The Integrated String Player

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) stands for an intriguing phenomenon in which a series of non-emissive molecules in solutions are induced to emit strongly in the aggregate or solid state. The concept of AIE was first coined by author Ben Zhong Tang in 2001, when he and his co-workers serendipitously discovered that 1-methyl-1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylsilole was almost non-emissive in ethanol solution but became extremely bright in water-ethanol mixtures. Over the past 15 years, AIE has grown into a research field with high visibility and broad impact across both science and technology. Aggregation-Induced Emission: Materials and Applications summarizes the recent advances in AIE research, ranging from fundamentals, such as design, synthesis, and optical properties of AIE-active molecules, to mechanism studies supported by modeling and experimental investigations, and further to promising applications in the fields of energy,environment, and biology. Because of the large amount of excellent research, the contents have to be divided into two volumes, with Volume 1 focusing on materials and Volume 2 placing greater emphasis on applications. The topics covered in Volume 1 include: New mechanisms and theoretical understanding of AIE phenomena; Vibration-induced emission; The art of restriction of molecular rotation; Domino synthesis of AIE molecules; Small molecule AIE systems; and Mechanochromic AIE materials.Pedro de Alcantara's The Integrated String Player: Embodied Vibration is a practical guide for all string players: violinists and violists, cellists and bassists, but also gamba players and anyone who makes music drawing a bow across a string. Dozens of exercises, supported by a dedicated website with 80 video clips, cover all the basics of string playing, including left-hand articulation, vibrato, changes of position, double-stopping, sound production,string crossings, and many other techniques. Each exercise, however simple or complex, can become a meditation with the goal of integrating the musical, technical, and metaphysical aspects of a player's practice.Part I is devoted to the fundamentals of coordination, rhythm, and listening in depth. Part II focuses on the left hand, with an emphasis on healthy gestures that are charged with musicality and meaning. Part III covers the bowing arm, exploring innovative concepts such as expressive gesticulation, mechanical intelligence, and the use of the bow as the player's voice, both literally and symbolically. Part IV covers the integration of analytical thought and sensorial practice, providing anextensive study of the harmonic series, the circle of fifths, Tartini tones, and many other sonic aspects that are essential to a string player's musical freedom. In addition, the conversational, linguistic, compositional, and improvisatory dimensions of string playing are discussed and supported bymultiple practical exercises.The Integrated String Player is addressed to players of all abilities and from all aesthetic backgrounds: students and professionals, teachers and performers, classically trained musicians and jazz players, chamber-music players and orchestral players.