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While you might not recall what a boomwhacker is off the top of your head, if you paid attention in elementary school music class, you’ll remember it when you see it. A boomwhacker isn’t an aggressive cleaning tool or a new-age insult; it’s a percussion instrument composed of plastic cylinders of varying heights (or as their website calls them, “musical tubes”).
Boomwhacker inventor Craig Ramsell, a music enthusiast turned finance guy, noticed that differently sized paper towel rolls emitted different tones when doing his recycling. This was back in 1994. It just so happened that “trash bands” – groups who made music out of everyday objects or trash rather than actual instruments – were cool in the 90s. Ramsell and his wife were able to build on the idea until the boomwhacker was born. Each musical tube is coordinated to an individual note, as well as an individual neon color of the rainbow.
If you’ve ever slapped a PVC pipe against your open palm, then congratulations, you’ve indirectly played the boomwhacker. They are public school music classroom staples due to their durability, affordability, accessibility, and fun-ability. But some groups are out to prove that boomwhackers are no laughing matter.
THUD, also known as The Harvard Undergraduate Drummers, regularly play the boomwhackers as a part of their performances. They have an extensive YouTube channel featuring these performances, which include fan favorites such as Never Gonna Give You Up, Here Comes the Sun, and Wake Me Up When September Ends.
In fact, it’s probably safe to say that no one has ever been sad while playing the boomwhacker. So if something is getting you down, maybe you should try it. Someone should see about creating a boomwhacker band that doesn’t also require you to be a Harvard undergraduate, though.
