Pick up a free baton at Music Education Expo

Don't forget to pick up your free conductor's baton when attending the Black Cat Acoustics talk at the Music Education Expo on Wednesday 20th March and taking place at 10.15am in Seminar Theatre 1. 

Black Cat Acoustics will be presenting a talk on the theme of 'Solving your Noise Problems' at the Music Education Expo 2013 event being staged at London’s Barbican venue, 20/21 March. Black Cat Music and partner company MusicPracticeRooms.com are proud to be Platinum Sponsors of this new undertaking. 

The Black Cat Acoustics session will address common noise problems and their solutions. There will also be an opportunity for you to put your noise problems to our specialists, who can suggest some practical and simple to implement solutions. The workshop style session will provide a straightforward and commonsense approach to noise issues, and we hope that all attendees will come out with ideas to help them manage the acoustics in their schools. 

Delegates' tickets for the Music Education Expo are free if you register in advance - just visithttp://www.musiceducationexpo.co.uk/ to register for your free entry. 

Roughneck all metal music stand handles tough treatment

Anyone looking to invest in a rugged all-metal music stand, for practice and performance use that really lives up to its name, should take a look at the Wenger Roughneck. With its welded base, the Roughneck Music stand always stands straight, won't lean or wobble and will never need tightening. 

Finished with durable black powder coat paint, the 22 gauge steel desk has rolled edges for structural strength. To remove any concerns about accidental damage such as scratching or denting to expensive instruments, the use of polycarbonate and rounded edges means there are no sharp edges to worry about. The bolt-through desk attachment means that the desk holds firmly and securely, with desk height from floor to desk lip adjustable between 69cm to 110cm and a trigger lock that easily holds 30 lbs without releasing. 

Probably the toughest music stand on the market thanks also to its 12-gauge steel welded wobble-free base attachment designed for extreme durability and no tip overs. This rugged construction standard is carried through to an 18-gauge inner post that won’t dent and ensures the slider mechanism keeps functioning freely. 

For the complete story see the Roughneck Music Stand details on the Black Cat Music web site. 

It’s Canterbury Tales for 2013 MMA Conference.

Looking forward to making the short journey across Kent to St Edmund’s School Canterbury in May, are delegates from Black Cat Music. 

Canterbury’s Cathedral School will welcome members to the 2013 MMA Conference (17-19th May) when a diverse and comprehensive programme to inspire music teachers and practitioners is promised. 

Marketing Manager, Alice Dagger summed up Black Cat Music’s anticipation of the conference, saying, “We look forward to the MMA Conference this year especially, as we're local and love visiting Canterbury!” 

Further details are on the MMA web site. 

Last chance to buy music stands & carts at discount

A special price offer from Black Cat Music that proved so popular before, is back for January – but hurry, time is running out. As a special promotion, 20 x Classic 50 Music Stands plus a large size Move & Store Cart are offered by Black Cat Music with a saving of £122. 

The package normally priced at £1,215 is on offer throughout January at just £1,093 plus VAT and delivery. Schools and colleges looking to equip with new music stands designed for robust and regular handling can take advantage of this great New Year offer. 

Already a top seller, the popular Classic 50 Music Stand doesn’t compromise on a design that is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formula of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands - a design that also makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. When the performance, rehearsal or class is over, stands can be stacked on the easy to load Move & Store Cart for transport and convenient, compact storage. 

For full details on the January offer can be found on the Black Cat Music web site. 

Submit a new product idea to Wenger

As Wenger’s master distributor in the UK and Europe, Black Cat Music invites customers to come up with ideas for improvements to products, or even ideas for new products. 

This is what Wenger are asking. For over 65 years Wenger have worked closely with our customers and listened carefully to their needs. From these relationships and this feedback we often come up with enhancements to our products and sometimes new products entirely. This is the place for you to share an idea you may have with our engineers. 

Go online to describe your product idea and submit any drawings that will help convey your concept. Who knows? Your idea could be our next big product! 

Date for the diary – ISBA Conference

The Black Cat Music team will be attending the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association Annual Conference at Torquay in May. Conference delegates are invited to drop by the Black Cat Music exhibition stand where examples from their comprehensive range of music education and performance equipment will be on display. 

