Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School students were not only entertained by a “Bash the Trash” performance on May 4, but they also learned important life lessons about being creative and caring for the environment.
John Bertles, who founded “Bash the Trash” with his wife Carina Piaggio in 1988, told students they might be little, but they can still make a big difference to the planet. Emphasizing “reduce, reuse and recycle,” the musicians used cardboard, tubes, pipes, broomsticks, hoses, straws, refrigerator drawers and other repurposed materials to make musical instruments. The group brings its program to schools, concerts halls and other performing arts centers.“Music is everywhere, and I think it’s really important to foster that within the children and realize that everyone can be musical in their own way,” said CET music teacher Marlena Peters. “You don’t need money to buy expensive instruments.”
During the performance, the musicians showed children how to make sounds with different objects, had them clap along to each beat and made them promise to keep the earth clean. Following the show, second-grade students were able to make their own musical instruments using recycled materials they had brought in from home. Peters said the activity taught them about problem-solving and being creative, all while saving the planet.
“What happens with the kids during the workshops is very interesting,” Piaggio said. “They learn things by trial and error, and when they discover something, it’s like the world opens up for them. It’s a beautiful thing. You get to see things differently when you understand how they work.”
As part of the original rhythmic composition curriculum, students get to perform in class with their new instruments.
“It’s very cool that they can make music out of cans and tubes,” said second-grader Emma Osborne, who created her own instruments — a guitar made out of a plastic container and rubber bands and a maraca made from a can and rocks.
Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School has been welcoming the “Bash the Trash” program for the past five years. For more information, visit bashthetrash.com.
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