|
 The
Guidonian Hand that the band uses as a logo is an ancient educational
aid developed by a Benedictine Monk named Guido d'Arezzo in the 11th
century. Essentially, notes of the scale are assigned to the various
joints and lines on the hand, and a teacher would point to each line
or joint to aid in memorization of music. The hand was used primarily
to instruct vocalists with hymns, and incorporated Guido's invention
of the solmization of the scale (using sung syllables, i.e. do re me).
This development occurred at roughly the same time that Guido created
a system of musical notation using a 4-line staff which evolved into
the 5-line system we use today. Prior to this, there was no organized
notation system for recording compositions in writing.
The band
chose this symbol because it represented something musical but was unencumbered
by any contemporary associations. They also liked it because it has
connotations relating to education and, used in the band's contemporary
context, is an interesting combination of the ancient and modern. In
a creative sense, since the symbol has educational connotations, the
band felt it related well to the telling of stories and the "education"
that represents. The symbol appears on the back of all three CDs, on
the t-shirt and the cover of the original demo cassette.
For more
information on the Guidonian Hand and an interactive demonstration, click
on the image above.. |
