First, an update on the live-action video we filmed Friday. Filming went smoothly, and everything turned out great. I’m not sure if this is going to be a FilmCow.com release or an exclusive video for the upcoming FilmCow DVD, but it turned out SUPER-A-OK-COOL and I think it’s an amusing little short.
Anyway, for today’s blog post I thought I’d show you all my collection of musical instruments. A few years ago I started putting musical sequences into my movies, and that rekindled my love of playing music. Unfortunately I’m actually pretty terrible at playing music so I decided to start collecting a wide variety of instruments to compensate for my complete lack of talent. “Oh look,” people now say, “he has so many instruments, he must be some sort of musical genius.” I reply that yes, I am in fact a musical genius, and I immediately start rockin’ some Marry Had A Little Lamb on the pan flute.
SO. Here are my instruments.
If you want to make some wacky sounds you NEED a jaw harp and a kazoo. I threw the harmonica into this picture as well because the harmonica is a similar size. It doesn't really deserve to be next to the kazoo and jaw harp. OH! I have an electric kazoo as well, but I forgot to take a picture of it.
This is an ocarina. Like from Zelda. I want to get a second ocarina. Because the fingerings on this one are kind of difficult to remember. Well, not really, but I'm a complete idiot so... so I want another ocarina.
On the left is a high quality quena, and on the right is a low-quality flute that was called a quena when I bought it but I don't think it's actually a quena. It sounds alright so I keep it around. For kicks. For fake-quena kicks.
This is a pan flute. I do not think it is a great pan flute, but that is balanced by the fact that I am not a great pan flute player.
I am not sure that this is technically a "real" fife. This is essentially an oddly shaped recorder. I can actually play it though, so if you ever hear someone walking around outside rockin' some Yankee Doodle on a cheap plastic fife that's probably me. Or some type of terrible fife demon.
This is an Mbira, or "thumb piano." For some reason it is tuned to C# Major, which means I can't play it with nearly anything else.
These are some cool shakers I got for Christmas last year. You shake them and they make shaking noises. Which is about all you can ask of a shaker.
This is a washboard, in case I have the urge to play some old-school Dixieland jazz percussion parts. Which I do. All the time. Unfortunately I can't find thimbles big enough for my fingers so playing it is difficult.
This is a Xaphoon, also known as a "pocket sax." It is the most difficult instrument I have ever tried to play, good god. It probably doesn't help that it's the only reed instrument I've ever used.
I do not remember what this is. It makes unbelievably annoying sounds when played. You could make pleasanter sounds hitting various cats with iron mallets.
I gots my own kindergarden percussion section! WOOOO!
These are called "talking drums." The drum pitch changes when you squeeze them. They are actually really fun to play. My father plays the talking drum in a Haitian voodoo band.
I've got two tin whistles, because tin whistles are cheap. I think everyone should have a tin whistle around the house.
I can not describe in words my love for the melodica. Seriously, go and buy yourself one, you'll see. It's like a piano... THAT YOU BLOW INTO. HOLY GOD.
This is a wood bongo. I think. The right half is a different pitch than the left half.
I do not know why I purchased this glockenspiel. Oh wait yes I do - because it was cheap and it's called a "glockenspiel."
This is a cheap soprano ukulele. It sounds decent, but the frets aren't set up perfectly so it's never really fully in tune.
This is a concert ukulele, and is a recent purchase of mine. This ukulele is amazing, and has actually convinced me to learn how to play it. Soon I will be a ukulele master, loved by all.
This is a Remo hand drum. You drum with it. It makes a big drum-like sound.
This is the electric keyboard I use with my computer, it's an M-Audio Axiom 61. Most of the songs you hear in my movies were composed using this.
This is an electric bass my dad gave me, it's made by Ibanez. Physically it is the largest instrument I own, at least until I buy a tuba. I would love to master the bass and join a rock band, where nobody will ever care about me because I'm the bass player.
This is a cheap acoustic guitar. I'm thinking about installing a fish tank inside of it.
Here is my electric guitar, an Agile AL-2000. I do not know how to play electric guitar, but I figure standing around holding one is good enough.
This is an EWI4000s. It's an electronic wind synthesizer. I'm not sure what to say about this one, other than "it is incredibly strange." It's one of my favorite instruments to play, even though every noise it makes sounds like it's coming from a bad Super-Nintendo game soundtrack.
This is my old cornet, an instrument I started playing back in middle school. It's one of the few instruments I'm actually decent at. I do not play this particular cornet all that much anymore though, because I got a BRAND NEW ONE.
This is the cornet I got to replace my old one. It's a Getzen 3850, and it is by far my favorite of the instruments I own. It's also incredibly pretty. I would totally make out with this cornet. And perhaps I already have.
Well there you go. Those are my instruments.
