https://www.tinkertunes.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-07-09 https://www.tinkertunes.com/blog/my-story-of-rock-music monthly 0.5 2026-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/8dd4c838-a9f8-4042-99db-babfe19e207d/sc02ee9548.jpeg Notes from Tom - My story of Rock Music - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.tinkertunes.com/blog/upright-furniture-co monthly 0.5 2021-03-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615163826042-BXUW570SBPGLOZCR32LM/5.jpg Notes from Tom - The Upright Furniture Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615163852135-YJVEXB1I2E8ZHSQ30H79/8.jpg Notes from Tom - The Upright Furniture Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615163852244-SF8REZXCCSNNJMFEQ59A/7.jpg Notes from Tom - The Upright Furniture Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615163852923-TVOS42LLT9O9O66DR1MN/6.jpg Notes from Tom - The Upright Furniture Company https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615164235635-TIT18BICXYOK99CZY80X/Two-Thirds+Oak+Desk Notes from Tom - The Upright Furniture Company https://www.tinkertunes.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1609451427342-22L5327CCOFNO2KO6ILC/IMG_3036.JPG Contact https://www.tinkertunes.com/tom-kaufmann daily 0.75 2023-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592189424072-GG3N97G98ABECKU77LIO/junkyard%252B2.jpg About Tom - Artist Statement One of my favorite places to visit? Junkyards. Rusty wrenches, brake drums, old oxygen tanks, scrap pieces of stone: all the perfect objects to create music. I have spent hours picking through piles of discarded junk, tapping on everything and anything, and searching for the pieces that sound the most unique when struck with a mallet. I began making musical instruments with the vision of 1) creating something that absolutely anyone is able to play (with or without musical training, any age, in a stroller, walking or in a wheelchair....... no limitations), 2) encouraging musical interest with instruments that are easy, interactive and fun, and 3) demonstrating how instruments do not need to be expensive and may be made out of nearly anything. My career began with performing music for others and has since evolved into a mission of creating opportunities in which others are able to perform their own music. My hope in making my instruments, is that anyone and everyone may experience the joy of making and sharing music, as I have experienced throughout my life. https://www.tinkertunes.com/home daily 1.0 2026-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592187881940-XQNX2HIMB0IPG8U1RCJB/Kinderbells2.jpg Home - Musical Sculptures Explore Tom’s variety of unique, handmade musical instruments, made out of recycled materials: Kinderbells Music Go Round Lithophone Friction Harp Junkyard Music Box Toolbox Glockenspiel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1597066905116-I0DPN3KHQCRGN520DAJC/IMG_2777.jpg Home - Your Name Rings a Bell In 2001, these totally unique gifts were created by Tom Kaufmann in Traverse City, Michigan. Hand-crafted of beautiful highly polished aluminum wire, each name produces its own pleasant bell tone when played. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615168120972-4G29HGO2LBYSLBBXR5NG/image-asset.jpeg Home - Upright Furniture Co. Started in 1995, the Upright Furniture Company is a collaboration between Tinkertunes Music Studio and Feldkamp Design. Our custom-designed desks are created from the cabinets of old upright pianos that have no value as instruments and would otherwise end up in a landfill. https://www.tinkertunes.com/music-education-performance daily 0.75 2026-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/7c1b68e6-c1b7-445b-9d6a-e369f194d763/slate.jpg Music Education + Performance - Catch him live Tom currently performs at Slate Restaurant, at 250 East Front Street in Traverse City, MI. He also contracts for private parties including corporate holiday parties, birthdays, weddings and various fundraising events. You can hear him at Slate every Thursday , Friday and Saturday from 6pm- 9pm. Except for the following dates: August 29th: David Chown https://www.tinkertunes.com/your-name-rings-a-bell daily 0.75 2021-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1a8d5ab3-84b1-4140-864e-6b81e0cabbb6/IMG_1501.jpeg Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/6734546d-dc78-4b58-91ae-89e26ccf67ad/IMG_2969.jpg Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1233652a-1e51-4a73-bff8-9128d72cc3df/54bd694c2c0f2.image.jpg Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/c399e924-e5cb-4082-a067-a858c69d3718/IMG_2343.jpg Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592285660602-LT7TSPVZDUTPPFG9P7VB/109297285_orig.png Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592285721004-L1FRRLR3IVVV2QCF75F6/386102_2841021034620_1297247266_n.jpg Your Name Rings a Bell https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592285839893-3KPJ3O4HUX7429L2X4GC/225238696_orig.png Your Name Rings a Bell https://www.tinkertunes.com/music daily 0.75 2025-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/2adf4dcf-610f-4c24-8997-d9ce992253d5/Twinkle+twinkle+little+star.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1caf9afd-9b7f-4a7d-9f57-7b4bb63dc536/Amazing+Grace+on+Kinderbells https://www.tinkertunes.com/home-1 daily 0.75 2026-07-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1597066905116-I0DPN3KHQCRGN520DAJC/IMG_2777.jpg Home (Copy) - Your Name Rings a Bell In 2001, these totally unique gifts were created by Tom Kaufmann in Traverse City, Michigan. Hand-crafted of beautiful highly polished aluminum wire, each name produces its own pleasant bell tone when played. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615168120972-4G29HGO2LBYSLBBXR5NG/image-asset.jpeg Home (Copy) - Upright Furniture Co. Started in 1995, the Upright Furniture Company is a collaboration between Tinkertunes Music Studio and Feldkamp Design. Our custom-designed desks are created from the cabinets of old upright pianos that have no value as instruments and would otherwise end up in a landfill. https://video.