(Video link here.) Since 2004, the six-man Typewriter Orchestra has been making music on vintage desktop and portable machines. And suddenly we see typewriters as percussion instrument, in addition to unique tool for tapping the poetic subconscious.  Said Alex Holman, who plays a tenor Smith Corona:

We get that we’re weird…..

…As long as we still are entertaining people, we’re gonna stay out their typing.

 

More typewriter music here.

Next time you see a typewriter for sale cheap, grab it, for writing or making music. (We’re sorry we let our portable electric go…)

ebay.com

Kerouac wrote on one long stream of paper

…and then there are conceptual typewriters…

Ellen Silverman

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One thought on “The Typewriter Orchestra’s Drum Circle

  1. There’s still nothing better for a quick note, or addressing an envelope.

    I will love forever my IBM Selectrics 2 and 3, my Lettera 22, my Lexikon 80 and especially the old 1895 Underwood that wrote my first book. When I saw it in a London flea market I told the guy what I wanted and he looked at me most sincerely and said, “Sure, that’ll write a book!”

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