How to make upcycled musical instruments

Welcome to The Regenerators.

Created in partnership with the Orang Collectif.

Music and drama are great ways to explore issues like pollution and climate change. Music can add fun and emotion to a performance.

It is possible to reuse waste objects and items to make music.

Our workshop will teach you how to create your own upcycled string, wind and percussion instruments.

Hello! We are Arthur and Natalie and we created The Tree of Objects, a theatre and music show using unwanted objects and recycled materials.

Natalie and Arthur decided to reuse and repurpose waste to create their show. They worked with their set designer Mona to create a big tree made up of all sorts of unwanted objects.

They collected waste at home to build musical instruments and puppets. They found more waste to use from the streets but they still needed more. So they asked neighbours and finally… the tip!

In the Tree of Objects, music is used as a type of language.

The two characters are called X and Y. They are not able to speak with words. Instead, they have to use music and body language to understand each other.

The music also tells us what the characters are like as people.

X likes banging on things because she is loud and confident.

Y blows into water bottles as if they are a flute because he is careful and delicate, like the wind.

Once I'd collected enough materials, I needed to make music out of it!

Arthur, the Orang Collectif

Sounds are made when objects vibrate. This sends sound waves through the air and into our ears.

When we make music, we can group some sounds together.

Percussion - these sounds can be made by hitting materials like metal or wood with a stick or your hands.

Wind - you can blow into a bottle or a whistle to make these sounds.

String - you can use rubber bands and pluck them like a guitar.

Arthur used all of these sounds to create a piece of music for The Tree of Objects, which you can listen to below.

Arthur used all kinds of items and objects to make his musical instruments.

Play this quiz to see if you can guess how each sound was made.

Now it's time to create your own musical instruments out of waste and household items.

Watch this video to see and hear some of the instruments you can make.

The mini-banjo

This is a string instrument.

Press the sound button to hear a sample.

Now use the instruction sheet to learn how to make your own mini-banjo.

The shakers

This is a percussion instrument.

Press the sound button to hear a sample.

Now use the instruction sheet to learn how to make your own shakers.

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