1001 Ways to Make Music

1001 WAYS TO MAKE MUSIC MAGIC 

CREATING A STRONG COMMUNITY THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION 

what is a “soundseed”? 

This is a work-in-progress, a brainstorm to envision all the ways in which one might use music. 

  

PARTICIPATORY GATHERINGS (FACILITATED OR NOT) 

SING-ALONG / GROUP VOCALIZING 

MUSICIANS LEADING SONGS WITH AUDIENCE 

Pete Seeger 

Beautiful Chorus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzL5JRC7N8Q 

Kirtan / Mantra 

  

MUSICIANS LEADING IMPROV SINGING WITH AUDIENCE 

Wild Roots (Amit Carmeli) http://www.amitcarmeli.com/videos-2/ 

Bobby McFerrin 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWriGiWw6i4 

Arena-size:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81uJZIF9TCs 

Doug Koyama 

https://youtu.be/Wl9E7l5ydmU?t=3m57s 

Yagum Project 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4xXu-Be-O8 

Tayaka Circle Opera 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMsOX4Qn7eA 

With looping 

SONG SHARE GATHERING - anyone can lead / teach a song 

Rise Up Singing / folk tradition 

Large regional gatherings 

Singing Alive 

Village Fire 

Song Village 

ACOUSTIC SPACE CHOIR - singing in resonant spaces  - Tunnels / Stairwells / Large Pipes / Parking Garages / Caves / Empty Rooms / Silos 

ELECTRIC SPACE CHOIR – using electronics and headphones for a group sound exploration 

GROUP LOOP - pass the mic with a looper 

CIRCLESONG IMPROVISATION (structured group improv / toning / exploration) 

With cipher - freestyle rap over circlesong 

In performance:  Singing Tribe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHAf1vR9cE 

Combined with movement improv:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZUOvPQH9eU 

SOUND POD – sharing sounds and chants for an improvised, co-created healing journey (with bowls, etc.) 

Peggy Black:  http://soundpod.org/SoundPod/index.htm 

SOUND BATH / SOUND HEALING - focusing sound on one or more people and / or animals / natural element / object 

SINGING THE REVOLUTION 

Estonia (The Singing Revolution) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHAf1vR9cE 

South Africa (Amandla! movie) 

Civil Rights Movement 1960’s 

Occupy Movement 

  

MUSIC / SOUND GATHERINGS 

LEADING STRUCTURED MUSICAL IMPROVISATION 

Music Rhythm Movement 

Mary Knysh (http://www.rhythmicconnections.com/) 

Music for People 

Conductor leading group of musicians in performance 

Everyone Orchestra www.everyoneorchestra.com 

John Zorn - Cobra - Game Pieces 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdNdSJUf_8I 

Yamatsuka Eye  - Drum Orchestra 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCCJIwLf2w 

The Singing Tribe with Joey Blake 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHAf1vR9cE 

           

PUBLIC JAM SPACE - at festivals and other events 

The Hearth Tent - musicians hosting jam open jam space (http://www.humboldtmusic.com/listings/The_Hearth_Tent.htm) 

Hand out instruments as people arrive - everyone moving through space 

DRUM CIRCLE 

Open / free-form 

With director 

Drum Class 

KITCHEN BAND (senior centers) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do7OjOxx770 

REVENANT SOUND - participatory found sound collaborations 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDYzVNSwPic 

MULTI-EVENT HAPPENING, DROP IN / DROP OUT 

John Cage at Stanford 

Art in Nature Festival - http://www.samavesha.org/productions/art-in-nature-festival 

GATHER RANT - cathartic expression supported by others with music / sound 

IN THE STREETS / PARKS 

RHYTHM RIOT - rhythm jam in outdoor setting 

Solo or group “performance” - playing on fences, cement, signs, etc.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0qs4_bY4vg 

Stomp 

Music for one apartment & Six Drummers 

http://www.sixdrummers.com/about/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGEwhBDOVU 

Participatory – distribute buckets, shakers, sticks, etc. 

INFILTRATION / BELLY OF THE BEAST - in a financial district, legislative district, or other “suit” venue 

Music Jam – gather people (in business attire) to “pose” as businesspeople having a drum jam, singalong, or ?, invite “real” businesspeople to join in 

ORGANIC ORCHESTRA - “playing nature” - using all found materials 

Vegetable Orchestra of Vienna 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpfYt7vRHuY 

CIRCLESONG GROUP  - invite others to join 

FLASHMOB 

IMPROV EVERYWHERE – Choreographed action 

INTERSECTION JAM - run out during “all pedestrian” crossing for brief action 

SILENT DISCO 

BUSKING 

PARADE / PROCESSION 

The Soft Parade - ambient instruments (wind chimes, didj, bowls, flute, voice) with costumed characters (fairies, stilters, greenman, etc), mini-sound healings, sound baths, carrying art on signs.  Hand out instruments / costumes 

HONK! 

