Explore how a cigar box, cookie tin, a hunk of wood, string and other junk became the backbone of the music we listen to today through instruments of “junkyard luthier” Michael Copado. I will have an eclectic and eccentric collection of homemade instruments, such as cigar box guitars, basses made out of fence posts and washtubs, canjos, diddleybows, washboards and other things made with items scrounged from the dumpsters and alleys around town for people to examine and try. I’ve invited a few musician friends so there will be informal jams throughout the afternoon.
Since 2017, I have been building and (poorly) playing musical instruments made from cigar boxes, cookie tins, found objects (usually from the alleys and dumpsters around town) and reclaimed wood. Inspired the recent exhibition of my instruments and their historical contribution to the music we listen to today at the Hamtramck Historical Museum, I’ve been exploring lately the instruments that our immigrant ancestors and newer neighbors brought with them to these shores. I have begun to build recreations of some of these instruments along with experiment “modern” instruments based on them. I use everything from primitive hand tools up through modern laser engravers along with all sorts of arts and craft techniques from other hobbies, stolen from youtube such as model railroading, jewelry making, silver soldering and even nail art to build unique one of a kind instruments that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike and by every level of musical skill.
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