×

Garbage pail sounds: Turning scrap into musical instruments

HOUGHTON — One man’s trash is another man’s world-touring musical instruments.

Scrap Arts Music is exactly what the band’s name sounds like. Making instruments himself from industrial scrap material, Gregory Kozak is able to create unexpected sounds with his finds. The group performed at the Rozsa Center for Performing Arts Wednesday in the American Debut of “Children of Metropolis.”

With dramatic choreography and unexpected sounds, scrap music is a unique experience.

Tying the performance into the themes of recycling and creativity, local kids and attendees were able to make instruments of their own before the show with materials from the Portage Lake District Library.

“I’m hoping other people like what they see and aspire to do this themselves,” said Kozak. “Everybody’s scrap is different. That’s Victoria and Vancouver salvage.”

Many of the materials are from marine and construction waste with boat materials, net winders and even miniature submarine ballast. Scrap from Houghton would be very different from what Kozak is using.

“You’d have your own unique looking and sounding instruments and I think that’s what I’m trying to convince people to do,” Kozak said. “Human beings, I think we’re born with either, we can…create or destroy. We have a great talent so why not be creative.”

Inspired by the American composer Harry Partch as a child, Kozak has followed in his footsteps building his own instruments.  

“British Columbia is very beautiful and green and there’s a huge awareness of ecology and recycling and I just wanted to go one step further than just tossing stuff into a dumpster and saying goodbye to the blue box,” Kozak said. “How can I actually participate with my scrap material?”

He started with found materials, like hub caps. From the there things snowballed into learning to weld and build more complex instruments. It’s not an easy process he said, but that’s part of the fun.

Some of his favorite sounds use old electric coils from cooling systems, swing bells made from Vietnam War artillery shells.

“Those shells are gorgeous, I would never want to throw one of those at anybody,” he said.

Now he composes, builds, performs and choreographs the shows. With him are four others: Chris Blaber, Alex Campbell, Masako Hockey and Kristen Klehr. For all musicians and athletes, Kozak thinks their range of athletic and musical experience is key to quality sound.

The high energy performance is part of the fun for the musicians.

“It’s connected, when you play music you have to feel the rhythm,” said Hockey. “It’s natural.”

Audiences typically react to the high energy and are curious about the sounds, Kristen Klehr explained.

“Percussionists, we just do everything possible,.” Kozak said. “The old school players did just one thing and one thing really well. Now musicians have to do everything really well.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today