Ceramic Xylophone Recital

Central Michigan University School of Music student, Jackson Lewandowksi and I collaborated to make a ceramic xylophone. Jackson, who is a member of the CMU Percussion Studio and a Marimba player, demonstrates the xylophone as part of an end-of-semester recital.
I ran into Jackson after picking up a Starbucks at Bovee University Center one day and struck up a conversation where he’d told me his instrument of choice was marimba. As we spoke, I had the idea of making a ceramic xylophone and asked if he’d like to collaborate on such a project. He accepted and we worked together to make one. He came into the studio when I had time between classes and demos. I showed him how to wedge clay and roll slabs. We then cut out the parts and fired them. He had friends decorate each tong of the xylophone. I cut out some plywood, painted it, and mounted the tongs to the board. The xylophone sounded great! What a fun project!