Flying drones made music. A turntable played tree rings instead of vinyl grooves. An orchestra turned a parking garage into a concert hall.
Some unique musical videos turned up in CPR Classical's Facebook and Twitter feeds in 2014. Here’s a selection of the ones that left our staff with a chuckle or a sense of awe, and got great reactions from our listeners and on social media.
The amazing tree-ring turntable
This turntable plays tree rings instead of vinyl grooves. The story of how and why it works was also impressive -- as were the unique compositions generated when the turntable played different types of wood.
Robotic symphony
A charming and awe-inspiring drone ensemble made music in a laboratory:
An infectious J.S. Bach dance
Violinist Lara St. John and dancer Stephanie Cadman brought Bach to the streets of Toronto:
The trombone sneeze heard 'round the world
Trombonist sneezes into trombone during a concert. Video footages becomes viral sensation:
An inspiring Mozart rap
Rapper Mac Lethal responded to a teacher’s request to help make Mozart more appealing to her students.
Sights and sounds of 'Become Ocean'
Around the time John Luther Adams’ “Become Ocean” won a Pulitzer Prize last spring, the Seattle Symphony released this footage from the premiere at Benaroya Hall.
A parking garage symphony
The Multi-Story Orchestra turns a UK parking garage into a concert hall:
How learning music helps your brain
From TED-Ed, a look at how playing an instrument benefits your brain:
Classical flash mobs galore
In a year stuffed with flash mob videos, here are a few that stood out. First, an operatic flash mob on a commercial Air Dolomiti flight:
Members of the Detroit Symphony played the "Ode to Joy" at a Michigan Ikea:
And finally, Colorado’s conductorless 13-member string group Sphere Ensemble brings a flash mob version of Pachelbel’s Canon in D to the University of Colorado:
Which video was your favorite? What other videos should we have included? Weigh in below in the comments section.
