BeatBearing is a relatively new musical instrument that makes beats out of ball bearings, and it's the brainchild of Peter Bennett, a Queen's University Belfast PhD student. The BeatBearing is essentially a rhythm sequencer, according to Science Daily: "A red line sweeps across the grid, playing a sound whenever a ball bearing is encountered, 'like an updated version of the old piano-roll' according to Bennett."
The BeatBearing has yielded a ton of attention from Bennett, who has thus far rejected the offers of people who want to buy their own BeatBearing. In lieu of producing the instrument himself, he's publishing step-by-step DIY instructions to build a BeatBearing in Make Magazine.
What's Driving This Trend
- Musical Innovations
- Exploring unconventional approaches to creating music through innovative instruments like the BeatBearing.
- DIY Music Making
- Growing interest in do-it-yourself music instruments and tools, as demonstrated by the popularity of building a BeatBearing using published instructions.
- Rhythm Sequencing
- Advancements in rhythm sequencing technology with instruments like the BeatBearing, offering new ways to create beats.
Who This Affects Most
- Musical Instruments
- Opportunity for companies in the musical instrument industry to explore and develop innovative and unconventional instruments like the BeatBearing.
- Music Education
- Incorporating unconventional and DIY approaches to music-making into educational programs, providing new learning experiences for students.
- Media and Publishing
- Opportunities for media and publishing companies to create and distribute instructional content for building and using innovative music instruments like the BeatBearing.
