Exploring to keep a promise

I promised one of the mothers of De'Kidz Band that I will create more "Recycled Musical Ware" for them to play with so I have been on a look out for ideas.

I picked up a plastic packing material for apples at the fruit stalls and discovered that they make great sounds if you rubbed them with your wet finger tips. I also love the sound of running my spoon over glass bottles, especially in spots where there are indentations.

Today, I discovered Annie Brunson who has a degree in Music and Theater from Bretton Hall. She has taught piano, oboe, and middle school band. She believes that a child's involvement with music is a huge bolster to their self-worth, their confidence and their creative spirit.

To encourage you to do it, she teaches you how to create homemade musical instruments with everyday items. So, check out these free video clips showing you her "how tos":

Click here for more on "Making Music With Children : Homemade Instruments With Everyday Items"

Creation of De'Kidz Band

Just to test drive how much knockings the Recycled Musical Wares (RMW) I have created can withstand, I brought them over one Saturday morning for the tiny tots, at Sungai Long Buddhist Society Playgroup centre, to play with. The parents and their children enjoyed it so much that one of the mothers is already talking about starting De'Kidz Band.

Is this mother pulling a fast one on us? Let us go to her blog to check that out. Wow, the De'Kidz Band is on YouTube! No kidding.

Recycled Musical Wares In Action

Could the noise we can create with the recycled musical wares (RMW) blend in with the real things being played by members of the Tugu Drum Circle?

We were there, at Tugu Peringatan off Jalan Parlimen, on 8th July to check that out. How did we do? Let the pictures do the talking.

Here are some of the regular members of the Tugu Drum Circle.



Shaker, Plastic Bumpers and Wooden Clappers in action. Strangers to one another till we started to go with the beat.


A little on a high note with the tin pan drums but having fun creating music is Darly's only objective.


How did I get to know this family from Bahrain? I allowed them to experiment with my RMW and we played towards a universal language.


Here is a new fan to RMW.


Looks like she is going to be a regular at Tugu Drum Circle.



If you think you are not into playing musical instrument, real or otherwise, you can still have fun with a circle of drummers as long as you can move with the beat. I heard that some belly dancers with their finger cymbals have done their hips tilting moves with the drummers.

Need some help and tips persuading your friends to start or join a circle? Let me show you some ways:

Our local drummers in the news. Hey, Teri from Bandar Sungai Long is in the spotlight.



What musical instruments do you need to start?

Check out the RMW used in this university.

How can it be conducted?

Benefits of a drumming group.

How to dance with the beat.

More junk at work.

No instrument, no RMW? Just put your hands together.

Raise fund with it!