the 'musicon' instrument helps teach children creative composition, musicality + coding

developed by designer kamil laszuk, the ‘musicon’ is an interactive musical instrument for children (and adults) intended to help facilitate creative thinking, manual skills, maths and even an understanding of basic coding principles. taking the form of a traditional barrel organ, the instrument is made of wood and is entirely analog — a rarity in todays world of tech and touchscreens.

the musicon (currently seeking funding over on kickstarter) was conceived by laszuk as park of his graduation thesis in 2011 at the academy of fine arts in wroclaw, poland. the project represents a fusion of its creator’s two passions: design and music. combining a drum, xylophone and ball-bearing mill, children can easily interact with the musicon to create the sound of a whole musical troupe. by depressing spring loaded pegs on the body of the barrel, children can change what instrument is trigged when and how often, leading to a deeper understanding of music, rhythm, logic and math. 

the musicon was conceived by laszuk as park of his graduation thesis  

built to maximize quality and safety, the musicon is suitable for children aged two and up. it allows children to compose music spontaneously, seeing the immediate cause and effect of their actions through each instrument. the drum, xylophone and mill are attached to the top of the musicon using magnets, and so the order of instrument can easily be changed or swapped out for a different instrument altogether.

‘musicon is something of a one man band in a way that you don’t see so very often nowadays’, says a member of the musicon team, ‘lots of music production is incredibly complex and digital and you have to know all about computers. well, here’s a chance for children and adults alike to do all the effects — you’ve got percussion, melody, everything — all on one instrument, at their fingertips.’

the musicon is suitable for children aged two and up.

during its design phase, the instrument picked up an impressive number of awards, including the red dot design award, core77, polish children design award and a nomination to INDEX: design to improve life. developed over 18 months of prototyping, the musicon is now ready for a commercial release. it’s suitable for private homes, general education facilities and preschools, and has also proven itself as a great therapeutic tool for children on the autism spectrum and with various physical, social and cognitive disabilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGuGOLP2msc

the musicon is a combination of drum, xylophone and ball bearing mill

as each peg passes through the instrument, a sound is made

instruments are attached to the barrel by magnets, making them easy to remove 

musicon is designed with the highest standards of quality & safety

there are 720 buttons which make for a simple, touchable coding language

it teaches composing, math, physics and coding

the design is also beneficial for children on the autism spectrum

it teaches cooperation and inspires creativity

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom