DESCRIPTION:
Recently, I have become interested in toy musical instruments, which embody for me notions of delightful imperfection, innocence, and intimacy. I am hoping to use these instruments in various contexts (in fixed media works, in combination with 'real' instruments, etc.), but first I wanted to write etudes for some of the instruments in my collection. The instruments used here, in order of appearance, are a Hohner melodica, a Schoenhut toy piano, a 'Music Maker' zither, a Stylophone, a Sevi toy xylophone, and a kalimba. While some of these etudes are more 'experimental' than others, I sought to present a sense of melancholic nostalgia throughout.

I - 0:09
II - 2:52
III - 4:33
IV - 6:01
V - 8:24
VI - 9:25