Bash the Trash School Programs

Bash the Trash Auditorium Show

Click here for Bash the Trash Auditorium Show Picture Gallery - see the highlights of the show - a digital performance!

Join Bash the Trash for a witty, educational and interactive program of music, recycling, science and trash! Using instruments built from found objects, the three Bash the Trash performers demonstrate the science of sound (acoustics) with weird instruments such as the Bendjo, Singing Bowl, Strawmbone and the Balloon Flute. The safe use of materials is emphasized as students discover how to make simple instruments. Our most popular program, the BTT Auditorium Show has been constantly in performance for over 11 years. Study Guide provided.

While the program is appropriate for children grades K-6, we recommend that K-2 students and 3-6 students have separate shows so that we can tailor the shows to each age. The show for younger kids is more "warm and fuzzy" (although still retaining the concepts of science, music and recycling) while the show for older kids tends to be much more sophisticated and science-oriented. While it is possible to cover the whole spectrum of grades in one show we find that results are better if they are split.

If you wish to have a Middle School show email us at the location below for more information.

We are delighted to have you audit our show - indeed we heartily recommend it (our experience with video is that it doesn't capture the performance well). Email us at

bashthetrash@earthlink.net

for a show near you and the procedure for auditing.

Students can build their own instruments with a Bash the Trash instructor in optional follow-up workshops.

Bash the Trash Follow-up Workshops

Using a provided age-appropriate materials list (consisting of easily collectible items such as plastic bottles, cardboard tubes, rubber bands, boxes, etc.) students collect their own instrument materials after a mandatory Bash the Trash introductory auditorium show. Then about a week after the show a BTT instructor will lead the students through a 40-45 minute-long instrument building frenzy. Each student builds a variety of instruments, typically horns, straw oboes, guitars, maracas and drums, but many other instruments are possible depending on the types of materials collected and the student's ingenuity. At the end of the period the students make a catalog of their sounds and the instructor leads them on either a song with instruments or a story. In the story exercise the classroom teacher can discover how to use the musical instruments to help the students write their own stories and then perform them, thus adding a literacy component.

- Workshop limit is 30 students
- Instructor brings enough materials to cover 3-4 students who might forget their material, as well as tape, rubber bands and straws.

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