30 Apr / 2024
One Ukrainian IT specialist is making music from trash.
Bohdan Todchuk crafts musical instruments from wooden furniture parts found in local landfills.
He started on the path of using furniture to make guitars, and violins when he found a set of old table legs on the street.
“First of all, I like music. There is an idea that any object can be a musical instrument. One can make a musical instrument out of anything, it is only a matter of desire. Another idea is that we must use the planet’s resources more effectively,” Todchuk said.
A look at the back of the first guitar he made reveals a patchwork of table and chair legs and wood from a sofa frame, all painstakingly glued together.
“One of the most interesting moments is when after I glue all the elements together, they are rough and patchy, and then I shape them [into an instrument]. I look at it and music plays in my head. I look at it and think: ‘Oh wow! They were just pieces of wood.’ That’s a cool moment,” he said.
Todchuk says wood from old furniture is of higher quality and gives a better sound as it dries out naturally, in contrast to raw wood which is normally dried in special ovens.
“The guitar gives a powerful sound. Overdrive is embedded into it, the sound output is very strong. I have nothing to do with it. Maybe it is because of the wood,” he said.
The IT specialist says that it’s important to use natural resources more effectively.
Todchuk’s guitars are more affordable compared to guitars made by famous brands and he said they sound more powerful.
Todchuk said he aims to create a world-wide movement of craftspeople who manufacture recycled musical instruments.
