Chinese man turns everyday objects into musical instruments

In a small studio resembling a sound laboratory in Dongying, a city in east China's Shandong Province, a middle-aged Chinese man Shi Qichao blurs the boundaries between music and daily life by crafting functional musical instruments from household objects, construction materials, and even fresh produce.

Shi first experimented with vegetables after noticing the resemblance between a carrot and a flute.

"I noticed that carrots look a lot like flutes by chance, and I started wondering: could I turn one into an instrument? Could I blow it if I hollow it out and carve holes? I decided to have a try. When I made the first hole and played it, the sound was surprisingly beautiful. That's when I started researching on how to actually make it into a real instrument," said Shi.

His creations, including a frying pan guitar, brick-carved xun (a traditional Chinese ocarina), PVC pipe zither, and wind instruments made from leafy greens, have gone viral on social media. His imagination of turning familiar objects into performance art seems beyond limits.

Despite the growing popularity, Shi has faced skepticism from online audiences, with some accusing him of seeking attention rather than artistic expression.

"When I posted my first video, the comments section exploded. Some people said that the musical instruments were not real, definitely not real, while others said that they were custom-made. I tried to explain. For instance, when I played the carrot flute, I broke it into half immediately after I finished playing. However, it did not work. They thought it was dubbed or something. There was a lot of skepticism. Some even accused me of curiosity-mongering or showboating. But personally, I believe it's actually an innovation," said Shi.

Shi has recently hosted a livestream concert outside his studio, performing on his self-made "waste-free drum kit," "vegetable flute," and "pipe organ." The turnout exceeded expectations.

"Before the concert started, I thought I'd have one or two audiences, and they might leave after a glance. But so many people stayed through to the end. I'm so glad about it, and it really boosts my confidence," said Shi.

As Shi's popularity grew, he began using his platform to support local farmers by livestreaming fresh vegetable sales directly from the greenhouse.

He also integrates environmental sustainability into the musical instrument creation to raise upcycling and ecological awareness.

In the nearby Yellow River Delta, he crafted instruments from seashells found along the coastline, staging performances for visitors while promoting environmental awareness.

Chinese man turns everyday objects into musical instruments

The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index fell to 89.1 in December, down from November's revised 92.9, The Conference Board said Tuesday.

The figure is also lower than market expectations of 91.9, showing that U.S. consumers are more pessimistic about current business and labor conditions amid continued economic uncertainty as the year closes.

The Present Situation Index, based on consumers' assessment of current business and labor market conditions, plunged 9.5 points to 116.8 in December. The Expectations Index, based on consumers' short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions, held steady at 70.7, remaining below the recession threshold of 80.

Consumers' assessments of current business conditions turned mildly pessimistic in December, with 18.7 percent of consumers saying business conditions were "good," down from 21 percent in November, and 19.1 percent saying business conditions were "bad," up from 15.8 percent.

Consumers' views of the labor market were also weaker in December, as 26.7 percent of consumers said jobs were "plentiful," down from 28.2 percent in November, and 20.8 percent said jobs were "hard to get," up from 20.1 percent.

Looking ahead, consumers' outlook for income prospects was slightly less positive in December, as 18.4 percent of consumers expected their incomes to increase, up from 17.6 percent in November, while 14.7 percent expected their incomes to decrease, up from 12.5 percent. "Consumers' write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to be led by references to prices and inflation, tariffs and trade, and politics. However, December saw increases in mentions of immigration, war, and topics related to personal finances -- including interest rates, taxes and income, banks, and insurance, according to Dana Peterson, chief economist of The Conference Board.

U.S. consumer confidence index falls to 89.1 in December