I've been thinking about this ever since I found this music project from the uk on the web the other day .... Trash Music

They make their instruments made of trash, and believe it or not the music they make sounds great! Here's some samples of their own music, and if you click on "samples" you can create your own using the sound bites they've provided. S'fun!

I think the idea of creating instruments out of non-biodegradable garbage is a wonderful idea! Playing them en masse sure seems to inspire a wonderful sense of community -- like a primordial drumming circle.

But the future I've been reluctantly envisioning since I found that site is quite a bit less than wonderful. I keep thinking about all the modern (and not-so-modern) doomsayers, the Native prophets, the Mayan calendar etc which all predict that the world is soon to be destroyed again by a "cataclysmic event".

I keep imagining the few wretched homo sapiens who might survive such a catastrophe, and what their world might be like - and I see it like this huge garbage dump, the people building their shelters and making all necessities of life out of what is sure to be this century's greatest bequeathal to future generations - the mountains and mountains and MOUNTAINS of trash we are leaving behind.

And what would these survivors build musical instruments out of? Trash, of course!! Could that site be a glimpse of the future -- of music, of this species???

What think ye?


On a more upbeat note, here's a quote from an excellent book I've been enjoying very much lately called The Music of Life by Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan;

Music has a mission not only with the multitudes but with individuals, and it's mission with the individual is as necessary and great as its mission with the multitudes. All the trouble in the world and all the disastrous results arising out of it come from a lack of harmony. This shows the world needs harmony today more than ever before. So if the musician understands this, his customer is the whole world ... he must develop music in his personality.

... The true use of music is to become musical in one's thoughts, words, and actions .... producing harmony in one's life.

... If this principle of music were followed there would be no need for external religion. And someday music will be the means of expressing universal religion. Time is wanted for this, but there will come a day when music and its philosophy will become the religion of humanity.

I like this! What think ye??

hoping this is not "too much" for one thread, and looking forward to reading your thoughts,

daylia