The oboe is said to have a loud and bright noise. It has been compared to the noise of a duck, if a duck were a songbird.

The pitch of an oboe is largely decided by the reed. It is said that French reeds sound different to English reeds.

The oboe was a much used instrument in classical composition. Mozart, Haydn, Bach and Beethoven all wrote pieces for the oboe although some of it only remains in part.

It is interesting to note that the oboe is not confined to European music. There are several types of oboe used in classical Thai music too. I saw a performance of Thai classical music that used oboes recently on Phangan Island in the Gulf of Thailand. Although, the performers were laid on for the benefit of the tourists, they actually made a good fist of the performance. As an oboe player I noticed the difference in pitch and timbre between the European oboe and the Thai oboe. Obviously the extreme humidity of Koh Phangan weather greatly affected the sound of the instrument.

What is encouraging from my stay in Koh Phangan was to see that classical music is still being performed to receptive audiences, and to witness just how much of an international instrument the oboe actually is.

Anyway, I recently took my Oboe and went to stay on the beach closest to La On Village called Nang Tong. It is a long beach with fine copper colored sand. Despite being the main beach in the area it wasn’t crowded or full of people on sun loungers. Instead there was plenty of room for the few people paddling in the sea and lying on the beach.

I stayed at a nice mid-range place called Suwan Palm Resort. I had a comfortable air con room and, thanks to my friend who owns a bar in La On, I managed to get a good discount on the price of the room. The people running the place were very friendly.

In the evenings I had an early dinner with my friend. He would then rush off to open up his bar. I would wonder up and down La On taking in the sights and doing a spot of shopping. Later on I would go back to my room pick up my Oboe and then head down to my friend’s small bar. In return for me playing a few pieces on my Oboe he would give me free cocktails.

Although the young crowd in the bar probably didn’t have much classical music on their iPods my music was well received.

I have to say that was one of the best 2 week holidays I’ve ever had.

When I travel, I never let my oboe out of my sight. I have it as carry-on luggage when I get on an airplane. I would never dream of checking it in as luggage. I would be in constant fear of someone treating it roughly. Even though it is in a padded case I fret about it getting banged about and the wood getting cracked.

At home I have installed a new programmable thermostat. It is the Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp. It is ideal for me as the thermostat also includes a relative humidity monitor. I can track the water in the air at home. If the humidity gets to high I turn on the air-con to reduce it. If it gets too dry I hang out some wet laundry in the room. Unless I do this my oboe is liable to crack with too little air moisture or warp from too much.

I also have the benefit of being able to set up a program for weekdays and different ones for the weekend. These programs are divided into 4 periods: wake, leave, return and sleep. I set the programs to match my schedule so that I never waste money over-heating or over-cooling the room. The savings I have made have already paid for my Lux Products programmable thermostat.

I now have to find a way of not worrying about my oboe when I leave it at the house while I go to work. I’m now looking at installing better fire alarms as well as a burglar alarm.

Koh Phangan is located in the south of Thailand in the Gulf of Siam. It is a beautiful tropical island with many golden sand beaches. 90% of the island retains its original tree cover. Although developing quickly, Koh Phangan has respected the importance of protecting natural resources.

Haad Rin is in the south-east peninsula. It is narrow strip of land hemmed in by mountains. On both sides of Haad Rin town there are beaches – a sunrise one and a sunset one. It is on the bigger sunrise beach that the world’s biggest moon party occurs.

The party regularly attracts between 20,000 and 30,000 people. It is a high energy but peaceful affair that is well organized. A row of bars along the beach provide the music. Between the bars are small shacks selling Thailand’s famous ‘bucket’ beverage. Each bar has a signature sound that ranges from chart to drum and bass. Several of the sound systems play Koh Phangan’s version of psy-trance music. Party goers cover their bodies in fluorescent paint and dance all night under the stars.

The following morning the sun rises over the ocean and the party winds down. Many of the survivors then head off to the nearby Backyard Pub to continue the party throughout the following day.

There are plenty of rooms in Haad Rin ranging from a few dollars a night to 3 star hotels with swimming pools. It is essential to turn up a few days before the party to get a room. Alternatively, many places take online reservations.

The Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan is an unforgettable experience. Many people come year after year to get wild under the full moon on a tropical island.

You might have wanted to buy a new flat screen plasma TV, a new car, a holiday in the Caribbean and a new smart phone for you and your loved ones this Christmas. Now you are thinking that maybe you might not have a job next year; and that when your kids grow up they might never experience a white Christmas.

Take stock of all the positives in your life: your health; your family; the fact you have a roof over your head. These are the really precious things in life.

And don’t be upset about the loss of potential presents. Why not make yourself feel good about yourself? Why not buy green presents for people this Christmas?

One good way to start searching for green gifts suitable for your family and friends is to look at bamboo items. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. It thrives without pesticides and fertilizers and it helps top soil retention. Growing bamboo produces more oxygen and recycles more carbon than trees – although we still need the great forests of the world.

Here is a brief list of a few bamboo gift ideas to get you going. By buying bamboo you are getting something that is strong, antimicrobial, long lasting and, most importantly, earth friendly:

1) An expensive bamboo gift is an ASUS bamboo laptop. It cuts down on the amount of plastic used for the laptop by 15%.
2) A bamboo water hammer for the garden will bring a touch of oriental beauty to your outdoor space.
3) Bamboo blinds and shades improve insulation and give a new aesthetic to a room. They are also easy to clean and stop dust mites breeding.
4) Bamboo bowls and kitchen utensils are safe for food preparation and serving. They are easy to clean and look attractive.
5) Bamboo charcoal in bags can be put in bins and the fridge to remove bad smells. Every couple of months the bags can be put in the sunshine for a few hours to regain their ability to remove bad smells
6) Lucky bamboo is not bamboo but it looks like bamboo and is believed to bring good luck to a home and an enterprise. It also makes a good conversation piece.
7) Bamboo vinegar foot detox patches are extremely popular in the Far East. They are the easy way to detox during the night while you are sleeping.

Just from these seven examples it is hoped that the reader has got a better idea about the great variety of bamboo gifts available that somebody they know may like. Perhaps it is better to consider the age of austerity as the age of enlightenment when people wake up to the fact that the pursuit of pieces of paper has driven the world to the brink of disaster, and now it is time to return to the real values of a healthy environment and a healthy family.

During rehearsals for the big show later this month I kept feeling the irresistible urge to stop playing my Bassoon and scratch my leg. I didn’t of course, because that would have resulted in one of those steely-eyed stares from Brian, our conductor.

No musician likes to be on the receiving end of a glare from any Conductor, and Brian’s the type of guy who you want to stay on the right side of so I somehow managed to keep playing and saved all of the scratching until my piece was over, or at least until I had something of a break in my playing responsibilities.

Now, I’ve been known to break out in a rash induced by stress so I put the itching and scratching down to nerves in anticipation of the concert we’ve been planning for months and which is almost upon us.

Alas, I wish it were only nerves because the reality is rather more unpleasant.

That’s right, my bassoon’s got fleas!

I’m making this somewhat embarrassing revelation in the hope that someone reading this can avoid my predicament. You see, I have a dog called Marcus who I love very much, but sometimes he brings unwanted things into the house. In the past he’s brought dirty sticks collected during long walks by the river, chewed up golf balls he’s foraged from the rough of the local links, he’s even been known to bring home the occasional rabbit (dead of course). All of these things I can handle.

What I can’t handle is an army of fleas, none of which I can see until they’re upon me and all of which seem to be masters in the art of urban warfare.

Declaring War on the Dog Fleas

As soon as I realised we had an infestation, I took Marcus to the vets and got some flea spot-on for him. I also treated the house from top to bottom with a spray that kills the fleas that hide in your carpets as well as the dog’s bedding. These ninja fleas can even hide between cracks in the floorboards, so you really have to be thorough.

What I had failed to anticipate was the ingenuity of a group of enterprising fleas who had taken up residence in my bassoon. I didn’t spray my instrument with the chemicals because I didn’t want to damage it, and also for health and safety reasons, but mainly because it never crossed my mind that they would be so cunning.

After a lot of deliberation over how best to get rid of the problem, I took my bassoon to the local music store. They seemed to know exactly what to do (apparently my problem is more common than you might think). The solution involved a musical technician, a vacuum cleaner and some specialist tools – no chemicals.

