Meet the Maker: ALMA

Alma is an ensemble of easy to play musical instruments, a piece of music, a group music project and a way for people of all ages and musical abilities to work together to create something they couldn’t do alone. Ed Devnane has been developing instruments and techniques since early 2012 for this project, which will see its first public outing at the Dublin Mini Maker Faire.

ALMA Dublin Mini Maker Faire Promo from Ed Devane on Vimeo.

For the Maker Faire I will demonstrate how to make some simple instruments such as drums and whistles, which will be played in addition to the permanent instruments by the audience at the end of the day.

It is my intention to build on this project over the coming months, adding new instrument types, music games, visual scores and giving workshops in instrument building and group music making. With ALMA I wish to involve people who may not have played music before, by making the instruments numerous (strength in numbers!) and accessible enough (single pitch instruments, played by either blowing into a tube or hitting with a stick) for anyone to play.

ALMA uses a five note Pentatonic scale and colour coded instruments. So far these instruments consist of tube chimes, reed pipes, wood blocks, single note whistles and percussion instruments. Slide whistles and various types of string instruments are in development.