if i don’t have the patience to be a musician, i can at least do the next best thing by surrounding myself with the greatest possibility to always have music in my life: to collect musical instruments.
when i moved out of my parents’ bustling, noisy, & very full house into a still one-bedroom apartment by myself, i started my musical instrument collection, so that whenever musicians, or people daring enough, regardless of musical inclination or training, to pick up a noisemaker that spoke to them personally, came to my house to spend time with me, they could make music if they wanted to, that my house could be filled again with love, laughter, and song. for as long as i have been collecting, there have always been curious, eager, talented people in my life who would take any opportunity granted to them to create. inspired by the film harold and maude, i vowed to collect as many musical instruments as i am old – one of my many ongoing projects. no, i don’t know how to play anything exceptionally well (although i sort of have the hang of ukulele). but for every person that has come into my home, wherever my home may be at the time, those who want to play, do. you can view my collection here. most of my collection has been built through the generosity of others who have gifted me with or donated instruments; even the ones that aren’t noted with an asterisk have an explanation as to how and why they made their way into my orkestra.
on 1/3/13, i acquired my first musical instrument in my collection for no other reason than “because i wanted to.” (newest instrument yet to be photographed.)
in my year of firsts, i plan to actually achieve my age to instrument ratio for the first time by my 25th birthday this october.
How many to you already have?
technically, 21, including my latest addition (a “ratchet” aka a noisemaker without a name)plus my three musical necklaces (2 harmonicas &; a whistle). i have a piano, a guitar, a ukulele, a cabasa, a tambourine, a maraca, a slide whistle, 2 sets of zills (finger cymbals), two harmonicas, a pitch pipe, 3 drums, a tuner, a recorder, &; chime balls. had to ditch the zither cause it was beat to hell &; i may have lost a recorder and/or another tambourine to r&g… yeah.