Too nerdy for handbells

Do you ever have those moments when you come across a whole new musical instrument, and along with it a whole new way of making music, and you get both excited by the whole newness of it all while a little nervous that maybe it’s not all it’s cracked up to be? Do you ever get that? I just did.

Boomwhackers are “tuned percussion tubes” that are aparently rather popular in education circles. They’re basically long tubes that when you hit them on things create a tone. Kinda like a big plastic tuning fork. A really big plastic tuning fork. And you hit things with them. I think the hitting things is the key part. Make music by hitting things with large sticks. Heaven.

Anyway, I came across these wonders while following a v. sirius train of thought that brought me to Stephen Granade’s cover of Code Monkey (and credit to him for “too nerdy for handbells”) which, to ensure you actually listen to it, I’ll embed here:

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Stephen’s taken the vocal track from Jonathan Coulton’s original and composed a backing track using Boomwhackers. And it sounds really great. Sort of synthesized but organic. What’s missing though is video. Given that they’re large coloured sticks you hit things with I need to see them in action.

And there’s loads on YouTube. I particularly enjoyed this one because it really is like nerdy handbells.

And here’s another one, although it’s much more professional and therefore less interesting. (Stuff is more interesting, I find, when you think you too could do it. Y’know, like punk.)

Now the question is, do I want some? Would I even be able to play them? Or would it just be a foolish thing to do? There’s a set of 8 on eBay at the moment for £20. That’s not unreasonable. Certainly easier than buying plastic tubes at the hardware store and tuning them myself.

Nah. This is just a classic example of being attracted to the shiney. But if anyone I know works in eduction and has access to a set that I might borrow for a weekend. They do make such a lovely bok.