Hi! I am Jonathan Best AKA Enjolis Sidai Pii
Here are my ideas for a musical instrument library, recording studio, and jam room.
I would like to offer my teaching, recording and video skills in addition to a room full of musical instruments and sound equipment in exchange for a space to do the work of comMUSIKey.
I have a vision for how it can work which of course is very malleable. I picture three rooms. Room A would contain all the musical instruments of the library. Room B would be the jam room where certain instruments amd audio equipment would live permanently. I have a two green screens that could live in there as well and I have high end video editing software which I could teach students to use. There is a free version that they can put on their computers. Room C would be my studio where I would teach and record and do my office work. That room would be available to students and the community as long as I am present.
The jam room would be available to students 24/7. They can also reserve it for rehearsals and such. I might want to run workshops for students and the community there.
There could also be an instrument repair room where I could keep a large collection of piano and other instrument repair tools. I have a van with a winch to move small pianos.
Here is a list of the musical instruments comMUSIKey has and where they could live. People have already started donating instruments just by hearing about the idea. There is a set of concert recorders waiting for a place to put them. Another part of the vision is that people can not only borrow but lend instruments as well. That way they don’t have to make a commitment. comMUSIKey is a 501c3.
Instrument | Quantity | Where it could go | |
Conga | 2 | jam room | |
tongo drums | 1 | jam room | |
Bongo drums | 3 | library | |
Cajon drum | 1 | library | |
ashiko drum | 1 | library | |
Djembe drums | 5 | library | |
Djun djun drum | 2 | library | |
Drum set | 1 | library | |
floor tom drum | 1 | library | |
Mrindangam Drum | 1 | library | |
dumbek drum | 2 | library | |
Electric piano | 1 | jam room | needs work |
Wax cylinder player | 1 | jam room | needs fixing |
Mini keyboard | 2 | jam room | |
Acoustic bass guitar | 1 | library | |
Acoustic Guitar | 2 | library | |
Autoharp | 3 | library | |
Banjo | 1 | library | needs work |
Bass ukulele | 1 | library | |
boomerang looper | 1 | library | |
Clarinet | 1 | library | |
Classical guitar | 1 | library | |
concert C flute | 1 | library | |
Didgeridoo | 3 | library | |
Electric Lap steel guitar | 1 | library | |
Gong | 1 | library | |
Hammer dulcimer | 1 | library | needs work |
Lap steel acoustic | 1 | library | |
Mandolin | 2 | library | |
Behringer MIDI controller | 1 | library | |
portable acoustic Piano | 1 | library | |
Alto Sax | 2 | library | |
Shruti box | 1 | library | |
Sitar | 1 | library | needs fixing |
Ukulele | 7 | Library & studio | |
Violin | 2 | library | |
Washtub bass | 1 | library | |
Osmose keyboard | 1 | studio | |
Yamaha Keyboard controller | 1 | studio | |
39 key MIDI controller | 1 | studio | |
Large bag full of percussion instruments | 1 | Studio & library | |
Glockenspiel | 3 | library | |
Zydeco frottoir | 1 | library |
Here is a list of the audio and other equipment I have
Quantity | Instrument | Where it could go | |
1 | AT blue tooth speaker | library |
|
9 | Mic stand | jam room & studio |
|
8 | Music stand | jam room |
|
1 | Behringer Monitor speaker | jam room |
|
1 | Bose rechargeable speaker | jam room |
|
1 | Bose tower sound system | jam room |
|
1 | Midas DM 12 mixer | jam room |
|
1 | Zoom field recorder | library |
|
1 | ART stereo tube compressor | studio |
|
1 | Drawmer 1970 stereo mic pre compressor | studio |
|
1 | Focusrite Octopre 8 ch. mic pre | studio |
|
1 | Presonus Quantum interface | studio |
|
10 | Sound treatment panels | studio |
|
1 | JBL nearfield monitors | studio |
|
1 | Rode NT4 stereo mic | studio |
|
1 | AKG D112 bass drum mic | library |
|
1 | AT 825 stereo mic | library |
|
2 | Behringer C2 matched mic pair | library |
|
1 | AKG 414 large diaphragm condenser mic | studio |
|
1 | AT 4050 large diaphragm condenser mic | studio |
|
1 | AT 4060 tube condenser mic | studio |
|
2 | shure sm57 dynamic mic | studio |
|
2 | shure sm58 dynamic mic | studio |
|
1 | Carvin stereo condenser mic pair | library |
|
1 | AT U841a boundary mic | library |
|
2 | DPA 4060 lavalier mic | studio |
|
1 | Canon M50 Mark II movie & still camera | jam room |
|
1 | Canon R800 movie camera | library |
|
2 | Green screen | Jam room | |
1 | Movie lights | Jam room | |
1 | Projector & screen | Jam room |
|
1 | Apple Mac Mini | studio |
|
1 | Piano moving equipment | shop |
|
1 | Piano tools | shop |
|
1 | miscellaneous wires and connectors | studio |
|
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Jonathan Best (Ejolis Sidai Pii) has been a fulltime musician, teacher and recording engineer since moving to NYC in 1980. They have traveled the world with rockstars but hit the wall of disillusionment and realized that one way music made no sense when they moved to Prescott in 2002. From 2007 through 2010 they simultaneously made many trips to NY and Kenya. In NY they enrolled in a four year program where they learned to facilitate groups of people in improvising music on the spot. In Kenya, they worked with Maasai communities in building a media center and creating documentaries by and for the Maasai people. It was there that he learned the true power of music and dancing (one word: Osingolio) to keep communities strong in spite of drought and extreme poverty. In 2013 they founded comMUSIKey a 501c3 non-profit for the purpose of building community through all-inclusive music making. Since moving to Prescott Jonathan has been teaching music at prescott College in classrooms and through independent studies.