Innovative musical instruments of 21st century

What cannot be contained? Certainly there are many answers to this question but music will always manage to make it to the top of this list. Through the centuries music has evolved and reached all kinds of milestones, creating many more for us to scale. Delving into uncharted territories, geographically, culturally or otherwise, musicians worldwide have taken the tradition and turned it into innovation.

Experimental musical instruments through the years has evolved significantly. At times, with an amalgamation of simple mechanics or with the incorporation of complex electronic codes or just the good old playing with nature has given us some amazing outcomes. Here are few of the most innovative musical instruments of our times.

Hydraulophone

Irrespective of the fact that you’re a musician or not hydraulophone is something everyone should try, at least for fun. Categorized as a wood water instrument, this horizontally positioned curved tube with holes on the top, produces music through the water flow. It creates tones hydraulically. The player can block and release the path of the holes through the fingers to generate music. Hydraulophone is also used for the individuals having a low level of vision as a sensory device. It was invented by Steve Mann, a researcher from Canada.

Tenori On

Created by Japanese artist Toshio Iwai and Yu Nishibori, Tenori On is a digital musical instrument comprising of a sixteen by sixteen square grid, incorporating LED lights responsive to touch. This sophisticated yet adorable looking instrument has the power to bewitch anyone with its soothing and melodious musical compositions. Since its inception, Tenori On has been used in various live music shows and international concerts. Tenori On perfectly fits the description of beauty is in brevity.

Eigenharp

Eigenharp is an instrument which cannot be simply classified as a keyboard. The most mesmerizing aspect of this musical instrument is that as delicate and sleek it appears to the eyes, it also creates the kind of music that captivates one. This expressive instrument comes along with a combination of percussion keys, mouthpiece and ribbon controllers. It is packed with recording and playback options too. No wonder it took John Lambert, Eigenharp’s creator 8 long years to develop it.

Hapi Drums

This artful little drum could be mistaken for a UFO! The Hand Activated Percussion Instrument, that is HAPI, can be a joy for all kinds of players. You don’t need to be a performing artist, you just need to have the heart of a child. Its round vibrating tongue made of steel helps to create music of spontaneous nature. Hapi Drums can be an enjoyable method of attempting music therapy, giving the players a liberty to combine and create a pacifying and melodious ambiance.

Music undeniably remains one of the most creative inspirations for all. Even for the ones who can’t catch a note, but who always listen from the heart.

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