Experimenting here with an animal that is an instrument, rather than performing on one.

Named for Art Garfunkel

The bass is influenced by the opening credits of “Monsters, Inc.” and all of the door illustrations.

Named for Burt Bacharach

I feel like her sitting pose really brings her to life. And the poor thing has to cover the holes with her hooves! It’s okay Claudette, I was never any good at clarinet either.

Named for Claude Debussy

At this point in the project, I’ve committed to bold color palette and midcentury-inspired graphic shapes with expressive line work.

Named for Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!”

A euphonium is a brass instrument similar to the tuba. Very rich, warm sound! I love how her flared feet make her look like she’s wearing bell bottoms.

Named for Etta James

This is one fancy flautist! My favorite features might be the scallop-y feathers and line-y legs.

Named for Franz Schubert, Liszt, Haydn, and Strauss

Georgia both plays and IS a guitar – she uses her tail to strum the strings that stretch along her neck, with her horns as the tuners.

Named for George Harrison of the Beatles, who played guitar and was also fairly tall.

My family think she looks like my newborn – something about the neck rolls I think?

Named for Hildegard of Bingen, who was a composer and scholar born in 1098 (and is one of the best-known female composers of the Middle Ages). 

There aren’t too many familiar instruments that begin with “I” so I took a different approach… Because as every music teacher knows, the most common instrument is a lost one!

Named for Irving Berlin, American composer and songwriter who wrote hundreds of classics such as “Cheek to Cheek,” “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” and “White Christmas.”

To play, performers buzz their lips into an empty glass or stoneware jug and create low, trombone-like sounds. Jug Bands were popular in the 1920s and 1930s where they typically played a mixture of jazz and blues.

I had fun interpreting my own version of jaguar markings, which I learned are called rosettes. My versions remind me of groovy lava lamp flowers.

Named for João Gilberto, Brazilian guitarist and singer. My family has listened to his album “Amoroso” a LOT over the years. Jaguars also live in Brazil, so there's a connection there too!

While voice-changing instruments like the kazoo have been in Africa for hundreds of years, the modern kazoo is thought to have been designed by Alabama Vest and Thaddeus Von Clegg in 1840. In 1885, the Telegraph referred to the kazoo as a “new nondescript musical instrument of torture.”

Named for “The Sound of Music” – Kurt von Trapp is the youngest boy, and actress Kym Karath plays little Gretl.

This is the first animal I’ve drawn that I think is too cool to be my friend. His taste in music is far superior to mine!

Named for Leonard Bernstein, legendary conductor, composer, teacher, and writer, and perhaps most famous for writing the music to West Side Story. Bradley Cooper made a biopic that is very moving and has introduced him to a new generation.

Named for Maurice Ravel, French impressionist pianist and composer most famous for Boléro. He probably didn’t play the maracas very often in France, but who can say for certain?!

I’m excited about the symbolism with this one, so bear with me as I explain how for the letter “N” I chose a bird sitting on atop a piano.

Nocturnes are musical compositions that evoke the calm, introspective, and often melancholic mood of the night. They’re typically played on piano because of Chopin’s famous nocturnes. Nightingales are special in that they are one of the few birds that sings melodies at night, when most other birds are generally silent.

Named for Nelly Furtado, whose song “I’m Like A Bird” I used to belt on repeat at the TOP of my lungs with my sisters.

Otters usually seem silly, cuddly, and confident, so I thought I’d make Otis a bit more on the shy side.

I took an oboe class in college, and embarrassingly, was never able to produce even one sound after months of working at it! I just couldn’t make my lips behave to vibrate the instrument. So I guess I can relate to Otis’ worried expression?!

Named for Otis Redding, American soul singer and songwriter with timeless hits such as “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Every so often I’ll start singing this song or text the title to my sister, because I know it’ll get stuck in her head. Later she’ll do the same to me, and it’s become a little game.

Peacocks intimidate their predators with their bold plumage, and pipe organs are similarly impressive and ornate.

Drawing-wise, it took me awhile to figure out how I was going to meld animal+instrument. Pipe Organs have a lot of identifying parts, many of which I tried to include.

Named for Prince, musical genius known for his incredible talent, unforgettable performances, and fearless individuality.

Named for Quincy Jones, renowned record producer and composer spanning multiple genres from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and everything in between.

Named for two singers: First for Regina Spektor, pop singer-songwriter who heavily influenced my songwriting when I was a teenager. Also named for Elis Regina, who sings one of my husbands’ and my favorite songs of all time, “Aguas de Marco,” as a duet with Tom Jobim. It’s been an anthem throughout our lives – from painting its meandering lyrics on a mural in our first apartment, to singing it the morning of our wedding, to playing it during the birth of our first baby.

Named for Stevie Wonder and Stevie Nicks. Both extraordinary musicians with enduring hits such as “Isn’t She Lovely” (Wonder) and “Landslide” (Nicks) – although neither play saxophone!

Named for Tracy Chapman, singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice and one of the best songs EVER, “Fast Car.”

The unau, aka two-toed sloth, is a slow-moving mammal known for hanging upside down in trees. I like to think that he’s wrapped around his ukulele as if it were a branch.

Usher is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer known for his smooth R&B vocals and chart-topping hits. Perhaps my most poignant experiences with Usher would be at my middle school “dances” that were really just students being pulled from 7th period in order to stand awkwardly in the cafeteria with “Yeah” just BLARING.

A vixen is a female fox. I think the viola deserves the spotlight for once, since violins usually get all of the attention! Its rich, mellow sound is slightly deeper in tone than a violin, and plays a crucial role in orchestras and chamber music.

Named for Victoria Beckham aka Posh Spice in the Spice Girls – groundbreaking British pop group known for their catchy hits and vibrant personalities.

Historically, whistles were made from materials such as bones, wood, clay, and shells – so I figure a tusk whistle isn’t that far off! Also, Walrus tusks are just elongated canine teeth.

Named for Whitney Houston, singer known for her powerful, emotive voice and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

X-ray fish have strikingly transparent bodies that reveal their spines and internal organs. A xylophone ribcage is a perfect pairing!

Named for Xavier Rudd, Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist celebrated for his blend of folk, rock, and world music.

Yodeling originated as a form of communication across the mountains of Switzerland and Austria and evolved into a distinct vocal art in Alpine folk music, before spreading to other regions and genres such as American country music.

I’m pretty proud of this shaggy-haired bovine. I think she vibes well with the Leonard the Llama’s strong attitude.

Named for Yoko Ono, Japanese multimedia artist, singer, and peace activist, renowned for her avant-garde art, conceptual performances, and her influential partnership with John Lennon.

The zither is an instrument with strings stretched across a flat body; played by plucking or strumming.

Named for Hans Zimmer, renowned and versatile film composer known for soundtracks spanning from “Pirates of the Caribbean” to “The Holiday”.