A handful of musical instruments that are donated through our Instruments in the Attic program are deemed un-repairable. However, they are finding a second life in a new Instrument Sculpture project at Mason’s School of Art.
The project started as a collaboration between Potomac Arts Academy staff and School of Art faculty, with important funding support and input from Mason’s Patriot Green Fund (part of the Office of Sustainability). Potomac was seeking ways that these un-playable instruments could still be “recycled”, and the School of Art had ideas about using the instruments not only as sculpture pieces, but also to make a statement about sustainability.
Art faculty member Edgar Endress brought in Jade Garrett from the MIX Lab to assist. Mason university students meet up at the MIX Lab for various creative/ collaborative projects. With the musical instruments, they began working on “Music Robots” through what they call “Hack-a-thons“. Experiments with music instruments, robotics and audio software ensued. Below is a video sample:
As the project continues, it has evolved into a prototype exploration for a larger Musical Sculpture Project that would be created to play as a “one-man-band” of sorts while also serving as a mobile art project that speaks symbolically and literally to sustainability and the importance of conserving our resources. Look for more information about that in the near future!
LEARN MORE ABOUT INSTRUMENTS IN THE ATTIC