Junk and veg music set to air
INSPIRED by the inventions of would-be musicians from a Paraguayan slum, students from Elizabeth College will be putting on a performance using instruments made from junk.
It is part of the college’s investigation and discovery week, which sees students taking on an array of projects, culminating with an open evening for parents on Thursday.
Students have been researching and working on projects either to learn new skills or improve those they already have.
Activities have included designing, producing and editing a newspaper detailing events and news around the college, creating products such as cheese boards, dip trays, glasses and coasters and studying sign language, potentially gaining a British sign language level one certification.
With the music project, students are making instruments out of scrap items and vegetables, inspired by watching the performance group Stomp, and learning about the recycled instrument orchestra of Cateura in Paraguay.
The group of five pupils, with the help of two sixth formers, will put on a performance for their parents.
Alex Paul, 11, said he found the Paraguayan orchestra inspirational.
‘It’s amazing that they have built their own instruments out of rubbish just using their imagination. We want to do the same,’ he said.
They had made whistles from carrots, sweet potatoes and drinking straws, as well as beginning to construct other instruments.
Music A-level student Finlay Wilkes explained how some of the items were found.
‘We started off going around the charity shops and asking if they had anything that was broken that they couldn’t sell,’ he said,
‘We got quite lucky, we got a clock, a walking stick and some other interesting pieces. Now we will help them construct the instruments and help them build the performance.’
Director of music Elizabeth Willocks said the children now have the challenge of creating a performance.
‘All of this hasn’t cost us a penny, other than a bag of carrots,’ she said.
‘The children will now eyeball what they think is attractive or will make a good instrument and go from there.
‘We are quite organic about our design, we may attach a lot of these bits to a scaffolding tower.
‘So we will see what noises we can get out of these instruments. How will they play it? How will it work? They aren’t allowed to use drum sticks, so that’s the challenge.
‘We now have a few days to get our act together.’
