Classical Notes: March 6, 2012 Archive

Shaquille O'Neal conducts

Posted at 12:00 AM on March 6, 2012 by John Birge

On his 40th birthday today, we revisit Shaq's conducting debut, with the Boston Pops:

Violin strings made out of Spider Silk?

Posted at 12:50 PM on March 6, 2012 by William Johnston

Violins strings have been made from a myriad of materials from gut to steel, however a Japanese researcher has created violin strings made out of thousands of strands of spider silk.

According to the BBC article on the subject, the strands pack more densely than other types of twisted strings resulting in a sound that has a "soft and profound timbre."

In the article is a audio clip of the spider strings being played. Tell us whether you think they sound different, better, or worse than other types of strings in common use.