Program / Event Details

Take a journey into the world of ancient sound technology through live demonstrations of ceramic instruments from the pre-Columbian Americas. This performance-based assembly gives an historically-grounded introduction to rare instruments whose forms, scales and timbres provide a glimpse into the extraordinary cultures that created them.

While we experience the evocative sounds of historic recreations and original instruments hand-crafted from clay, we’ll learn about the inner workings of instruments like Whistling Bottles, Polyphonic Flutes, Trumpets, Whistles, and Rattles. As we observe their plant, animal, and bird-inspired forms, we’ll contemplate the role of the natural world in the design of these fascinating instruments.  Students will encounter new sounds, deepen their appreciation for ancestral cultures, and challenge their ideas of what a musical instrument is and can be!

Duration: 45 min – 1 hour

Intended Audience: Grades 5 through 12

Program can be offered in English and Spanish