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/5af00fb2-3ffa-46b3-aa9d-e053a6c1de4c/playlist.m3u8 https://video.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/5af00fb2-3ffa-46b3-aa9d-e053a6c1de4c/thumbnail Home (Copy) Home (Copy) https://www.tinkertunes.com/media daily 0.75 2026-07-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/e5238531-31c3-42a7-a25e-f80a395294b1/Screenshot+2026-07-08+at+11.19.01%E2%80%AFAM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/4b37557d-40ce-47bc-a273-36f3401001b4/Screenshot+2026-07-08+at+11.35.51%E2%80%AFAM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/89205d9a-f092-40ed-b1a1-006c2c7e4d28/Screenshot+2026-07-08+at+11.41.07%E2%80%AFAM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/22c17ce5-9209-43b5-abf2-39623d66e2d2/FishingLinePark.webp https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/5b240423-0c21-4a4d-9c34-fc846e4c7400/Screenshot+2026-07-08+at+11.27.11%E2%80%AFAM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/937d52f0-2a5c-48c8-b261-cfbba6d35e65/Screenshot+2026-07-09+at+9.22.45%E2%80%AFAM.png https://www.tinkertunes.com/gallery-1 daily 0.75 2026-07-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/2c4b26f3-ffb6-45b2-9ee3-60dea43b0da9/IMG_0627.jpeg Gallery My massive Junkyard Music Box installation at Art Prize in 2012. The drum acts like a giant piano roll, playing the bells above. Or it could be played via MIDI with my keyboard. See my video page for a sample of the instrument in action. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/7d4ab303-bc3d-488e-95ad-776f8707908c/IMG_0505-preview.JPG Gallery With my grand daughter, in front of a KinderBells installation. at the Sensory. Garden in the Botanical Gardens of Traverse City. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/e03a2c05-6890-49f2-875d-03958c75d323/_MG_6982edit200ppi.jpeg Gallery A toolbox glockenspiel. Some discarded wrenches and bolts made into an instrument. See our video page for a sample tune. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1597065647173-AFKRX5SDGDQ51N5FPVZY/superMGR.jpg Gallery Superman, playing a circular lithophone, and about to be Up, Up, and Away! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/f5f41fd3-4a9f-480d-a74b-5a87069569ed/IMG_0619.jpg Gallery A budding musician, playing a wood-scrap lithophone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1597064083836-9M7S3QRY7WOL7TKC5U0V/Kinderbells.jpg Gallery The first visitor after I installed my first set of KinderBells in front of the Grand Rapids Public Museum for ArtPrize 2012 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/8dd4c838-a9f8-4042-99db-babfe19e207d/sc02ee9548.jpeg Gallery One of my granite and steel lithophones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/b691c7d1-09cf-4b21-b265-9b9b2e649971/IMG_5687.jpg Gallery A birds eye view of my 2012 Art Prize installation of the Junkyard Jukebox. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/c5fc34be-1ab0-4a1e-b5f3-27bbca2cdf88/P_20171101_105201.jpeg Gallery Another granite lithophone.. This one is at a special needs center in Taiwan https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1609450142969-X1PTB97XE6535V1B3T0J/IMG_3016.JPG Gallery A Kinderbells set in a downtown installation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/f787d8b4-1069-42ce-84ec-6ea0086b003f/picture.jpeg Gallery One of my friction harps, made from aluminum rods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1592189589592-PBL5GOARB8M6PJGPCY4B/kinderbells3.jpg Gallery Getting interviewed behind a Kinderbell set. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/79ee6d8c-2c24-4ebb-a743-71262d9e7fdf/IMG_5913+2.jpg Gallery Mt. Vernon, OH, at the installation of my Let Freedom Ring musical sculpture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/f9f4248c-fcf2-4497-93ba-d599cb14c1d2/IMG_0596.jpg Gallery Our next great percussionist, playing a lithophone made with granite strips. Grand Rapids' Art Prize 2012 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/1615163852135-YJVEXB1I2E8ZHSQ30H79/8.jpg Gallery Piano Desk Music Work Station 1998 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/e0213240-745a-49df-8aa5-223fd395e9c7/music+3.jpeg Gallery A Tile-a-Phone, a lithophone made from granite floor tile . Part of the collection at Princeton University's Children's Library https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ee6cb70e14a516ae387cc0c/c4a3b1b9-4fa7-4bab-9ca3-60c3a1391b20/_DSC0106.jpeg Gallery Demonstrating a friction harp for young folks. https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures daily 0.75 2026-07-09 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/friction-harps monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/kinderbells monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/lithophones monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/toolbox-and-junkyard monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/walking-bells monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/kinderbells-kinder-chaos monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/friction-harp-water-is-wide monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/petoskey-stone-lithophone-meet-the-flintstones monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/junkyard-music-box monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/toolbox-glockenspiel monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/lithophone-in-the-childrens-garden monthly 0.5 2026-07-09 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/amazing-grace-on-kinderbells monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/walk-of-grace monthly 0.5 2026-07-07 https://www.tinkertunes.com/musical-sculptures/v/let-freedom-ring monthly 0.5 2026-07-07