[Dixielandjazz] Speaking Of Midi

[Robert S. Ringwald]

For a while I was writing a column for the Sacramento Traditional 
Jazz Society's monthly news letter.  The following is my June, 
2001 article.  
 
Bob
mr.wonderful@ringwald.com
Placervile, CA USA
 
 
Jazz Website of the Month
By Bob Ringwald
 
>From the October, 2001 issue of:
AND ALL THAT JAZZ
The monthly publication of the 
SACRAMENTO TRADITIONAL JAZZ SOCIETY.   
 
This month we feature "THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MIDI" (MUSICAL 
INSTRUMENT DIGITAL INTERFACE). 
 
While this sounds like a complicated term, all it really means 
is--by using a computer with a MIDI file, you can make an 
electronic music instrument play music. Of course, the instrument 
must be interfaced (hooked up) digitally to the source producing 
the MIDI file. Think of it as sort of a PLAYER PIANO operated by 
a COMPUTER instead of an OLD-FASHIONED PLAYER PIANO ROLL. 
 
You may create a MIDI file yourself by playing an instrument 
which is interfaced to a computer which is digitally recording 
what you play. Or, you can write a piece of music to a MIDI file 
and then play it back on a musical instrument. You can get MIDI 
files on computer disks or from the World Wide Web. 
 
There are many MIDI sites on the Web. A good one is 
http://homepages.tesco.net/~stridepiano/midifiles. This site is 
owned and maintained by John Farrell, a stride pianist in 
Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, England who posts MIDI files on his 
website for fun and produces old-fashioned piano rolls and Stride 
Piano sheet music for profit. 
 
Mr. Farrell takes famous piano players' recordings, transfers 
them to MIDI files and posts them on his website for anyone in 
the world to listen to and enjoy. He also transfers famous piano 
recordings to old-fashioned piano rolls which then may be 
purchased on the JazzMan and JAM labels. 
 
If you go to his website and click on a particular song, you will 
hear it played on a 9-foot Steinway Concert Grand. Of course, the 
quality of what you hear can be severely limited by the quality 
of your computer sound card and/or speakers. The better your 
sound card and speakers are, the better the music will sound. 
 
Other interesting MIDI websites on the World Wide Web are: 
 
Ragtime: http://www.members.aol.com/ragtimers 
 
Classical: http://www.prs.net
 
Boogie and 12-bar blues:  
http://www.myrtlebeachstreaming.com/MIDI/BOOGIE/default.htm
 
Country:  http://www.spacestar.net/users/shiznitt/midi.htm
 
When typing the URL (website address), be sure to enter it 
accurately, exactly as written. Computers are only as good as the 
person operating them. Remember the old adage, "GIGO" (garbage 
in, garbage out). 
 
For further details on MIDI, Stride Piano sheet music and modern 
piano rolls, contact John Farrell direct at 
stridepiano@tesco.net. 
 
Your comments are always welcome. If you have a favorite website 
that you would like to share with our readers, please direct your 
emails to bob@ringwald.com. Happy Jazz websurfing. :-)  
 
Editor's Note: If you would like to see Bob Ringwald's own 
personal website, go to http://www.ringwald.com. 
 
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