Improv 144: I Am Somewhat Out of Shape (Pearl River folding harmonium)

This is not a new instrument; it's an old instrument I've newly dragged out from under the shelving unit it was holding up. I've had it for about eighteen years but haven't played it for about seventeen. Now that all the improvs are happening, however, I've decided to resurrect it.

A harmonium is a free reed instrument that works a bit like an accordion, except that the bellows are powered by pedals that the player has to pump furiously. Mine is a Pearl River folding harmonium. It's technically portable, but it weighs so much that, well, it's not actually portable at all. It arrived pre-broken; one of the legs is detached from the casing, though when it's unfolded, this isn't an issue (the unfolding process itself, however, IS very much an issue). As well, the middle C key has no padding, for whatever reason, meaning that whenever I hit it, it goes "clack" quite loudly. I have no way of fixing this because I can't get inside the instrument, so it will just have to remain a fun but annoying little quirk.

Playing the harmonium drives home the fact that even though I do get a fair amount of exercise, I should probably do more cardio. It takes energy. It also highlights the weakness, probably due to my CP, of my right side. My right foot is unwilling or unable to pump as enthusiastically as my left foot, and I keep having to remind myself not to let it go still, which it really wants to do. Each foot gets its own bellows, and if you stop pumping one of them, the instrument doesn't work properly. This first time, I only managed two and a half minutes' worth of music. Perhaps I'll improve in the future. Oh...and when you play, you also have to keep the rhythm going in your head while your feet do different things. Any rhythm-based hiccups in the improv are likely due to that.

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