A Music Video I Always Recommend

There's one music video that I always recommend to people regardless of their musical preference. It's because the story/concept in the video is good enough that the video stands on it's own (that being said, the music obviously is important in the pacing etc, and the song is also one of my favourites).

It won't make much sense until you watch the whole thing though, so be patient if it's not the sort of thing you usually listen to!

Radiohead - Just

Radiohead - Just
by steveo_russianspy

Drums made of... Cheese?

Here's an addition to - what might end up being - the ongoing series in the "drums made of..." entries. Today, we have a drum kit made out of... cheese!

It's part of an art installation, so the focus perhaps is not musical in its entirety. Amusing to watch, regardless!

Cheese Kit Diptych, by Walter Willems. Drums played by Han Bennink:

Music in Nature: Music from a Tree

Here's something a little different. This is a project in which all the sounds were created by bowing, hitting, and shaking different parts of a tree. It's amazing how musical it sounds, even though there's nothing but sounds from a tree.

We've probably heard these sorts of sounds coming from trees before. I wonder what other sounds - natural sounds that are all around us in our daily lives - could be utilized into musical arrangements?

Diego Stocco - Music From A Tree from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.

For more details, go here.

Balloon Bass

One of the unfortunate realities of playing music is the cost of the instrument. Most traditional instruments cost several hundred dollars, and it is an expense that many of us cannot afford. Sometimes though, there are fun, tonal instruments that can be made at home for next to nothing. Such as an instrument made entirely out of a few balloons!

The name says it all - a bass like instrument, where both the string and the resonator/body is made out of balloons. It has 3 and 1/2 octaves, which is a larger range than most smaller instruments - and you can make one too!

I've never really made an instrument myself, most often because I feel like I need a garage full of woodworking equipment etc. This instrument makes me wonder what other kinds of instruments could be made out of stuff I have lying around! Do you have any ideas?





- If you want to see more detailed instructions about how to make the diaphragm part of the balloon bass, go here and watch this video.

For more details about the instrument, and the artist who is recording/performing with this instrument, go to his website here.

Music in Nature: The Lyre Bird

The lyre bird is one of the coolest sound phenomenons in nature. A native species in Australia, they are the musical equivalent of a chameleon: That is, they can mimic the sounds of birds, other animals, and human machinery! This includes dogs barking, human voices, chainsaws, car alarms, and human instruments.

A natural synthesizer!