking to people as they came by and cheering on those who stopp...

Playing the Soprano Sax is very different than playing the Alto Sax or Tenor Sax. The Tenor Sax and Alto Sax tend to respond with a loose embouchure and many Tenor Sax players strive to keep the embouchure loose for a big sound. Soprano Sax needs a little firmer embouchure to play it well. Not tight so it does not respond but firm mostly for the upper register response. For example when you first play the high notes just pushing the key does not mean the note will come in.. A slight adjustment to the embouchure is necessary. Also the biggest mistake most players make when trying to play soprano is they do not push the mouthpiece far enough on the neck cork. If the mouthpiece is out a little too far then the bottom of the Soprano Sax and sometimes the high notes will not work.   Pushing the mouthpiece in helps on most saxophones for the response. Find what is called the “Sweet Spot” where everything works. Thanks for Reading!! ...

Check out this Beauty • ALL Solid Mahogany Body • Mahogany bindings - Ebony appointments - Luna Active Pickup w/Equalizer. A concert ukulele from Luna is an awesome value. Quite the bang for your buck when you consider the all solid woods, active pickup system, and huge custom style inlay with real mother of pearl. Mahogany has a classic warmth that has always been loved for ukulele. This one is a pleasure to play and will continue to richen in tone because of the solid woods. This ukulele is beautiful in both look and sound.   On top of the artsy inlays is the real world value of a pickup/plug-in for live or studio use. Plus it also has an onboard active preamp/equalizer for control over your sound when plugged in. This model is only available in limited quantity, so grab one now and experience the best quality yet from one of our favorite ukulele makers, Luna. Comes with a Lightweight Ukulele Case  Check it out at:     http://kdimusic.com/ukulel...

Not only are the   Black Diamond Saxophones are Beautiful   - They Play Outstanding!! When Rheuben Allen started to create the design for the   Black Diamond   Series Saxophones he wanted a saxophone that a live player could use.  Mostly that all clubs, weddings, concerts and generally most live performances are not held in the same location and all rooms are different acoustically. The saxophonist must adjust to the location and room size.  So the qualities of the Black Nickel Plating came to mind.  He still makes saxophones with Black Nickel Bodies and Silver Plating and had made a few with Gold Lacquered keys.  They play very nice and are very strong.  He wondered what the saxophone would sound like with all Black Nickel Plating so he made a couple Prototypes and was very happy with the results. They did everything he had hoped.  Black Nickel is very durable plating and adds a little weight to the instruments providing t...