Tiny Desk Concerts Featuring Unique or Unexpected Instruments

The intimate setting of the Tiny Desk has allowed artists to showcase a remarkable array of unconventional instruments, pushing the boundaries of what's considered a musical performance.

The top 3

1. Sō Percussion's Everyday Objects: The quartet Sō Percussion utilized everyday items like a barrel cactus, a stapler, a waste basket, and a peppermint tin, alongside traditional percussion, to create their unique sound at the Tiny Desk.
2. Vân-Ánh Võ and the Đàn Bầu: Vietnamese musician and composer Vân-Ánh Võ performed Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 3 on the đàn bầu, a traditional Vietnamese single-stringed instrument known for its unique pitch-bending capabilities.
3. Carolina Eyck's Theremin Mastery: Carolina Eyck showcased the theremin, an early electronic instrument played without physical touch, demonstrating its ethereal sounds and her virtuosic control over electromagnetic fields to produce pitch and volume.

Sources

• wbgo.org
• The 10 Weirdest Tiny Desk Performances Ever - YouTube

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