Not-Quite Blue Man Plays Zelda Tunes on PVC Pipe

[Tom Goldman]

Not-Quite Blue Man Plays Zelda Tunes on PVC Pipe


Take a trip through Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's musical archives courtesy of a young man's talent and his custom-built PVC instrument.

The music from snubbyj [http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Twilight-Princess-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B000FQBPCQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301766621&sr=8-1] on YouTube) should also be universally beloved.

Kent doesn't play on the violin or the piano though. He expresses himself through a totally custom PVC pipe keyboard/xylophone that he just calls a PVC pipe instrument. I personally think the Pipe-O-Phone is a bit snappier.

In the video, Kent works through 10 popular songs from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Zelda-Ocarina-Time-Nintendo-DS/dp/B003O6E800/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1301767127&sr=1-1]. He starts with "Kokiri Forest" from the game's opening and hits fan-favorites in the middle like the "Windmill" song and "Shooting Gallery," but it's at the end where Kent really works his magic.

For the last two songs, "Gerudo Valley" and the Legend of Zelda theme, Kent cuts the video together so two "Kents" are playing the upper-range and lower-range parts of the music. It might look like he has a twin, but it's just visual trickery. The charming/creepy pauses to look up at the camera and the "other Kent" are a bonus. Sadly, he doesn't focus purely on videogame music, but maybe he'll throw gamers a bone again sometime in the future.

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[The Red Spy]

I really have to ask, how did he arrive at the decision to fashion a (functional) instrument out of PVC piping? What event occured in his life to make the connection between plumbing equipment, and music? I'm to going to get an answer, but that was quite impressive.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

DAMN! Now that boy has a set of pipes....

 

[Serenegoose]

That instrument has a really nice tone to it! Not so great at the upper ranges, but that might be the recording rather than it itself. I think the Zelda music was really made for Medleys, because it tends to revolve around a single theme repeated rather than say an actual 4 minute long piece of music.

Also, obligatory statement that Majora's Mask is by far the best game of the series. It is beautiful, haunting, surreal, creepy, and moving. It's a work of art.

 

[The Giggling Pin]

That was brilliant, I had a smile on my face from start to finish. It seems like a very strange way to spend your free time though...

 

[Gnoupi]

The Legend of Zelda theme (which he plays last) has the incredible quality of always giving me a chill, no matter of the instrument.

I have yet to find a version of this theme not sounding good (I mean a correctly played version, of course, on another instrument). I mean, it would even sound good clapped in the cheeks.

 

[Medic Heavy]

That video transported me way back in time to a world of sugary breakfest cereals and overly extited saturday morning cartoon. Just what I needed on to get through the day, thanks.

Oh and yes:

I really have to ask, how did he arrive at the decision to fashion a (functional) instrument out of PVC piping? What event occured in his life to make the connection between plumbing equipment, and music? I'm to going to get an answer, but that was quite impressive.

If you've ever seen a blue man group performance (and if you haven't you should ) they use "PVC pipe instruments" as well. Though I'm not 100% completely sure I'm pretty sure he may have been inspired by them.

 

[Vaccine]

Gerudo Valley is one of my all time fave songs, so this was a treat.

 

[Hungry Donner]

I love mallet percussion, I love Zelda music, win!

 

[Zero_ctrl]

I really have to ask, how did he arrive at the decision to fashion a (functional) instrument out of PVC piping? What event occured in his life to make the connection between plumbing equipment, and music? I'm to going to get an answer, but that was quite impressive.

<youtube=LOL8-qIYemg>

Spoiler: Obligatory Arrested Development Reference

Anyway, cool video.

 

[dagens24]

That was amazing. It's nice to know for that for every mom putting a baby in a garbage bag there's a kids playing zelda music on PVC pipes kid out there somewhere.

 

[Hungry Donner]

I really have to ask, how did he arrive at the decision to fashion a (functional) instrument out of PVC piping? What event occured in his life to make the connection between plumbing equipment, and music? I'm to going to get an answer, but that was quite impressive.

He'd probably adept on more conventional instruments and some aren't functionally very different. He's pretty much got a cross between chimes and a marimba here, but made at a minuscule fraction of the cost. He's also interested in the Blue Man Group who do things like this.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Wow while I did know that those pipes can make funny noises but to turn them into a musical instrument is something else.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

I think that's actually the best version of the Gerudo Valley I've yet heard.

 

[Sealpower]

Must say, the hyrule market part was really awesome!

 

[Mstrswrd]

I really have to ask, how did he arrive at the decision to fashion a (functional) instrument out of PVC piping? What event occured in his life to make the connection between plumbing equipment, and music? I'm to going to get an answer, but that was quite impressive.

He loves the Blue Man group, wants to be a Blue Man, has auditioned, and was turned down not for lack of skill, but for lack of experience (he was also told to come back after a he's basically gone out and lived some more).

I've been watching his stuff since the OP. Also, everything in this post was already stated by others, but in a more roundabout fashion.