Cerveza and Ceramics

Every Wednesday at for the past few months Jeff has been hosting “Cervesia and Ceramics”.  It’s an evening playing with clay fueled by the power of beer.  Over the past few months I have seen Jeff do wheel throwing classes, hand building seminars, and general clay based standup comedy (mostly while sitting at a wheel). 

Every week members stop by just to hang out a chat or to join us for a beer.  Some of those on lookers even get talked into getting their hands full of clay.  If you have never picked up a lump of clay ask Tom Klein about his experience a couple weeks ago when Jeff peer pressured him into sitting down at a wheel for the first time.  

Stop in tomorrow or any Wednesday.  The Milwaukee Makerspace is by far the best ceramics studio in the Milaukee area also the most affordable.

Contact Mic & Circuit Bending Workshop with CMKT4 January 28

Join the members of the circuit-bent rock band CMKT4 for a workshop on building your very own EconoMIC Bottle Cap Contact Microphone (from Creme DeMentia). CMKT4 will show you how to solder up a piezo-electric pickup and house it sturdily in a recycled bottle-cap housing of their own design! Stick around for a set from the band as the tool-handle dip on your freshly built contact microphone dries.

CMKT4 is also going to offer their Build a Bending Buddy workshop. Attendees should bring simple electronic toys that make fun noises for experimentation. There will be some examples of some already bent toys and a little show and tell/performance. CMKT4 will provide literature on how to wire up different bends and ICs, for which the Bending Buddy will be good preparation.

Additional take-home kits and other surprises will be available, come build a mic and see and hear some of the circuit-bent instruments you’ve read about on www.GetLofi.com up close. Bring your own instruments and objects to amplify!

The Contact Mic workshop will be $15 and the Bending workshop will be $20. You can do both for $30. Additional kits will be on sale for $10, and there will be fully assembled mics in several varieties for sale as well. We’ll have some other fun goodies also. Interested onlookers are encouraged to donate if they don’t want to build a kit.

CMKT 4 are Austin Cliffe, Zach Adams, and Jeff Cox. The circuit-bent/rock trio has made it their mission to leave no hackerspace behind on their way to their next Maker Faire; they want to bring new devices, sounds, and ideas to your town. They are constantly working to make new and interesting devices and music.

The workshop is from 1-6PM on Saturday January 28th, 2012. We hope to see you there making some noise with us!