soyagi

Archived version: https://archive.ph/TTSEJ

An MP has told a public meeting he will pursue a law granting better protection for heritage venues in the name of a pub which was demolished after a fire.

About 100 people attended the meeting after the 18th Century Crooked House, near Dudley, was destroyed less than two days after the fire.

Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North, said he would love to see a Crooked House law protect other venues from the same fate.

The fire is being treated as arson.

South Staffordshire Council has said it was looking at possible enforcement action against those responsible.

Speaking at Himley Hall, Mr Longhi urged patience and asked residents to avoid speculating about the circumstances of the fire on social media.

He said the building, which sank due to subsidence caused by mining works in the area, would "rise from the ashes", but it would be a "marathon, not a sprint".

"I don't believe our current legislative framework is strong enough," he said. "I would love to see, in future, a Crooked House law.

"It is important we make a change in the law. Our historic pubs and buildings are not protected adequately."

The MP pledged to bring the matter to Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, as soon as parliament reconvened in September.

The pub, known for its sloping walls and floor, was bought from Marston's by ATE Farms Limited in July.

On Tuesday, the BBC revealed its owners had experienced a huge fire on other land they owned.

Members of the public voiced concerns about a smell from the stream that runs alongside the pub and rubbish being dumped at the site.

Speaking after the meeting, residents reiterated their support for the venue to be rebuilt.Dawn and Paul Craig said the landmark should be reconstructed in the same spot, but better lighting would be needed on the approach to avoid people using the driveway as a "tip".

John Hutchinson, who ran the pub as a relief manager in the 80s and 90s called for the new owners to explain what had happened. "Where are they, why haven't they come on camera and faced the public?" he asked.Others expressed disappointment South Staffordshire Council did not attend the meeting.

Fencing has now been erected around the ruins, after the Health and Safety executive ordered the owners to make the site safe.

Mr Longhi said the behaviour of people who had been removing bricks and other debris from the rubble was "disgusting" and said he was happy the fencing was up.

South Staffordshire Conservative MP Sir Gavin Williamson has also voiced his support for restoration of the site.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/hroNJ

Bradley Cooper is facing criticism for performing in “Jewface” after the release of the trailer for his biopic of Leonard Bernstein, which revealed the facial prosthetics he employed for the role.

Bernstein, the son of Jewish-Ukrainian immigrants to the US, was a hugely talented conductor and composer, best known for writing the music for West Side Story as well as composing three symphonies and becoming music director of the New York Philharmonic. Cooper, who directs, co-writes and stars in Maestro, is not Jewish, and can be seen in the trailer with a noticeably prominent fake nose opposite Carey Mulligan, who plays Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre.

British actor and activist Tracy-Ann Obermann criticised Cooper on social media, writing: “If [Cooper] needs to wear a prosthetic nose then that is, to me and many others, the equivalent of Black-Face or Yellow-Face … if Bradley Cooper can’t [play the role] through the power or acting alone then don’t cast him – get a Jewish Actor.”

Obermann added, referencing Cooper’s performance on stage in 2014 as John Merrick in The Elephant Man: “Bradley Cooper managed to play the ELEPHANT MAN without a single prosthetic then he should be able to manage to play a Jewish man without one.”

The Hollywood Reporter’s chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg called the prosthetics “problematic” when photos from the set emerged in May, and subsequently described the film as “ethnic cosplay”.

In a statement posted on social media, Bernstein’s children Jamie, Alexander, and Nina defended Cooper, saying: “It breaks our hearts to see any misrepresentations or misunderstandings of [Cooper’s] efforts … Bradley chose to use makeup to amplify his resemblance, and we’re perfectly fine with that. We’re also certain that our dad would have been fine with it as well.”

The controversy follows objections to the casting of Cillian Murphy as nuclear physicist J Robert Oppenheimer – again, a non-Jewish actor playing a notable Jewish figure – in the biopic directed by Christopher Nolan, with David Baddiel describing such casting as “complacent” and “doubl[ing] down” on “Jewish erasure”. Baddiel also criticised the casting of Helen Mirren as Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, writing in the Guardian that “over a period of extreme intensification of the progressive conversation about representation and inclusion and microaggression and what is and isn’t offensive to minorities, one minority – Jews – has been routinely neglected”.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/Feh55

For two years, workers have embraced the concept of “quiet quitting,” as they reject hustle-culture and prioritize work-life balance.

