The woods, bins, shelves and kitchens are alive with the sound of music

The Dartington International Summer School has been mixing music with nature – in a week long ‘Sustainable Sound’ workshop based around the creation of musical instruments from found materials sourced from the Dartington estate, both natural and recycled.

‘Sustainable Sound’ is the perfect way for Dartington to combine themes of sustainability with creative exploration, making music out of recycled and found material – including a gong from a giant wok, percussion from tree trunks and various other instruments created from scrap metal, kitchen utensils, copper pipes, carpet tubing, pine cones and flip flops.

Participants showcased their achievements in instrument making, sourcing and composition in a short performance up at Dartington on Friday 22 August between 11.15 and 12.30.

Course director Michael Freeman said, “’Sustainable Sound’ is a fantastic opportunity for participants to step beyond convention and explore the musical potential of their own environment and imagination. Most people have an instinctive curiosity about sound and when the instruments are non conventional, they are far more likely to pick them up and give them go.”

The ‘Sustainable Sound’ course at Dartington Summer School has been running for four years and is designed for all ages and abilities, encouraging participants to spend an hour or two a day over the course of a week, exploring the musical potential of their environment and the Dartington Hall Estate.

To conclude the week, Michael and his group performed a devised composition up at Dartington, playing a number of smaller instruments and a large group instrument created entirely from found and recycled materials.

Dartington Conservation Manager Tom Stevens said, “It’s been brilliant working on the ‘Sustainable Sound’ with Michael, by combining ecology and creativity and using natural resources from the woodlands, we have really helped people explore their own creativity and the versatility of the natural world.”