Bash the Trash and their show Sustainable Sounds rocked Patrick M. Villano School. The performance on January 30, 2026, showed how music can be made from recycled materials.
“Bash the Trash was pretty good,” Jeremiah Matthew, a fifth grader, said. “I would make a guitar out of an oil can, a Coca-Cola cap, and rubber bands for the strings.”
During the assembly, students learned they could create instruments using items such as plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard. The group of three musicians performed songs while students clapped along. Band members demonstrated how everyday objects can be reused to make instruments like guitars and percussion instruments. On stage, one performer played a violin made of Styrofoam. Another used a guitar made from part of an old battery and half of a guitar. The third performer played a drum kit made of bottles, cans, and trash can lids. Each bottle produced a different sound because it contained a different amount of water.
“I liked the drum set best because it made different noises when you put different items in it. I would like to make a recorder. I would use plastic cups and cardboard to make it durable and make different sounds,” Vitale said.
The assembly showed students how recycling materials can be used to create music and other items. Students learned that trash can be turned into new objects, including instruments, cars, and other creations.
