Finally, a chance to do something with all those abandoned toys from your wee years that you have, for whatever reason, clung to all this time: circuit bending. “Circuit bending is the creative rewiring of internal components from electronic devices such as children’s toys, synthesizers and drum machines to create new sounds the devices were never intended to make,” explains Potar, a circuit bending guru and instructor for Hooray for Humans’ upcoming circuit bending workshop. In other words, you can bust open that hot pink Fisher-Price keetar that’s stuffed in the back of your closet, mess around with the wires, and soon be “playing” a spectrum of sounds (some kinda wonky, some sorta pretty, all definitely strange) entirely foreign to your ears. “It might sound complicated,” Potar admits, “but it’s definitely something anyone can approach and immediately create with.” A one-year-old art collective formed by Long Beach residents Bryan Schnelle, Michael Wysong and Robert Garza, Hooray for Humans first met Potar when he performed some of his “bent” instruments at a previous HFH event. “Here was this guy with all these strange looking devices and the music he was creating with them was incredible,” recalls Wysong. At the workshop, attendees (all ages welcome) will be able to add pitch bends, audio outputs and more to old children’s toys and electronic instruments (included). Afterward, there will be a group improvisational performance with the newly bent toys. And if anyone asks, just remember: bent isn’t broken.

HOORAY FOR HUMANS PRESENTS A CIRCUIT BENDING WORKSHOP {OPEN} 2226 E FOURTH ST | LONG BEACH 90814 | 562.499.6736 | ACCESSOPEN.COM AND HOORAYFORHUMANS.ORG | SUN 2-6PM | $25 INCLUDES ENTRY, MATERIALS AND A CIRCUIT BENT TOY

Tags: circuit bending, Hooray for Humans, {open}