But for a long time, you’ve probably known co-workers who are the “noisier cousins” of quiet quitters — they’re sometimes called “loud laborers,” a term coined by André Spicer, an organizational behavior professor and dean of Bayes Business School.

These are employees who place more emphasis on making their work known, rather than “focusing on the work itself,” said Nicole Price, a leadership coach and workplace expert.

“They use various methods of self-promotion, talking more about what they are doing or plan to do rather than getting on with their tasks.”

According to Price, there are two easy ways to tell who’s a loud laborer: You don’t see much work getting done, and they talk “an awful lot” about the work they are “doing.”

“Loud laborers are often quite politically savvy and are very active on professional social networks, where they publicize their tasks and achievements,” she added.

Vicki Salemi, a career expert at jobs portal Monster.com, makes the distinction between someone who confidently asserts themselves at work and a loud laborer: “The former picks and chooses when to speak up to shine a spotlight on their work.”

“Whereas the latter may crave attention and love to hear themselves talk even when it was nothing extraordinary, they were simply doing their jobs,” she added.

Why some workers ‘focus on visibility and self-promotion’

Why do loud laborers exist?

“Believe it or not, some people talk too much about their accomplishments — or lack thereof — because they lack self-esteem or are insecure. Therefore, they overcompensate,” explained Price.

“Also, some people are motivated by external rewards and recognition rather than the inherent satisfaction of the work itself. This can lead to a focus on visibility and self-promotion in order to attract these rewards.”

Salemi pointed out that these workers may feel the need to self-promote constantly because they are not getting the recognition or attention from bosses or colleagues.

“Or it could be the other extreme: they’re overly confident about their work and brag about it, but here’s the thing — there are stellar performers, but boasting about every project every day is usually not exemplary,” she added.

Impact on team dynamics

Unfortunately, if you are a loud worker, your behavior could negatively impact your team and even your career, experts said.

“It can be ingratiating and put people off, especially your peers, to always toot your own horn,” said Salemi.

Furthermore, a 2021 study found that having a self-promotion climate within work groups can “diminish work group cohesion.”

Loud laborers may create a work environment where visibility and self-promotion are valued more than actual results, which could demotivate employees who are quieter or prefer to let their work speak for itself, said Price.

“The constant self-promotion may create an atmosphere of competition rather than collaboration,” she added.

“It may lead to an imbalance in perceived effort and recognition, which could impact team morale negatively.”

What you can do about loud laborers

While loud laborers in the workplace may be irksome, it is important to set boundaries as best you can, said Salemi.

“If you’re leading a team call or participating on one and your colleague won’t be quiet about something irrelevant … you can say, ‘I want to be aware of everyone’s time — we only have 10 minutes left, so we need to be direct about the work itself only.’”

For Price, loud working is persistent in a workplace because such behavior has been rewarded or validated by leadership.

“A leader can ensure that all team members are evaluated on their actual performance and not just their ability to promote themselves,” she explained.

“This encourages everyone to focus on their work and helps to ensure that quieter team members are recognized for their contributions.”

Here’s what she suggests companies and leaders can do to tackle loud workers in the workplace:

1. Recognize effort, not just showmanship

Often the quiet and unflashy work is what keeps an organization running.

Leaders should look beyond the noise and recognize the contributions of those who may not be as vocal about their work. This encourages a culture where actual productivity and results are valued, not just visibility.

2. Understand different work styles

Some are more vocal about their efforts, while others are quieter and more focused on the tasks at hand.

A good leader should value and acknowledge both approaches, recognizing that different styles can contribute to a diverse and effective team.

3. Communicate and provide feedback

If you notice a team member who consistently emphasizes their work more than the actual results, have a conversation with them about it, Price advised.

Provide constructive feedback that encourages a balance between self-promotion and productive work. This not only helps the individual but benefits the whole team.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/Feh55

For two years, workers have embraced the concept of “quiet quitting,” as they reject hustle-culture and prioritize work-life balance.

But for a long time, you’ve probably known co-workers who are the “noisier cousins” of quiet quitters — they’re sometimes called “loud laborers,” a term coined by André Spicer, an organizational behavior professor and dean of Bayes Business School.

These are employees who place more emphasis on making their work known, rather than “focusing on the work itself,” said Nicole Price, a leadership coach and workplace expert.

“They use various methods of self-promotion, talking more about what they are doing or plan to do rather than getting on with their tasks.”

According to Price, there are two easy ways to tell who’s a loud laborer: You don’t see much work getting done, and they talk “an awful lot” about the work they are “doing.”

