Banjo talk to the little farmers
A presentation at the Laughing Buck Farm
Here I am showing a tack-head banjo made from a wooden bucket and a broom stick. The strings are not gut strings (but maybe next time I’ll make some) but are weed whacker string.
As in Rice Elementary
Kids make the straw oboes in the classroom
As part of the “Physics of Music” at the annual “Science Night” at Rice Elementary. The school was named after an Edgar Rice (Not Burroughs) who was a local educator. The making of these simple musical instruments were the highlight of the night, and the children get to take the little noise-makers home to further annoy their parents.
I’m not sure how they got my name but:
I’m wearing my NASA lab coat and an oscilloscope app
Showing off the resonator experiment in the foreground while kids are playing the theremin in the background
The favorite (from past shows) was the vegie piano
See volunteer Jeanne helped out on this one! I really needed more volunteers. Next time I will make sure I get some from the Hub.
And the latest device whatever it is.
Hey, it’s Temple Grandin!
Dr. Grandin loves the maker movement!
Temple Grandin was in this weekend to sign copies of her new book “Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor”. And so was the Fort Collins Creator Hub!
p
It’s a violin shaped planter table:
Top and bottom cut on a band saw (sure, could have used the laser cutter but…)
Clamped together. Some varnish and some legs and it will be done
This is an item I’m making for our book fair featuring Temple Grandin on June 23.
The Singers at take apart day seen here:
A sewing machine being taken apart
This is at the take apart day at the FCMOD. It’s coming up again this Saturday and if I’m lucky the sewing machine repair store nearby will have some more machines that are placed out by the dumpster for me to collect.
Also FOCOMX was this past weekend. We purchased some wrist-bands and listened to some great music Friday and Saturday. No pictures this time… this was our 10th FOCOMX and there were singers:
On Friday we went to Washington’s for the Wendy Woo band, took the MAX over to Avo’s for the Robert Wilson Blues band, then walked over to the Tap N Handle for the Max Mackey Band. Took the MAX back to the North Transit for Musketeer Gripweed but decided not to go in because of THE LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING TO BE SEARCHED FOR METAL OBJECTS ! WHY IS THAT? Anyhow, since our car was parked near there we called it an evening and went home.
On Saturday, we went to The Magic Rat for the Songwriters in the Round with Liz Barnez, then The Mainline for the Choice City Seven, then Avo’s for FY5 and Bonnie & the Clydes. As usual, TOO MANY BANDS, TOO LITTLE TIME.
More musical stuff at this year’s Rice Elementary Science Night!
Introducing the Carrot-Turnip Piano
Constructed from an Arduino Micro, voltage divider circuit, a very old laptop and a few vegetables this ‘instrument’ could make all kinds of musical sounds as well as various embarrassing noises, which of course the kids loved.
Home built instrument trio
From left to right we have a cuíca, a Rebab and a cigar box guitar.
Homemade straw flute table
I did this last year, it seems to be popular so here it is again.
Big Bass Banjo in the corner
The banjo is so big and weird, why not include it with the rest of the music makers!
Who out there can play a theremin?
Many have tried. Here is my old model Termin-Vox with the sculls mounted on top why not? Also, there is an old TV on the right that operates like a poor man’s oscilloscope.
Something about physics
This was something I cooked up at the last minute. It’s a spinning Helmholtz Resonator experiment and it actually WORKS!
Something called “Science Night” at Rice Elementary School
Banjo lessons
Making and playing home-made oboes
I bought some of my homemade instruments for display and had a table for making soda straw oboes. I would have liked to do the air rockets, but the school was using the gym for a dissection lab. I didn’t have to to find out what they wee doing…
At least it seemed that way:
On the door of the Prius anyhow
Thanks to the Fort Collins Creator Hub and their nifty little vinyl cutter, I now have this professional looking ‘Official Rocket Scientist’ decal that I can show off whenever I’m at the FCMOD.
Paper Rockets shot indoors
Not as bad as the Comic Con and lots more fun. Actually I’m not sure many rockets were built at Comic Con; I knew a few of them exploded. We’ve since fixed that problem and I’m sure the museum was glad we did.
Parents helping kids make the rocket tubes
This seemed to work out well. I had five test rocket forms for the kids to roll paper onto, and there really was no huge wait times to get there rockets launched. It was fun, and I didn’t have to search for lost rockets inside the museum (the regular employees got to do that).
An easy kids activity
Once you have a rocket launcher, the rest is easy!
Well, March 9th was Clara Rockmore’s birthday and I missed the festivities at the M.I.M. We did manage to check out the display however:
Give the gift of Theremin
On display is Clara’s original RCA theremin and loudspeaker and the robe she wore at the New York Film Festival’s gala screening of Steve M. Martin’s “Theremin – An Electronic Odyssey”