It's all based on a manifesto

If you want to make music, anything is an instrument. You're an instrument yourself: you can clap your hands, slap your belly, whistle, hum, or sing. I'm of the thought that a true musician can find the music in anything.

I know the above video is more a "sourced sound"  video than anything; it's the kind of thing The Art of Noise used to do with their fancy (for the time) Farlight computer.

With that in mind, I've got some tunes\videos here of things that are not usually considered instruments, but being played as such. I also have music made of found sounds.

Or, should I say, I've got some music to share.





Now, making music from a car is pretty much a no-brainer. They make a variety of sounds on their own, being rather complicated machines. Sure, it might look like they're going for the "Upper-Class Twit of the Year" award with all that door slamming, but if you run it back and listen with your eyes closed, each door has its own sound.



Heck, take the car apart and you've got a whole new range of sounds.



Add a fun environment, and the possibilities are endless.



Corporate sponsorship doesn't hurt, either.



Or not having a sponsor. You can do it on a budget as well.



Here's a very young Frank Zappa playing the bicycle on "The Steve Allen Show". There's a longer version here, but I just wanted to cut to the chase.



And chase reminds me of chance reminds me of A Chance Operation, a John Cage tribute album. You might recognize the name from the piece 4'33". On the tribute album, Frank Zappa plays a cover of the famous piece.



Cage was willing to take a lot of chances. It's part of why he's considered a great artist.

Don't ever be afraid to do something. Fifteen people might laugh, but one might be really moved. You're an artist and you're doing it for the one.



STOMP has pretty much made a career out of finding these sounds in everyday, "non-musical" things. I know they're a little mainstream now, but that does not deny their talent. I'll enjoy listening to these whether I drive a mini-van or not.



And it's small, intimate routines like this that let me know they aren't all spectacle.



Diego Stocco has a thing he does, ferreting music out of its hiding place and showing it to everyone.



Ha ha! Found you again!



Sometimes, it just sneaks out on its own.



As we build more complicated technology around us, it becomes easier to convince these devices to let a little music out.



Printers are a favorite for this sort of thing, but they are pretty noisy on their own.



And if you can find a copy of this CD for less than $200, please contact me. I only have a rip and I'm sure I'm missing a lot.



Finally, I think it really all came together in the movie "Sound of Noise" (mind the language!). If you rent it, there's some extras on the DVD that are well worth it.



Seriously, there's music everywhere. You just have to know how to coax it out of hiding.