That’s near where I live in Ireland

it's so stunning.........haven't been to Ireland for about 35 years......miss it

They are very easy to make, you just need a wooden box, a piezo pickup, both of which you can buy on amazon, and some bits from hardware and second hand stores. Experiment and use your imagination, it's a lot of fun making one and trying different ideas out! There are lots of how to make a noisebox videos on youtube. Good luck!

@@marfars Thank You!

Thank you! The controller is ok, nothing special. It's split into two zones here. Keybed is good for synths etc but, of course, bad for piano. There aren't many good midi controllers available as far as I can tell.

@@marfars Thank you. I never had a controller. I always used one of my synths as a controller. I thought that maybe I am missing out on something by not having one.

@@AmbientSound7 Well they are useful for controlling multiple midi channels from one keyboard - keyboard splits and such - and the sliders and knobs map to the daw. There are a few interesting ones out there, but if you just want to control one instrument at a time your synths would do fine.

@@marfars Thank you. Really appreciate your information. 🎹

Well I'm glad that you find something here, thanks for listening. I have realised that in order to achieve a good performance, I need to empty my mind of all thoughts, and experience the present moment as much as possible. Yes, very much a state of Zen no mind, a state of focus, just to really exist in the present moment. Not always easy to do! Somehow with these improvised soundscapes it seems that I channel the sounds from somewhere else...I don't really understand how it works, but it feels like I'm accessing some other dimension and it's not just me making the music. I hope that doesn't sound pretentious, but that's the way it seems to me. If I'm anyway distracted or thinking too much about something else it doesn't really work out so well.

​@@marfars I knew it the instant I watched your first performance video :) I go to the same place when I improvise, and it's one of the main ingredients to my imposter's syndrome that I suffer, because I feel like a fraud most of the time. The music doesn't seem to come from me, and I'm disconnected in the same way that a conductor would be, or even better, someone sitting in the front row. So no, you don't sound pretentious at all. I'm a scientist myself, and I mentioned 'zen state' because I've read so much about it, but I've never been successful with yoga, meditation or any of the usual ways people access this state. And I'm on a bit of a mission to understand myself better. The moment I think about the music, or have too many conscious thoughts, the music collapses in on itself and I'm left stranded.

@@stuwyatt I think it's good to try to clear your mind from clutter, overthinking and being too much in the past or future. Being in the present and really just being conscious of your breath, and the things happening in the moment is key. I too find myself in that situation, sometimes when playing the music, my mind drifts into thinking about something, and instantly I become disconnected from the source, I have to focus to come back to the no mind state. It's like a kind of meditation really.

​@@marfars My head is also clear of the past and future, and is hyper focussed on the moment, which is a miniscule fleeting moment the thickness of a muon. It's clear of thought, and I open my mind and let the music flood in (it feels like it comes from an external source... outside my conscious brain) I'm able to think about workflow and technical things, like pressing the right buttons, but that's the same as driving a car I guess. I'm a conductor at best, but it feels like other musicians / composers are taking over everything. It's weird. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm still perplexed about everything and no closer to any answers, but it pleases me that I'm not alone with all of this.