There’s no denying that music is a divine gift, but who’d have guessed that it could be derived from the most unlikely of sources? Some virtuosos perform concerts utilizing vegetables and fruits, it turns out.
For the last two decades, the Viennese vegetable orchestra and Japanese video blogger Junji Koyama have been extracting music from veggies and sometimes fruits. Such unique instruments have earned them international acclaim, and they don’t go hungry after their performances. Of course, abilities are required here – and then the audience’s attention is guaranteed.
The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra’s history and characteristics
This odd musical group’s career started in 1998. The musician pals spoke about numerous ideas while preparing soup in the kitchen. They planned to surprise the judges and the audience by applying to the university music festival.
They suddenly heard what sounded like a carrot, followed by a potato. This was a pleasant surprise for them. For the festival performance, it was planned to utilize veggies. Six men and three women set out to form an entirely new musical ensemble. This has never been done before.
Before the performance, there was still time to explore. The musicians listened to the noises that the veggies created. Not only did the design of the instrument matter, but so did the method of extracting musical sounds.
Their debut performance at a university music festival drew a lot of attention. The orchestra musicians were dubbed “Viennese geniuses” by the crowd. The sound quality and loudness of veggie instruments are especially essential in such events. Modern sound technology and a sound engineer’s professional labor are utilized for this.
Each veggie is separated into its batch
Of course, in order to put on a proper concert, the musicians plan out the whole program and pick veggie instruments with care.
After all, each vegetable in the Vienna Orchestra plays a specific role:
- A long carrot serves as a flute;
- A sweet pepper serves as a ringing bell;
- Leeks produce the lovely sounds of a violin;
- A massive pumpkin serves as a drum;
- A radish replaces the bass flute;
- A cucumber and many other vegetables perform the divine sounds of a saxophone.
The creators of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra have created about 150 different instruments over the course of their 22-year musical career and have performed over 300 performances throughout the globe. They were also able to record four albums.
There are a few requirements that must be met. To keep their amazing sound, all vegetable instruments should be maintained fresh. As a result, the musicians pick up all of the veggies, a total of at least 50 kg. It is, however, insufficient to just bring your veggies with you. Before the concert, they must be prepared, edited, and practiced.
Musicians should keep in mind that each vegetable has its own shelf life and operating safety margin. Vegetables that are prone to collapsing should be cooked with caution. In this manner, you may prevent the concert from being canceled due to force majeure. True, performers may use certain instruments for more than one performance due to their features—for instance, pumpkin or dried vegetable gathering equipment.
The musicians purchase veggies for their instruments at local markets as the symphony travels across the globe. At a concert, each nation has its distinct sound. After all, veggies vary from one place to another. As a result, each time the orchestra performs a new performance, it must adapt to the unique characteristics of the nation in which it will be performed. Surprisingly, this just helps them perform better. Each concert is a one-of-a-kind event.
The veggie orchestra’s musical directions
The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra performs a wide range of musical styles. The reality is that artists from all over the world came here to perform in diverse styles. As a result, both well-known compositions and genre improvisations are included in the orchestra’s repertoire. Avant-garde current music, classical pieces, rock, pop, and punk music may all be heard here. Motives from Africa, too. The musicians’ major trait remains their experimental imaginations.
The artists also play strange music that can only be performed on vegetable instruments during each event. Transacoustics is the term used by experts to describe this phenomenon. On common musical instruments, it has yet to be replicated. Spectators may hear creatures making strange noises or the sound of the sea crashing against the cliffs.
In addition, the orchestra has its own original compositions. Consider vegetable-related items. There are sounds like onions rubbing against each other, bell peppers creaking on their slick surfaces, and other strange noises. The disc jockey’s leek party particularly entertains the crowd. Madame Cabbage’s departure is the show’s loudest and most spectacular moment. She is so active that her leaves disperse in all directions, landing in the hall’s audience.
Tools for tasting
The audience is served a genuine vegetable soup at the conclusion of the performance. The chef makes it before the concert utilizing the items that the musicians will “play” with. The soup is kept hot while the audience is entertained by music. You may also have delectable fresh soup in the last section. Nobody will go hungry, at the very least.
Vegetables do not form cults among musicians. These are just instruments that they may use to express themselves. Each year, they do little more than 20 shows. The artists’ individuality astounds audience members.
It’s somewhat odd to play with veggies and fruits. The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, however, is not the only one who can demonstrate their abilities. Junji Koyama’s YouTube viewers are in for a real treat. Koyama, it turns out, is a prominent Japanese video blogger. And it’s all because a Japanese man records himself performing brilliant classical music on fruits and veggies. It has a strange appearance, but it has an incredible sound.
In the markets and supermarkets, Koyama spends hours examining vegetables and fruits to find the best form. He builds his instruments and believes that any of them can be made to sound fantastic. 15 years ago, Junji had such an unexpected thought. He then attempted to play the ocarina made of carrots. The musician captured everything on camera and uploaded it on the Internet. Imagine his astonishment when this odd piece was well received. Koyama may be seen playing the Christian song “Oh Grace” on cabbage in a video.
The celery flute had to be played with his nose. Watermelon and onions, cucumbers and mushrooms, radishes, and a variety of other foods have all been attempted by the Japanese singer. His fruit and vegetable instruments sound much like those created by experts. And after the performance, all of Junji Koyama’s veggies and fruits fall onto his table, where they are eagerly consumed. It doesn’t end there for the Japanese video blogger. He knows how to play ostrich eggs already. This is only the start. Some mega-stars strive to reclaim their past fame.