CARNAVAL 

MARDI GRAS 

SITE-SPECIFIC 

Healing rituals for ecologically-damaged site 

Healing rituals at site of injustice 

Encouraging awareness / senses at any site 

Imaginative Landscape - guiding audience through area 

Industrial decay 

Survival Research Laboratories - Warehouse 

  

PERFORMANCE SOLO / GROUP 

PERFORMANCE VENUES: 

House Concert (rotating houses?) 

Putnam Smith flyer -http://www.putnamsmith.com/house-concert.html 

Sleepover concert tour - stay in different houses for a few days - week - help out, music lessons, singing circles, concert, song share 

Gideon Irving 

I’ll come to your house / event / group 

Open Mic 

TOURING 

BASED ON THEME - AT SPECIFIC SITES 

Nuclear reactors, old-growth forests, historic sites, sites of certain activity 

WALKING / BIKING TOUR 

http://www.masswalkingtour.org/mission.html 

The Pleasant Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsHiA4MvIy4 

www.thewalkingguys.com 

ROAD SHOW TROUPE / CARAVAN   

JOYOUS REVOLUTION 

MERRY PRANKSTERS 

ECSTATIC DANCE TOUR 

  

COMMUNITY CHOIR PERFORMANCE 

Structured Songs 

Choir!Choir!Choir! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RohCZhoQz68 

Improvised Creation 

The Singing Tribe with Joey Blake:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFHAf1vR9cE 

MUSIC FOR DANCE / MOVEMENT CLASSES OR PERFORMANCES 

School / University classes 

Community classes 

SINGING TELEGRAMS 

Birthday / Birth / wedding / Secret admirer /  Just because 

In Person or recording sent online by request 

DOOR TO DOOR / CAROLING 

MUSIC FOR DANCE JAMS 

ADM (ACOUSTIC DANCE MUSIC) RAVE (adm vs edm - signifying transition to sustainability) 

MUSIC FOR SLEEP / DREAM JAM 

PLAYGROUND TOUR 

Playing at local playgrounds for / with kids - bring instruments.  Music with stories if attention is focused. 

ONE MAN SHOW 

Combining music / story / visuals / poetry / dance 

SPOKEN WORD WITH MUSIC 

pairing musicians with poets / storytellers 

solo w/ looping or live 

poetry slams / readings / Krump slam 

Real Play – group process using stories, movement, music 

Storytelling with music backing / interludes 

CABARET (PERFORMANCES BASED ON THEME) 

Anyone can create a piece based on theme (music, theatre, spoken, movement) 

SOUP’S ON! 

Structures for group improv performances - put your name in one or more hats (musician / mover / worder) or contribute themes, length of each piece also in hat.  Each piece names are selected out of each hat, as well as (possibly) theme and length. 

MOVEMENT / SOUND THEATRE 

Shadow Dance (backlit behind screen) with music accompaniment 

Shadow Puppets 

Dance / Visual / Film Pieces with Music 

Movie with live “orchestra” 

Performance w triggered video 

Outdoor Walk-Through Performance – Site-Specific 

Art in Nature Festival - http://www.samavesha.org/productions/art-in-nature-festival/ 

PUBLIC HEALING RITUALS 

Planetary Dance 

Site-specific - at an ecologically-damaged area, or at the site of an injustice 

Spiral Dance – Starhawk / Reclaiming 

MUSIC FOR HEALING ARTS CLASSES / EVENTS 

YOGA 

QI GONG / TAI CHI 

HEALING ARTS CLINICS 

GUIDED MEDITATION 

HOSPICE 

END OF LIFE CHOIR  - “On the Breath of Song:  Guidance and Stories for the Practice of Bedside Singing for the Dying” - Kathy Leo 

  

PERSONAL HEALING THROUGH SOUND 

Continuum 

Cymatics 

Toning / Sounding 

Mantras / Chants 

Gather Rant - cathartic group process where each person is given vocal support 

KIDS 

INSTANT CHOIR / THE PLAYGROUND 

ASSEMBLIES 

Lead circlesong 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGYqi2NeIIQ 

Performance 

Do You Speak Djembe?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uB9xzYL1DU 

Percussion Discussion (http://percussiondiscussion.com) 

Music for one apartment & Six Drummers / Sound of Noise 

http://www.sixdrummers.com/about/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VGEwhBDOVU 

performance with music (shadow puppet, drama, improv games) 

PLAYGROUND TOUR 

Playing at local playgrounds for / with kids - bring instruments.  Music with stories if attention is focused. 

MUSIC FOR BABY / KID DANCE JAM 

ORGANIC ORCHESTRA - “playing nature” - using all found materials 

  

ANIMAL COLLABORATION 

Sounding with or for animals / nature 

Nature recordings: 

Freesound.org / xenocanto.org / 

Ascension cricket slow-down recording 

Change speed of recording 

 

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