Hinrichs builds music box for faculty art exhibit

PERU - Peru State College recently had its art exhibit featuring works by students and staff alike. One such piece was a contraption built by the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Paul Hinrichs.

The contraption is a music box, built entirely of repurposed materials, that plays the melody of the Peru State College Color Song.

Dr. Hinrichs said he was challenged to build the music box when some people in the music department gave him an old xylophone set. “I wanted to do something different,” Dr. Hinrichs said.

Just after Christmas break started, on December 18, he got to work. Dr. Hinrichs toyed with many ideas before landing on the decision to make his music box, a sort of Rube Goldberg machine. “Which means making a simple task as challenging as possible,” he joked.

 

Using a hodgepodge of items - a wheel from his daughter’s bicycle, binder clips, two fidget spinners, an exercise band, an old tuba rack, index cards, cardboard, toothpicks, the xylophone keys, and an antique drill - Dr. Hinrichs spent a total of 25 hours building his music box. He finished the project on January 30, the day before the art exhibit opened.

Dr. Hinrich’s main goal in the materials he was using was to use them in such a way that they would not be permanently damaged. With the exception of the tuba rack, which makes up the wooden body of the music box, each part can be returned to its original use.

 

When asked what the most interesting part of the project was for him, he joked, “It actually worked!” He then added that the antique drill - which he used as the crank for the music box - was really the most interesting part.

Dr. Hinrichs’ favorite part of his whole project is watching someone play the music box. “It’s very exciting to see someone smile when the music starts,” he said.

Now that the art exhibit has ended, Dr. Hinrichs will be looking for a new home for his unique project.