Open MAKE March: sound

Playing with Kitundu's phonoharp

Open MAKE came and went last Saturday, and with it a new theme for our Studio space on the museum floor. All of April we will be exploring sound and music. The featured makers for this month are Krys Bobrowski, Walter Kitundu, and Ge Wang, and their work is exhibited in the gallery right now, so come and check it out!

The event took off to a great start as the Young Makers got busy soldering piezo microphones to audio cables, so that they could start exploring the museum in a new and unusual way: by trying various surfaces and exhibits to see what sound they make when amplified by a contact mic!

Soldering a piezo microphone to audio cables

Amplifying the sound a fan through the piezo

Testing a bell on our exhibit "Pinbell"

Getting all the way under an exhibit to check out what the motor sounds like!

During the portion of the day open to the public, we offered several activities: some focused on listening to the “ancient technology” that are vinyl records through homemade amplifiers and, by biting a metal piece, through bone conduction; another asked visitors to build contraptions make music and rhythms by banging on a central bell; and finally Modesto from theTeacher Institute had everyone making membranophones!

Listening through his teeth!	Listening through his ears	Using a compass as a record needle and his own head as a resonator!
	Making incredible sound-making contraptions
Modesto demonstrates his membranophone	Drilling holes to make notes	A satisfied instrument maker!