Chords for Clunkers

Thought Techno Jeep exhausted the musical possibilities of junk cars? Think again. Sean Friar ’GS, a Ph.D. candidate in music, was recently named the youngest American Academy Prix de Rome winner in 25 years and will spend eleven months in Rome expanding his winning composition, "Clunker Concerto: A Junk Car Percussion Quartet Concerto.”Yes, you read that right: junk car percussion quartet, backed up by a chamber orchestra. Friar went to junkyards harvesting scrap metal with promising musical possibilities, then analyzed their tones and sound textures with a computer to see where they might fit into his magnum opus.He’s performed Clunker Concerto at Carnegie Hall, which must have been an unexpected sight and sound for patrons used to your standard Mozart and Bach. But really, when you think about it, why does it make any more sense to jam on a tuba than a hubcap or fender?See Friar and the fender in action in the video below, or listen on Friar’s website.