Kani ka ʻōpala: music made from Rubbish

The kani ka ʻōpala project* began as an exercise in applied ecomusicology: how to repurpose everyday discards (ʻōpala) found on the streets of Oʻahu and encourage students to examine our consumptive habits. The initial result was MUS311, a place-based ensemble dedicated to exploring the music of Thailand with instruments built in class and sourced from salvaged items. It has since expanded into the projects featured on this site.

Five

5 songs of grief for the end of the world (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance)

Instruments heard in these songs (in order) include

  • Dear Leader: Picture frame lute (with bike brake cables for strings)
  • Afterthoughts: rice bag stretched over frame + fishing line strings
  • Flakes: ukulele made from salvaged marine buoy + fishing line
  • Cosmos: cigar box ukulele with 8-strings (fishing line)
  • This bird has flown: pine shelf, cardboard, and bike brake cables