My name is Ava Park-Matt and my goal is to properly learn how to use power tools! I am interested in building things on my own and have always been curious about the specifics of construction with power tools. I’ve also been passionate about music and playing instruments for a while, so I had the idea to construct my very own instrument; a tubulum! A tubulum helps me combine one of my favorite pastimes with an essential skill I want to master before going off to college. I hope to gain a new creative experience playing an instrument I built on my own. I’m excited to learn how to use tools and materials to build an unconventional instrument from scratch.
A tubulum is a wind instrument constructed mainly out of PVC pipes held up by a wooden stand. You make music with them by hitting the tops of the tubes with a paddle. I will have to cut each tube to match every note on a C scale covering two octaves, which isn’t a task you can complete overnight. I will also have to build the wooden stand for the tubulum, using drills, pipe-cutters, saws, etc. In the end, my goal is to properly construct a tubulum and learn how to play a song or two (maybe live). My mom has always been the worker bee in my family, she always fixes the plumbing herself, she built my loft bed and stairs from scratch, she deals with the electricity in our house, the list is endless. My mom is going to pose as a mentor for this construction project to help if anything goes wrong. I’m more than confident I’ll turn to her for help with some of the more complex aspects of building a tubulum (as well as the funding).
Additionally, I’m going to be fostering kittens over the course of senior project. Care for animals has been something interwoven in my life ever since I can remember. The Liberty Humane Society is a shelter near my home, and we’ve fostered with them many times before. I’ve always been enthusiastic about helping animals, and fostering is the perfect way to do it.
Working on this project will spark an interest in further creative endeavors and is something that I’m genuinely excited to do. I expect these interests to branch into a major in college or a possible career path.