The 2013 ISBA annual conference will take place at the Riviera International Conference Centre (RICC) in Torquay from Wednesday 8th May - Thursday 9th May. The ISBA hosts an annual members only two-day conference every year in May. The event, which is held in selected locations throughout the UK, attracts some 400 bursars and senior management staff from member schools and around 100 exhibitors. 

Are you sitting comfortably?

Dual seating zones - the perched position (forward).

Dual seating zones - the engaged position (back).

We explain how knowledge of ergonomic design and good posture is essential for developing chairs that correctly support musicians. 

Ergonomics – a brief overview. 

Derived from the Greek ‘ergon’ (work) and ‘nomos’ (laws), ergonomics is the science that examines how humans interact with the systems they use. An understanding of ergonomics can be applied to develop systems and products that are better tuned to the physical and mental needs of the people that use them. Ergonomics can describe physical activities such as posture, materials handling, repetitive movements, workplace layout, safety and health. Processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response involving mental workload, decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction and human reliability are referred to as cognitive ergonomics. While the optimisation of sociotechnical systems such as communication, work design, culture and quality are known as organisational ergonomics. 

Why ergonomics are relevant to musicians 

Musicians should be aware that good posture is essential to minimise health problems and that playing wind, string or percussion instruments can lead to repetitive strain injuries. This human interaction can benefit greatly from an understanding of ergonomics and application of the insights revealed applied to the design of equipment and instruments and how they are used. For players of wind instruments holding a good posture, with the instrument properly held, opens up the chest cavity allowing for good breathing. There are differences, sometimes significantly different, between sitting and standing postures. Musicians who have learned to play in one position may find it difficult to play in the other so both postures need to be exercised in order to strengthen the necessary muscles. 

Repetitive Stress Injuries - tendonitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, back, neck and shoulder pain and calluses - are risks for musicians who play for any length of time, whether professionally or for pleasure. Many musicians are likely to suffer from some level of repetitive stress at sometime since playing and practising music calls for repetitive motion. To counteract it you need to know what causes repetitive stress injuries and ensure that you warm up properly, stretch before and after playing, to take breaks and generally keep fit. 

Why standard chairs are not suitable for musicians 

Standard chairs let the musician slouch, allowing the spine to be forced out of its natural supportive position. This lowers the rib cage and constricts the diaphragm, reducing airflow. Wenger Music Posture Chair design redefined what a music chair should be by providing the seated musician with the same strong, natural posture as if they were standing. Nota takes that concept to the next level, providing rear and forward seating positions that allow musicians to sit in the manner that best suits their style and instrument. Both the Premier and Standard models also feature a narrow convex back that provides lumbar support while still allowing freedom and range of movement, and a rounded waterfall front that provides better circulation and comfort for a wider range of body sizes. Nota popularity is growing fast because there’s no other chair like it and it’s built to work and look great for the long run.

New ergonomically designed dynamic frame chair supports natural movement of musicians 

The new Wenger Nota conBRIO chair available from Black Cat Music is built on a dynamic, flexible frame that encourages and supports a musician’s natural movement. The Nota conBRIO chair was developed following years of discussions with educators and musicians who were looking to progress the functionality of existing music posture chairs. 

Inventors, Wenger explained, “with the variety of postural positions required of musicians, and brain, mind, and body research establishing significant links between movement and learning we knew we had to develop a dynamic chair.” The Nota conBRIO chair, with its cantilever frame, is as much a “teaching tool” as a chair. Built on a dynamic frame that encourages and supports the musician’s natural movement, it promotes the engagement of the musician’s entire body in the musical performance. It also further enhances the chair’s ability to mimic a standing posture - the posture that is the strongest and most supportive - when in a seated position. “There’s never been a music chair that provides such a stable, yet fluid foundation and the means to so co-engage in the musical performance” said a Wenger spokesman. Another smart feature is music directors can mix and match the ConBrio with the traditional Nota chair as the look and footprint of the chairs allow them to work together, even inter-stacking the two models of chairs on the same cart. 

The current Nota chair has been received positively in the market and is providing great benefits to its users. With its passive ergonomics, it enables the musician to sit in a variety of positions and be supported or encouraged to sit with good alignment. The dual position seat allows them to sit back and have the support of the convex shaped backrest or they can sit forward, perching on the front edge of the chair. Many musicians prefer this position but most chairs aren’t designed for this -- the Nota chair is -- with a forward “flat” position and also with the rounded waterfall front. Whether sitting straight in the chair or angled - as so many musicians do - musicians will be encouraged to sit with good posture. The narrow convex back really makes the Nota chair unique. The narrow back provides support but doesn’t get in the way of the musician playing, even when sitting angled on the chair. 

The introduction of Nota conBRIO chair now offers the option of dynamic or static ergonomically designed chairs, or a mix of both that can happily be used together. 

Black Cat Music reaffirms backing for ABTT

Black Cat Music is pleased to announce renewal of its Bronze membership of the ABTT Industry Supporters Group as confirmation of support for the work of the Association of British Theatre Technicians. 

The ABTT is a charity and a company limited by the guarantee of its members campaigning on behalf of the theatre industry to ensure legislation is appropriate to the industry’s needs, and that regulations are suitably drafted and enforced. Launched in 1961, the Association was started with a small enthusiastic group particularly to raise technical standards in the theatre by collecting and making available information concerning theatre planning, stage machinery, lighting and sound equipment, acoustic, scenery construction, stage management and all aspects of presentation. From these early beginnings the Association's membership rose to around 250 by the mid 60's, by 1970 stood at 400 and today is around 1700 and rising. 

Black Cat Music looks forward to Musikschulkongress

The Black Cat team will once again be exhibiting at Musikschulkongress which is taking place from 26-28 April in Bamberg, Germany. 

Musikschulkongress is an event taking place every two years that provides the occasion for representatives from over 950 German music schools to meet and share ideas on best practice in Music Education. As a supporting member of the VDM - Verband Deutscher Musikschulen - Black Cat Music has been attending Musikschulkongress since 2009. It is a conference that never fails to be interesting and enjoyable and is a great opportunity for German music teachers to see and try out Black Cat’s music stands, ergonomic posture chairs, choir folders, staging and conductor’s equipment. 

Based in the UK, Black Cat Music is Master Distributor for Wenger in Europe and Russia. Wenger music equipment is world-renowned for its quality and longevity, and all Wenger products come with a minimum 5-year guarantee. 

Send us your concert dates and we'll help promote them

Do you have any forthcoming performances that you'd like to promote? Just let us know the dates and details plus any images or logos if you have them and we'll be happy to mention them on our online news section and social media channels. We're also happy to post your approved photos and reviews from past concerts if you'd like to tell the world about them. 

Just email your news items to info@blackcatmusic.com - we look forward to hearing from you! 

Special New Year prices on music stands and cart

A special price offer from Black Cat Music that proved so popular before, is back for January. As a special promotion, 20 x Classic 50 Music Stands plus a large size Move & Store Cart are offered by Black Cat Music with a saving of £122. 

The package normally priced at £1,215 is on offer throughout January at just £1,093 plus VAT and delivery. Schools and colleges looking to equip with new music stands designed for robust and regular handling can take advantage of this great New Year offer. 

Already a top seller, the popular Classic 50 Music Stand doesn’t compromise on a design that is tough enough to handle the hardships of regular classroom use thanks to a formula of advanced polymers offering inherent tensile strength that will not bend or dent like metal stands - a design that also makes it quiet and rattle-free during performances. And the scratch resistant desk surface also incorporates a unique recess for keeping pencils in place. When the performance, rehearsal or class is over, stands can be stacked on the easy to load Move & Store Cart for transport and convenient, compact storage. 

For full details on the January offer can be found on the Black Cat Music web site. 

Black Cat Acoustics - Solving your Noise Problems at the Music Expo

Black Cat Acoustics will be running a useful workshop on the theme of 'Solving your Noise Problems' at the Music Education Expo 2013 event being staged at London’s Barbican venue, 20/21 March. Black Cat Music and partner company MusicPracticeRooms.com are proud to be Platinum Sponsors of this new undertaking. 

The Black Cat Acoustics session (Seminar Theatre 1 at 10.15-11am on the Wednesday) will address common noise problems and their solutions. There will also be an opportunity for you to put your noise problems to our specialists, who can suggest some practical and simple to implement solutions. The workshop will provide a straightforward and commonsense approach to noise issues, and we hope that all attendees will come out with ideas to help them manage the acoustics in their schools. 

Delegates' tickets for the Music Education Expo are free if you register in advance - just visit http://www.musiceducationexpo.co.uk/ to register for your free entry.