I now have my bassoon back in full working order and flea free.

Prevention is Better Than Cure

If you’re a musician and your dog gets fleas, treat your dog, treat your home, but whatever you do don’t forget to treat your instrument. Better yet, as my vet keeps reminding me, ensure you’re up to date with a programme of year-round preventative flea control using a good quality spot-on like Frontline or Frontline Plus for dogs. After all, prevention, as we all know, is far better than cure.

Environmental Benefits

The coconut takes just 7 years to reach maturity. That is incredibly quick and makes coconut a renewable resource. Using renewable resources such as coconut and bamboo instead of rapidly diminishing non-renewable resources such as hardwood trees makes very good environmental sense. An added environmental benefit of the coconut palm is that it doesn’t need chemical pesticides or fertilizers to grow. Thus, 99% of coconut palms and coconut products are organic and healthy for consumption.

Economic Benefits

For many people who live in tropical zones the coconut is of vital importance to the economy. Coconuts, copra, coconut oil and coconut timber are all commercial products that help keep farmers above the poverty line. Coconut plantations do not damage nature and provide an income and a wealth of other benefits to communities.

Health Benefits

There are a number of important health benefits to be derived from introducing coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk and coconut flour into a diet. For a start coconut oil contains a high percentage of medium chain fatty acids that are more easily metabolized by the body than other fats such as soy, sunflower and vegetable oils. This means coconut oil gives the body energy and helps people to lose weight.

One fatty acid in coconut oil that is particularly important is lauric acid. It is an antimicrobial agent that helps to protect the body against viral infection. It has also been shown to stimulate the thyroid gland and thus improve the immunity system.

Coconut products have been used for centuries in traditional medicines. In India Ayurveda recommends using coconut milk to treat mouth ulcers. Other traditional uses for coconut milk and coconut oil include detoxifying the intestinal tract, stabilizing diabetes and treating kidney stones.

During World War Two both sides used coconut water in the Pacific arena for emergency IV transfusions. This is because coconut water is sterile and a match for blood plasma.

Those people suffering from food allergies will be interested to know that coconut milk contains minerals such as calcium and a wide range of vitamins. It is a great 100% lactose free substitute for cow’s milk that can be used for many recipes.

Similarly, coconut flour is gluten free. It can be used to bake bread and cakes. It can also be added to smoothies to make protein drinks. Coconut flour is high in protein and fiber and yet low in carbohydrates.

Re-hydration

Coconut water contains a higher percentage of essential electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium than any sports drink. Coconut water is thus ideal for those people who like to work out. Coconut water is 99% fat free and low in sodium. It is also an environmentally friendly product.

Other Coconut Products

The timber from coconut is hard and can be used to make attractive flooring. The husks of coconuts can be carved like wood into many useful household products. In places like Thailand the leaves of the coconut palm are traditionally used to make roof thatching.

As can be clearly seen from the above review the coconut palm is a truly remarkable plant with many possible uses. It is a plant that can make both people and the environment healthier.

Alkaline Diet Outline

This way of eating is really quite simple. It starts off with the idea that the common foods eaten in the Standard American Diet (SAD) are too acidic. In other words, we are not eating enough alkaline foods to balance out the acidity that’s created in our bodies by eating a SAD.

Fast foods, foods high in fat, animal products, processed foods are all examples of acid foods. On the other hand, fresh fruits and vegetables are what we need to alkalize. Which makes up the majority of your diet?

How to Become More Alkaline

It is so easy to start enjoying the benefits of better health, better circulation, improved respiratory capacity and so on which we know are useful in our profession. All that we need do is eat more of the good foods (fruits and vegetables) and less of the processed stuff. This may seem easier said than done. But by making a bit of effort and learning some new cooking techniques and recipes, it’s possible to eat healthy food that tastes amazing.

This is the point about not just the alkaline diet but health in general. Healthy eating and loving food can go hand in hand. It’s really good to know that once we start to eat the right stuff, there’s no really need to watch how much we eat.

