Two years ago I begged Karen for a Christmas violin. Mind you, except for the three weeks I spent mastering the saxophone in 3rd grade, I had no musical experience. I can’t sing, I have no rhythm, and phrasing just doesn’t come easy for me. I’m pretty certain it’s due to a complete lack of music in my upbringing. My brother is the same way, and when his oldest boy recently turned two I decided his situation could be different. Meet the rainbow glockenspiel.
Construction could not be simpler. Steel strips were bought from a local hardware store, cut and ground to tune. It’s the metal keys that differentiate a glock from a xylophone. They sit across a hollow wood structure made from salvaged Ikea wood, floating on styrofoam found in packaging. While I bought and tried expensive glock drumsticks, wooden doweling with a wooden tip sounded better in the end. A few coats of white primer followed by a modified rainbow color scheme and BAM! Glockenspiel.
A couple of years after “learning” the violin, I can hear tones and can struggle my way through Mary Had A Little Lamb on just about any instrument. To the delight of my dear nephew, that includes the glock. Here’s to the next Mozart, Happy Birthday Carter!!
Bonus: Some Halloween pumpkins we all carved together.
Science and Rainbows 