Blinky's Music Madness Arthur

# Every day when you're walkin' down the street

# Everybody that you meet

# Has an original point of view

-# And I say, hey!

-Hey!

# What a wonderful kind of day If we can learn to work and play

# And get along with each other

# You gotta listen to your heart Listen to the beat

# Listen to the rhythm The rhythm of the street

# Open up your eyes! Open up your ears!

# Get together and make things better by working together

# It's a simple message And it comes from the heart

# Oh, believe in yourself For that's the place to start

-# And I say, hey!

-Hey!

-What a wonderful kind of day

# If we can learn to work and play And get along with each other

# What a wonderful kind of day, hey! What a wonderful kind of day, HEY! #

Hey, DW!

-Hey!

-Whoa!

CRASH!

Binky Barnes knows music better than any other kid I know.

He can play classical.

He can play jazz.

He can even play a little klezmer music.

A sheynem dank.

And there's no-one who appreciates music as much as he does.

-He even likes really challenging music, like this piece by...

-No!

Don't play it.

Once they hear it, they'll never be able to get it out of their heads.

It grabs onto you and takes over your brain

until you can hear nothing else!

-I'm warning you, don't listen!

-But I thought you liked it.

Who says I didn't like it? I think it's great.

You've been warned!

I think you can handle it.

THEY PLAY EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC

With a name like Bang On A Can All-Stars,

I thought we were going to hear something danceable.

Sorry I dragged you along, Francine.

-Are you kidding me? I loved it!

-You did?

Yeah, I never knew what was going to happen next.

Some of it was scary, some of it was funny.

It was like nothing I've ever heard.

Now, that's exactly what I like to hear.

And, by the way, you can dance to it.

You just look really funny doing it. I've tried.

-Oh, no, I just meant that...

-It's OK.

-I know the music I write isn't for everyone.

-Are you the composer?

I thought all that stuff was made up on the spot.

No, everything that goes on up here winds up in the score.

It looks like chicken scratch... Very beautiful chicken scratch.

Hey, would you consider coming to our school?

I'd love for my friends to hear some of your music.

Oh, yes, I'm sure they'd appreciate your

"dazzling array of originality."

We do have a few weeks before our next gig.

And I'd love to explore Elwood City, it's so uniquely average.

We'd love to.

-The Bang on a what?

-Bang On A Can All-Stars.

They're this really cool band.

I met the composer

and they've agreed to come to our school next week.

-What kind of music is it?

-It's tres avant-garde, Binky.

-It might be too sophisticated for you.

-Ha! Too sophisticated for me?

I know music better than any of you.

Wow. I feel like I was just on another planet.

I wonder if this is what it's like to be Buster?

EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS

When do they stop tuning their instruments and play the music?

That is the music.

MUSIC CONTINUES

-What on earth was that?!

-It's called Big, Beautiful, Dark And Scary.

Pretty wild, right?

Well, it's dark and scary, but it sure isn't beautiful.

I told you, you have to have a very refined ear to enjoy it.

Oh, come on. You're not telling me you actually like that music!

Of course.

OK, well, maybe not yet, but I'm trying to.

-I think it's so different.

-So?

A tuna and jelly sandwich is different,

but that doesn't mean it tastes good.

Here, take it and listen to some more tracks.

-I'm telling you, it grows on you.

-I doubt it.

EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS

Argh! That's it, I've got to go wash my ears out with some real music.

ENGINE HUMS RHYTHMICALLY

BIRDS SQUAWK

SAWING AND DRILLING

Argh! Something's happened to my ears.

-They're fine, Binky.

-Are you sure?

Then why am I noticing all these sounds?

-It's like that can-banging music infected me!

-What music?

You're better off not knowing, Mom. Believe me.

TAPS DRIP RHYTHMICALLY

BINKY SIGHS

Thanks a lot for giving me that music. It changed my brain for ever.

-That's ridiculous.

-Is that the Bang On A Can All-Stars?

Arthur was telling me all about them.

No, don't do it. You'll be sorry!

I downloaded some of their music last night.

You know, I actually am starting to like it.

See, I told you. It grows on you.

Yeah, like some creepy, musical mind mould.

-Ask him. He'll understand.

-Wow.

It's like someone has recorded the way I think. Can I borrow this?

Aww, you've all lost it! That stuff isn't music!

Finally, it's just me, you and Beethoven.

BRANCH TAPS ON WINDOW

Be quiet, tree!

CAR ALARM BLARES

Aw!

CAR ALARM BECOMES MUFFLED

Silly Bang On A Van....

HE SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY

-Listen to it, Binky.

-You must listen.

It will grow on you.

Then you will be one of us.

No, get back!

That's not music, this is music.

IT MAKES A QUACKING SOUND

HE SCREAMS

They've all been brainwashed, I've got to prove it.

I know!

DOG BARKS

TRUCK WHIRRS

TOILET FLUSHES

BACON SIZZLES

LIGHTNING CRACKS

HIS BELLY RUMBLES

DOG BARKS

HE YAWNS

"Gesundheit"?

You've never heard of them?

They're this great band I found on the internet,

they're really classy and sophisticated.

In fact, the Elwood City Times called them, quote,

"Really classy and sophisticated." End quote.

-Want to hear them?

-OK.

HE STIFLES LAUGHTER

MISHMASH OF RECORDED SOUNDS PLAYS

SHE LAUGHS

SHE LAUGHS

-So, what do you think?

-I thought it was kind of funny.

-It was weird.

But I'd like to hear it again.

Well, it's no Bang On A Can All-Stars,

but it's still pretty interesting.

I really liked it.

Aha! You're all wrong. It's awful and you know how I know? I made it.

You made that, Binky?

Yup, I just threw some sounds together on my computer.

All it took me was three days...then three nights.

-I'm exhausted.

-Sounds like it was a lot of work.

-You have no idea.

I had to get the barks just right and the stomach gurgles were flat

and I wanted the toilet flushes to sound like woodwinds.

Binky, it's really good.

I agree.

I thought you might want to add in a little clarinet,

-it would blend in nicely with the toilet flushing.

-You're here!

This is the band I've been telling you all about.

Your principal said we could practise here.

I've been thinking,

if you change your name to the Bang On A Car All-Stars,

I could guarantee you sponsorship.

That was really good, by the way. Have you composed other stuff?

I didn't compose anything, I just put a lot of different sounds together.

I call that composing. You should keep it up, you've got talent.

-OK!

-Hey, Julia, let's add some instruments to Binky's soundscape.

That's a great idea. That is if it's OK with you?

You bet it's OK!

Hey, guys, let's get set up and jam with this composer here.

I guess I really am a composer.

That was wild. What if we switched chords now?

Or we could try it in a minor key?

-Yeah!

-I guess the music finally grew on him.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd