Goals

  • Learn to create a musical percussion instrument at home that either ‘shakes,’ ‘scrapes,’ or makes a high/low sound.

  • Learn to use these instruments to create music that is inspired by their local neighborhood.

In this 15 minute video, students of all ages are presented with ideas for how they can create percussion instruments at home using household items.

Find the lesson outline here

Materials Needed

  • Either an empty coffee can or an empty jar

  • Dried beans or beads or dried corn

  • An empty plastic food container

  • An empty can

  • A pen or pencil

About the creator

two young men wave

Andrew Hook

Andrew Hook is a Pittsburgh-based musician and educator. The priority in his work is deconstructing contemporary norms around music education through the precedent of improvisation and personal experience to the music rather than adhering to the classical cannon of western music. Andrew is the K-5 music teacher at the Kentucky Avenue School, a teacher of ‘Creative Expression’ at the CMU preparatory school, and a dance accompanist at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Point Park University.