Earth Day = > Samples and Found Sounds: Some Houses

Billy Jonas: Some Houses

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In our journey through Samples and Found Sounds, we will be hearing plenty of music that uses electronically sampled sounds. But I want to start off with found sounds, specifically home made instruments. I can think of no better example of that than the music of Billy Jonas. In Some Houses, Billy Jonas takes the listener through a list of various materials that a house might be made of. But, in the end, Jonas reminds us that our most important home is this planet. Listen closely, and you will notice that the percussion in each verse corresponds to the material that house is made of. Most of the instruments used will not sound familiar; Jonas uses a percussion kit made of common household items. So there are pot lids and trash can lids, even a bicycle horn, but nothing you would normally think of as a musical instrument. All of this could be put together with samplers, but Jonas plays all of these instruments in real time. This makes his live performances wonderous events. Try to sit where you have a good view.