Well, they can be! In fact, there are tons of household items that can be combined to make instruments!
In this workshop we will be exploring the different ways we can combine common household items into actual playable instruments. Using materials such as cardboard tubes, bottle caps, rubber bands, plastic bottles, and more, we'll learn how to make our very own instruments, from flutes made out of bottles, to castanets made out of their caps!
Using these instruments, we will learn about simple musical concepts like tempo, dynamics, how to count different types of notes, how to play and recognize different rhythms, and how different sounds affect each other. Since we'll be using a variety of materials and sizes, we will also explore concepts such as timbre and tone.
Teaching Artist Bio
Hardly any emcees try to tell stories anymore. Songs are released about different concepts and subjects, but the lyrics are hardly ever cohesive. It's gotten to the point that it's kind of tough to describe what a lot of hip-hop songs are even about, beyond a vague idea. With that in mind, let me tell you a story.
A young musician first discovered hip-hop after many years of playing the drums and the piano, in genres completely unrelated to it. It didn't him take long to fall in love with hip-hop however, and so the musician started to produce beats. He produced beats for years and years, perfecting his craft, but could never find any emcees to work with. Time passed, and after trying and failing to find anyone to collaborate with, the musician-turned-producer decided to try his own hand at emceeing. After all, he was a writer for most of his life; it was his second love after music. It didn't matter what style the writing was, from newspaper articles, to original short stories, even lyrics for other people. The producer had a talent for telling stories, and decided to use hip-hop as his main venue for them.
After practicing for a few years, the producer became an adept emcee; technically, lyrically, and stylistically. He used his skills as a drummer to develop a quick and tight flow, one that can be sped up or slowed down to match up with any type of drumbeat. His skills as a writer allow him to tell any kind of story, and some songs are even written as micro-novels. Literature and Hip Hop combined.
The producer became an emcee, and the emcee needed a name that represented what he stood for, as well as his roots.