“Loud laborers are often quite politically savvy and are very active on professional social networks, where they publicize their tasks and achievements,” she added.

Vicki Salemi, a career expert at jobs portal Monster.com, makes the distinction between someone who confidently asserts themselves at work and a loud laborer: “The former picks and chooses when to speak up to shine a spotlight on their work.”

“Whereas the latter may crave attention and love to hear themselves talk even when it was nothing extraordinary, they were simply doing their jobs,” she added.

Why some workers ‘focus on visibility and self-promotion’

Why do loud laborers exist?

“Believe it or not, some people talk too much about their accomplishments — or lack thereof — because they lack self-esteem or are insecure. Therefore, they overcompensate,” explained Price.

“Also, some people are motivated by external rewards and recognition rather than the inherent satisfaction of the work itself. This can lead to a focus on visibility and self-promotion in order to attract these rewards.”

Salemi pointed out that these workers may feel the need to self-promote constantly because they are not getting the recognition or attention from bosses or colleagues.

“Or it could be the other extreme: they’re overly confident about their work and brag about it, but here’s the thing — there are stellar performers, but boasting about every project every day is usually not exemplary,” she added.

Impact on team dynamics

Unfortunately, if you are a loud worker, your behavior could negatively impact your team and even your career, experts said.

“It can be ingratiating and put people off, especially your peers, to always toot your own horn,” said Salemi.

Furthermore, a 2021 study found that having a self-promotion climate within work groups can “diminish work group cohesion.”

Loud laborers may create a work environment where visibility and self-promotion are valued more than actual results, which could demotivate employees who are quieter or prefer to let their work speak for itself, said Price.

“The constant self-promotion may create an atmosphere of competition rather than collaboration,” she added.

“It may lead to an imbalance in perceived effort and recognition, which could impact team morale negatively.”

What you can do about loud laborers

While loud laborers in the workplace may be irksome, it is important to set boundaries as best you can, said Salemi.

“If you’re leading a team call or participating on one and your colleague won’t be quiet about something irrelevant … you can say, ‘I want to be aware of everyone’s time — we only have 10 minutes left, so we need to be direct about the work itself only.’”

For Price, loud working is persistent in a workplace because such behavior has been rewarded or validated by leadership.

“A leader can ensure that all team members are evaluated on their actual performance and not just their ability to promote themselves,” she explained.

“This encourages everyone to focus on their work and helps to ensure that quieter team members are recognized for their contributions.”

Here’s what she suggests companies and leaders can do to tackle loud workers in the workplace:

1. Recognize effort, not just showmanship

Often the quiet and unflashy work is what keeps an organization running.

Leaders should look beyond the noise and recognize the contributions of those who may not be as vocal about their work. This encourages a culture where actual productivity and results are valued, not just visibility.

2. Understand different work styles

Some are more vocal about their efforts, while others are quieter and more focused on the tasks at hand.

A good leader should value and acknowledge both approaches, recognizing that different styles can contribute to a diverse and effective team.

3. Communicate and provide feedback

If you notice a team member who consistently emphasizes their work more than the actual results, have a conversation with them about it, Price advised.

Provide constructive feedback that encourages a balance between self-promotion and productive work. This not only helps the individual but benefits the whole team.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/3PdeS

We’ve been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we’re taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix — TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day — our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

This limited beta is meant to test our game streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time. Games on TV will operate on select devices from our initial partners including: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Additional devices will be added on an ongoing basis.

By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our games journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games. We look forward to hearing feedback from our beta testers and sharing more as we continue on the road ahead.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/3PdeS

We’ve been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we’re taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix — TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day — our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

This limited beta is meant to test our game streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time. Games on TV will operate on select devices from our initial partners including: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Additional devices will be added on an ongoing basis.

By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our games journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games. We look forward to hearing feedback from our beta testers and sharing more as we continue on the road ahead.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/3PdeS

We’ve been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we’re taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix — TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day — our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

This limited beta is meant to test our game streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time. Games on TV will operate on select devices from our initial partners including: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Additional devices will be added on an ongoing basis.

By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our games journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games. We look forward to hearing feedback from our beta testers and sharing more as we continue on the road ahead.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/3PdeS

We’ve been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we’re taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix — TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day — our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

This limited beta is meant to test our game streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time. Games on TV will operate on select devices from our initial partners including: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Additional devices will be added on an ongoing basis.

By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our games journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games. We look forward to hearing feedback from our beta testers and sharing more as we continue on the road ahead.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/3PdeS

We’ve been focused on creating a great gaming experience for our members since 2021 when we added mobile games to Netflix. Our goal has always been to have a game for everyone, and we are working hard to meet members where they are with an accessible, smooth, and ubiquitous service. Today, we’re taking the first step in making games playable on every device where our members enjoy Netflix — TVs, computers, and mobile.

We are rolling out a limited beta test to a small number of members in Canada and the UK on select TVs starting today, and on PCs and Macs through Netflix.com on supported browsers in the next few weeks. Two games will be part of this initial test: Oxenfree from Night School Studio, a Netflix Game Studio, and Molehew’s Mining Adventure, a gem-mining arcade game. To play our games on TV, we're introducing a controller that we already have in our hands most of the day — our phones. Members on PCs and Macs can play on Netflix.com with a keyboard and mouse.

This limited beta is meant to test our game streaming technology and controller, and to improve the member experience over time. Games on TV will operate on select devices from our initial partners including: Amazon Fire TV Streaming Media Players, Chromecast with Google TV, LG TVs, Nvidia Shield TV, Roku devices and TVs, Samsung Smart TVs, and Walmart ONN. Additional devices will be added on an ongoing basis.

By making games available on more devices, we hope to make games even easier to play for our members around the world. While we’re still very early in our games journey, we’re excited to bring joy to members with games. We look forward to hearing feedback from our beta testers and sharing more as we continue on the road ahead.

A new report into the fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust appears to cast doubt over star and producer Alec Baldwin's accounts of events.

Mr Baldwin denies pulling the trigger of the prop gun which went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Weapons experts have now said the trigger would have "had to be pulled".

The actor's representatives told the PA news agency they had no comment to make on the latest development in the ongoing case.

Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Mr Baldwin were dropped in April, but prosecutors said it did not "absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability".

They said charges against the star could be refiled over the October 2021 shooting, which occurred on the set of the western movie.

A new report, written by weapons experts Lucien Haag and Mike Haag, was given prosecutors in New Mexico on Tuesday.

According to the documents, prosecutors previously stated that they had information that there had been an alleged modification of the gun used by Baldwin on the Rust set.

Lawyers for Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, said the Haags' report "does not indicate any modification to the gun" and "specifies that the trigger had to be pulled".

"Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver," said an excerpt of the weapons report included in the court documents.

"If the hammer had not been fully retracted to the rear, and were to slip from the handler's thumb without the trigger depressed, the half cock or quarter cock notches in the hammer should have prevented the firing pin from reaching any cartridge in the firing chamber."

It continued: "If these features were somehow bypassed, a conspicuously off-centre firing pin impression would result."

Last week, Ms Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering charges, related to the shooting.

Her plea came ahead of a jury trial scheduled for 6 December looking into the death of Ms Hutchins at the age of 42.

It is not yet clear whether or not the findings of the new report will result in charges against Mr Baldwin being refiled.

A new report into the fatal shooting on the set of the movie Rust appears to cast doubt over star and producer Alec Baldwin's accounts of events.

Mr Baldwin denies pulling the trigger of the prop gun which went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Weapons experts have now said the trigger would have "had to be pulled".

The actor's representatives told the PA news agency they had no comment to make on the latest development in the ongoing case.

Charges of involuntary manslaughter against Mr Baldwin were dropped in April, but prosecutors said it did not "absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability".

They said charges against the star could be refiled over the October 2021 shooting, which occurred on the set of the western movie.

A new report, written by weapons experts Lucien Haag and Mike Haag, was given prosecutors in New Mexico on Tuesday.

According to the documents, prosecutors previously stated that they had information that there had been an alleged modification of the gun used by Baldwin on the Rust set.

Lawyers for Rust armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, who was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, said the Haags' report "does not indicate any modification to the gun" and "specifies that the trigger had to be pulled".

"Although Alec Baldwin repeatedly denies pulling the trigger, given the tests, findings and observations reported here, the trigger had to be pulled or depressed sufficiently to release the fully cocked or retracted hammer of the evidence revolver," said an excerpt of the weapons report included in the court documents.

"If the hammer had not been fully retracted to the rear, and were to slip from the handler's thumb without the trigger depressed, the half cock or quarter cock notches in the hammer should have prevented the firing pin from reaching any cartridge in the firing chamber."

It continued: "If these features were somehow bypassed, a conspicuously off-centre firing pin impression would result."

Last week, Ms Gutierrez-Reed pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering charges, related to the shooting.

