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Nine Musicians Behind 12 Angry Men
An exploratory music jam invited musicians to abandon structure and follow sound wherever it led. Armed with a briefcase of strange instruments, I joined eight others in creating music that will never be heard again—except in memory. Read More
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Rebuilding My Piezo Signal Path for Accurate Acoustic Analysis
After tracing brittle transients and missing bass to piezo impedance mismatch, I researched buffering solutions and mapped my signal path. This field note documents the investigation, measurements, and hardware choices behind pursuing accurate steel tongue drum analysis—before the new preamp even arrives. Read More
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Noise Box (Chaos Beans)
Built from a baked beans can, springs, and found hardware, Chaos Beans is a handmade noise box exploring unpredictable sound through touch and vibration. This electroacoustic experiment blends playful construction with experimental performance, turning everyday objects into a portable instrument of joyful chaos. Read More
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Hopwell Steel Tongue Drum (15 note, Key of D)
A deep dive into a 15-note D-major steel tongue drum used as a rain-activated idiophone. Measured tuning accuracy, harmonic behavior, sustain, lacquer acoustics, and psychoacoustics reveal a thoughtfully engineered instrument that bridges ambient sound sculpture, melodic percussion, and experimental recording. Read More
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Randon Piezo Contact Pickup (MP20)
A quick experiment with piezo pickups turns a Pringles can into a resonant microphone, exploring how vibration becomes sound. From pre-wired transducers to permanent installs, I test portable electrification for kalimba, ukulele, and rain drum—then look ahead to noise boxes. Read More
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Boao Tingsha
A pair of Tibetan tingsha cymbals acquired for playful curiosity and pocket-sized performance, explored through ritual meaning, acoustic analysis, and clown mischief. This entry blends meditation bells, spectral frequencies, knot-tying mishaps, and everyday experimentation into a living sound artifact. Read More
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Blue Kazoo
An anodized aluminum tubular mirliton with replaceable membranes, acquired in 2026 for durable pocket-sized music making. Used for playful experimentation, nose-based resonance, and novelty performance, demonstrating how voice-activated membrane instruments transform human vibration into comic, buzzy sound. Read More
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Coconut Kalimba
A $5 coconut-shell kalimba from a Samuels Library fundraiser, valued for its deep, earthy tones and handmade character despite tuning challenges. It now serves as a bassy, experimental companion to a more practical 17-key kalimba. Read More
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Toysmith Harmonica
A lightweight Toysmith harmonica joined my pocket-sized clown instruments after I misplaced my original. More playful than precise, its translucent plastic body and free-reed tones invite casual, private improvisation—even if the notes wander off-key. Read More