Alkaline Diet Steps

You might think that this all sounds good in theory but want to know exactly what you can do on a day to day basis to improve your diet. Let’s start out with improving one meal at a time. Breakfast is as good a place to start as any. What you should do as soon as you get up is to head to the faucet and pour yourself a large glass of water. Ideally you will be able to drink a pint or more.

After a good night’s sleep, our body becomes relatively dehydrated. Therefore, even if you don’t feel thirsty, re-hydrating your body is an important step early in the morning. After a big glass of water, why not prepare a salad or eat some fruit. Maybe a fruit salad is the best idea!

A nice mixture of oranges, apples, bananas, grapes and so on is a healthy, sweet and flavorsome way to enjoy breakfast. Fruit also contains a lot of water so this is also beneficial for your hydration levels.

Playing with Gusto

I hope you find that you start to feel more healthy by consuming more alkaline foods. You may also notice that your breathing improves too. This is because your blood becomes able to carry more oxygen which in turn can improve your playing. Eating the right foods isn’t just about being healthy. It can make us better at doing what we love.

Read more about musicians and injuries.

I´ve been under a lot of stress during the last three years and because I was very depressed too, I put on a lot of weight, 30 kilograms! I need so badly to lose weight and get in shape as soon as possible. Of course being overweight is very bad for my health and for my body image, but it is also affecting other areas of my life. I am a musician, and besides working on composition harmony and arrangements, I play the piano and the violin. So, you can imagine how uncomfortable it is to be playing these instruments with so much weight.

Luckuly last week I went to visit my family, and I found out that many of them had lost a lot of weight. They told me they’ve been following the diet of a nutritionist, so I ask them for his phone number and arrange a meeting.

For me losing weight is very difficult as I have a very strong addiction to flour and sugar.

This is the guidelines he gave me:

1. No sugar
2. No flour
3. Eat as much veggies and fruits as I feel like
4. Eat some protein for lunch and dinner

That’s it, very simple.

So one day of diet would look like this:

• Tea or coffee with a big fruit salad for breakfast
• Fruits or gelatin for mid morning
• Lots of vegetables with protein for lunch
• Same as breakfast for the afternoon
• Same as lunch for dinner with some fruits for dessert

The thing that I like about this vegetarian weight loss diet plan is that I don´t need to count calories or watch out for the portion size!

As I’m vegetarian, the nutritionist told me to eat lentils, chick peas, beans or tofu as proteins, but if you like animals, you can eat chicken or fish.

A good friend of my father lost 18 KG´s in eleven weeks doing this weight loss diet plan while drinking wine and whisky and not exercising at all!

So I hope to be in shape again in a few months!

It is remarkable to consider that tourism only started in 1972 when 2 backpackers went off the beaten track and managed to get to the island in the deep south of Thailand. At that time Koh Samui was a rural island depending on coconut plantations for its economic well being. At that time it took a whole day trekking through jungle to cross the island.

The beauty of Koh Samui’s beaches soon became legendary and the visitors started pouring in, and with them money into the local economy with which to develop the island. Decent roads were built, luxury hotels were established, big temples were erected, international hospitals were set up and even a zoo became a feature of the island.

Koh Samui is blessed with over 20 beautiful white sand beaches. The most popular beaches are Chaweng, Lamai and Bophut. These three have year round swimming, a good range of hotels and resorts and a lively town full of bars and restaurants.

These three beaches also provide the venues for the now annual jazz festival held on Koh Samui. The first Samui Jazz International Music Festival was held in September in 2010. Over 100 international and Thai jazz musicians such as Saskia Laroo, Renske Taminiau and Alexander Beets performed everything from jazz infused pop to salsa to disco funk and flamenco. There were saxophonists as well as jazz musicians with clarinets and flutes.

The Samui Jazz Festival of September 2011 attracted bigger crowds of jazz lovers and better venues for the concerts than the previous year. Luxury hotels such as Amari Palm Reef Samui, Rocky’s Boutique Resort, Karma Samui and the Anantara Bophut Resort and Spa all hosted events. At the Beach republic they even built a coconut thatched stage for the jazz musicians.

The event was a great success. The musicians gained a bigger audience for their jazz, Koh Samui increased its profile as a world class holiday destination and jazz lovers got to hear some great performances.