The Ancient Alphorn’s Mellow Melody
The alphorn (or alpenhorn) is a natural wooden aerophone traditionally used by the mountain folk in Switzerland (Alps), and elsewhere. These lengthy horns were used to communicate in mountainous regions and across vast distances as well as announce daily activities in the village. Herdsmen used these horns to communicate to each other during herding activities. Read On!
Odd Instrument Inventor, Walter Kitundu, Awarded $500,000!
Congratulations to Walter Kitundu who is 1 of 24 people to be awarded a $500,000 grant by the MacArthur Foundation. His work in experimental instruments is truly incredible. Walter is a 35 year-old bird photographer, teacher, and oddstrument maker. Read On!
NPR Wants To Hear Your Odd Musical Instruments
Host Andrea Seabrook asks listeners to send in home recordings of their oddest musical instrument. Read On!
Soundscapes of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air
Emilio, from Chiapas, Mexico, sent in a home brew of some of his sound experiments. Four “soundscapes,” each one representing a different element (Earth, Fire, Air, and Water). These tracks are rich with texture and familiarity, especially “Fire,” which filled my thirsty ear with popcorn popping over an oscillating sea tide… Read On!
A New Kind of POP Music
Judy Dunaway, also known as “The Mother of Balloon Music,” is an experimental composer, conceptual artist, social activist, and noise enthusiast. She has created over thirty works using latex balloons as her instrument of choice! Read On!
Instruments from the Stone Age
Any knowledgeable landscape artist or tile setter knows that any leftover rock or tile must be recycled into lithophones. No brainer right? Well, Tom of TinkerTunes.com did just that using some scraps of Indiana limestone and some leftover granite countertop. Not only is Tom an instrepreneur, he is also a furniture maker and turns old upright pianos into desks. His website, TinkerTunes.com, has some interesting musical content including a document of his experience with building “friction harps.” Thanks Tom! Read On!
And the Winner of the Garden Instrument Contest Is…
Congrats to Abram and pop, you guys deserve it! I’ll be sending the prizes your way. And a HUGE thanks to all those who participated, I hope you guys keep us updated with any new musical instrument endeavors you may have in the future! Read On!
What Instrument Would Dr. Seuss Play? A Daxophone of Course!
Rarely does an instrument’s form match up with it’s sound as perfectly and whimsically as the daxophone’s. Invented by Hans Reichel of Germany, the daxophone is a friction idiophone who’s vibrating mechanism is an oddly but tactically shaped wooden tongue which is attached to a block of wood. The vibrations travel from the vibrating blade to the block where a contact microphone amplifies the sound. The whole concept is similar to plucking a ruler half-way off a table. Read On!
Wave Hello to the Secret Power of Sea Organs
What’s more intimate than walking on the beach at sunset? Walking on the beach at sunset while listening to the sweet serenade of a wave-powered organ of course! and if you ever find yourself in San Francisco, Blackpool, or Zadar, I suggest you make a date to visit the local sea organ. Read On!
How to Build a Working Train Whistle out of Paper!
Sweet! This project is totally doable with household materials (printer, paper, thicker paper, white glue, scissors, and a razor edge). Just print out these paper parts, fold, cut, glue, and after 3 hours (including drying time) you will have a playable train whistle. Read On!
I Love Pipe Organs
There is just something about pipe organs, especially the circus-sounding type, that really tickles me. Read On!
Telemegaphone Dale Update
The Telemegaphone Dale loudspeaker will continue to “speak” incoming phone calls until September 20th, 2008. For those of you who don’t know, Telemegaphone Dale is a 23-foot-tall wind-powered loudspeaker sculpture that picks up incoming calls and projects them into the mountains of Norway and the nearby village of Dale. Read On!
Suikinkutsu, Water Chimes for Dirty Hands
The suikinkutsu, literally meaning ‘water harp chamber,’ is an underground Japanese water instrument which is usually located in temple gardens and places of ceremony. The water chime consists of an upside down pot with a small hole through it’s bottom. The upside down pot is buried underground, with a porous rock layer above and an impermeable layer below. Read On!
Experimental Listening: “Pillowsongs” by George Khut
We’ve all heard of experimental music, but what is experimental listening? George Khut, a Sydney based artist specializing in “body-focused interactive art systems” (e.g. biofeedback systems) is the creator of “Pillowsongs,” an installation exploring sleep and rest as a space for listening. Read On!
Vote for Your Favorite Garden Instrument!
The Garden Instrument Contest is now over and all of the entries are in. Read On!