Her plea came ahead of a jury trial scheduled for 6 December looking into the death of Ms Hutchins at the age of 42.

It is not yet clear whether or not the findings of the new report will result in charges against Mr Baldwin being refiled.

Archived version: https://archive.ph/HGJKo

In April 2012, Tim Meeks was at a music product trade show in Anaheim, California, when he got a tap on the shoulder. Stevie Wonder was in town. He had heard about the instrument Meeks had invented – a guitar-piano hybrid called the harpejji – and wanted to give it a go. Minutes later, the two men were hunched over the instrument flanked by five bodyguards, as Meeks moved the blind musician’s thumbs and forefingers across the fretboard to demonstrate how to play. “I love it,” said Wonder. “How soon can I get one?”

This was a turning point for Meeks, who has built and sold harpejjis from a workshop in Maryland since 2007. Initially, sales were slow. But a decade’s worth of harpejji performances by Wonder – plus support from Jacob Collier, Harry Connick Jr and jazz producer Cory Henry – have changed that. Now, Marcodi Musical Products, Meeks’ company, has sold nearly 1,500 of them, making him one of the few people alive to have invented a successful new instrument.

“I’m a very average musician. The thought of me showing Stevie Wonder how to play something is just absurd,” says Meeks. “But it’s all about the artists. Stevie can choose any instrument he wants to, and if he wants to play this one, people better pay attention.”

A full-size harpejji is about a metre long and sells for £5,100. The flat, birch body holds 24 strings with frets beneath. It works a bit like a piano – but instead of pressing a key you’re pressing the strings – and a bit like an electric guitar, where magnetic pickups send the sound to an amplifier. “I wanted it to sound like an organic stringed instrument, but use my piano chops rather than learn guitar for three years,” Meeks says. “I guess a lot of the best inventions come out of laziness.”

The timbre is guitar-like; the notes run in whole tones across the strings and semitones up the frets, yielding fresh harmonic possibilities. “I had thousands of sounds available on a keyboard but none of them felt right,” Meeks says. “I wasn’t trying to dazzle the world with a new sound, rather find a fresh way to think about playing music.”

Instrument design is a fast-evolving field. Whole schools are even devoted to it. Queen Mary University and Imperial College London jointly run The Augmented Instruments Laboratory, where researcher Lia Mice has developed, among other things, a one-handed violin (designed for people with disabilities) and chaos bells – a 4 sq metre frame of steel tubes that the player touches, tilts and strikes to produce a cacophonous metallic feedback loop.

There is even a gold-standard annual contest for inventors: the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, run by the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. This year’s winner was the zen flute: via a mouthpiece, it digitally translates the shape of your mouth into sound. There was also a synthesiser controlled by an abacus, and a microtonal clarinet that, rather than using tone holes, has a flexible electromagnetic strip to control pitch.

Nonetheless, even the most esteemed inventions rarely make it past the prototype stage. While the 20th century brought electric guitars, drum machines and synthesisers, popularising a new instrument is now trickier.

Part of the problem is that artists can produce any sound under the sun using a computer, says Steve Dunnington, product development chief at Moog, the company that developed the first commercially available synthesiser in 1964. “For many musicians, making music happens by typing lines of code or creating sounds on a DAW [digital audio workstation, such as GarageBand],” he says. “We just tend not to think of it as ‘instrumental’ in the same way because they’re not holding something, blowing air into it or whacking it.”

Meeks thinks many inventors are going down technological rabbit holes rather than making something usable. Most musicians “just want to have a voice”, he says. “A lot of these [instruments] are cool, they have features and they are powerful. But does anybody really want to play them, learn them or go and see someone else perform on them?”

Of course, not all inventions are dreamed up with others in mind. For Mice, the chaos bells inventor, crafting the instrument is part of making her music. “Plus,” she adds, “there’s something super punk rock about making your own instrument.”

The harpejji, meanwhile, is on course to exceed $1m of sales in 2023 – a record year – and Marcodi Musical Products recently moved to bigger premises near Baltimore. Meeks even had another “monumental” moment at the end of July, working in his new office with a Spotify-curated playlist on in the background. “About six songs in I realised: ‘Wait a minute, I recognise that sound.’”

The track was Harpejji I by Vulfmon (AKA Jack Stratton, drummer of the cult funk outfit Vulfpeck), which features the instrument. “That’s the first time since founding the company that harpejji music came to my ears randomly without me seeking it out,” he says. “Now I truly feel like it’s got a life of its own.”