Junkyard Symphony

Junkyard Symphony's motto is: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rock! That pretty well sums up the mission of this environmentally-conscious entertainment company. Junkyard Symphony performs for all kinds of events including schools, festivals, community and corporate events. They are known for their percussion/comedy/circus shows and are constantly imagining new and innovative ways to reuse junk materials. "One man's junk is another man's treasure" and Junkyard Jonny is living proof of this quote.

If you know any percussionists, you know that they are generally high-energy, extremely "fidgety", extroverted individuals that are constantly drumming or tapping on a variety of handy items. Jonny Olsen has elevated these characteristics into a thriving entertainment vehicle.

A bit of history...

Starting in 1992, on Sparks Street during Canada Day, a failed busking experiment found Jonny left behind to guard equipment.(his two friends won Rock Paper Scissors and were in a bar having cold drinks) With nothing better to do, he began playing an awesome drum solo on his pecuilar drum set made out of "junk". (Busking on the street is not the most ideal place to bring an expensive drum set). A huge crowd, curious onlookers, one aforementioned awesome drum solo and $150 later and the idea of Junkyard Symphony was born. (Good thing he lost at Rock Paper Scissors!!)

I first heard of them when they used to play on Sparks Street. Their catchy rhythms, comedic talent and Jonny's unicycle riding drew crowds of onlookers and they were always favourites when they did their busking on Sparks Street.

Background and Members

Junkyard Symphony has performed throughout Canada, the States, Singapore and England, winning numerous contests and playing on radio and television shows. Jonny Olsen got a new partner, aka Trashcan Tony (Tony Raybould) and they have developed newer shows that now include audience participation. In 2007, they added a satellite location in Montreal, Quebec. Junkyard performers include Recycle Ross (Aytahn Ross) - circus performer, DJ Duct Dape Dayv (David Luciak) - DJ/bassist, Speedy Spence (Spencer Parent) drummer/juggler, Dumpster Don (Don Estabrook), acrobatic and juggler, Landfill Lil (Mary Gellner) - drummer, and Dumpster Dylan (Dylan Roberts), drummer.

Shows

Their shows are divided into 5 categories: small space shows, large space shows, workshops, main stage shows and roving shows. Their prices are based on the type of group doing the hiring: Community/Charity, Schools, and Business/Festivals, with pricing to match. The shows offer something for everyone: rhythms, tricks, acrobatics, clean comedy and audience participation for people of all ages.

School of Drums and Percussion

Coming in September, Junkyard Jonny will be starting Junkyard Symphony's School of Drums and Percussion. They are offering inexpensive two-hour classes filled with music education and games. Classes held Mondays and Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the school year. See their website for more details.

Contact Information

For more information, visit their website here (opens in a new window).

For reservations: e-mail
junkyardjonny@junkyardsymphony.com or
junkyardsymphony@hotmail.com

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