Educational Offerings (For Schools & Libraries)
Interactive Concerts
The Junkman provides young audiences with interactive concerts tailored to various ages. The stage is filled with over 125 junk objects that have been recycled into instruments of music, upon which, The Junkman captivates the audience with his amazing musicianship and clear, down-to-earth dialogue, including environmental messages with his HOP (Help Our Planet) program. The music covers a wide range of musical styles and infectious grooves-from a bossa nova to a samba and rock music (made with two stones) to music made from kitchen utensils.
Programs range in duration from 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the sponsor's needs. Concerts are interactive, which means they end with a Junkjam - where invited members of the audience come to the stage, pick up a stick & piece of junk and join The Junkman in the music-making -- as the other audience members chant environmental messages in rhythm.
Programs range in duration from 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the sponsor's needs. Concerts are interactive, which means they end with a Junkjam - where invited members of the audience come to the stage, pick up a stick & piece of junk and join The Junkman in the music-making -- as the other audience members chant environmental messages in rhythm.
"The great thing about a Junkjam and children is that I can take any group of kids and in five minutes, they can be involved in a three-part rhythmic groove that immerses them into power of creating music in a group environment. It is this raw power that truly ascends the soul, captivates and inspires the individual with the magical powers of music. This is an experience young students studying traditional instruments won't experience until they have a basic mastery of their instrument - some five years away."
- The Junkman
Long-Term Residencies for Schools & Communities
The Junkman offers two-week residencies in which he and the participants will design, construct and learn to perform-on a Junk Music Playstation. A Junk Music Playstation is a sound sculpture made exclusively from recycled materials.
Junk Music Playstations can be temporary or permanent structures designed to be installed either indoors or out-of-doors, and can accommodate from five to thirty persons jamming simultaneously.
Students begin with a search-for and collection-of junk and recycled materials. The students then assemble the collected materials and begin the process of the visual and sound design of the sculpture. The construction phase is dependent upon the number of materials used as well as the manner in which the materials are mounted to the sculpture. During this phase, students learn to use an electric drill and saw under the one-on-one supervision of The Junkman. They learn filing, sanding, using tools, measuring, leveling, tying rope and much more. Upon completion of structure, the Playstation is painted and installed.
All classes from beginning to end of the residency end with a Junkjam in which the basics of music making and performing with junk objects are explored.
Long term residencies end with a concert in which the students introduce their Playstations, perform their music and close with a Junkjam where everyone in attendance can participate.
Junk Music Playstations can be temporary or permanent structures designed to be installed either indoors or out-of-doors, and can accommodate from five to thirty persons jamming simultaneously.
Students begin with a search-for and collection-of junk and recycled materials. The students then assemble the collected materials and begin the process of the visual and sound design of the sculpture. The construction phase is dependent upon the number of materials used as well as the manner in which the materials are mounted to the sculpture. During this phase, students learn to use an electric drill and saw under the one-on-one supervision of The Junkman. They learn filing, sanding, using tools, measuring, leveling, tying rope and much more. Upon completion of structure, the Playstation is painted and installed.
All classes from beginning to end of the residency end with a Junkjam in which the basics of music making and performing with junk objects are explored.
Long term residencies end with a concert in which the students introduce their Playstations, perform their music and close with a Junkjam where everyone in attendance can participate.
To follow the progression of projects The Junkman has done with long-term residencies, check out these pages:
New Boston School Residency
Vermont School Residencies
Past Playstations
New Boston School Residency
Vermont School Residencies
Past Playstations
Short-Term Residencies
A short term residency is one week in a school.
This is a music-based residency in which The Junkman gives the students a hands-on introduction to the basics of percussion and music (pitch, melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics and phrasing). Emphasis is also placed upon the relationship between Junk Music and recycle/reuse concerns - how we can all become better environmental citizens of the world. In the process of making music together with the students, The Junkman relates the group's work to basic principals of teamwork and building community.
The Junkman also explores the basics of improvisation, a deeper exploration of the relationship between materials, striking devices and the tone colors they produce, basic physics of music as applied to junk and percussion, how making music relates to conversation and poetry, basic elements of group music composition, and sometimes, the construction of instruments from junk materials. This residency usually ends with a concert where each class presents its work (every class has a different project). The Junkman may also develop discussions as to how Junk Music relates to other subjects children may be studying (science, physics, and poetry).
The Junkman will work in advance with teachers to integrate certain class room activities into his residency. Study guides are available to teachers to integrate specific aspects of their classroom activities to the Junk Music residency - such as poetry, sentence structure, basic physics of sound, recycling/reuse, how to be a good citizen of the earth.
This is a music-based residency in which The Junkman gives the students a hands-on introduction to the basics of percussion and music (pitch, melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics and phrasing). Emphasis is also placed upon the relationship between Junk Music and recycle/reuse concerns - how we can all become better environmental citizens of the world. In the process of making music together with the students, The Junkman relates the group's work to basic principals of teamwork and building community.
The Junkman also explores the basics of improvisation, a deeper exploration of the relationship between materials, striking devices and the tone colors they produce, basic physics of music as applied to junk and percussion, how making music relates to conversation and poetry, basic elements of group music composition, and sometimes, the construction of instruments from junk materials. This residency usually ends with a concert where each class presents its work (every class has a different project). The Junkman may also develop discussions as to how Junk Music relates to other subjects children may be studying (science, physics, and poetry).
The Junkman will work in advance with teachers to integrate certain class room activities into his residency. Study guides are available to teachers to integrate specific aspects of their classroom activities to the Junk Music residency - such as poetry, sentence structure, basic physics of sound, recycling/reuse, how to be a good citizen of the earth.