Mechanical marvels

This article on the mechanical musical marvels on display at the Morris Museum is worth a look and listen. Sound clips and mini-movies show close-ups of these "mechanical banjo-hand pickers" inside a grandfather clock case, porcelain dolls playing and singing music, and mechanical mime-looking frenchman playing magic tricks.

Here's what the Web site says about this ring that pictures a music lesson: "The scene depicts a music session in an elegant drawing room, replete with a hanging oil lamp, a bird sitting on a three-legged music stand, and a pet dog. When set into motion, the seated woman hand-cranks a 'serinette'—an organ used to train birds to sing melodies—and the man conducts the tempo with his violin bow."

This made me think of all the great, home-made instruments we make in Kindermusik classes. Why not create your own "museum of great instruments" in your Imagine That! class and ask the kids to talk each.