Community Roundup: From Germany with Love

The Community Roundup is your go-to monthly recap featuring the best creations from Artiphon players around the world. Keep scrolling for some of our favorite INSTRUMENT 1 projects in July including new takes on jazz classics, cosmic ambient explorations, stunning philharmonic performances, and more!

Classical composer and multi-instrumentalist Luca D'Alberto recently took the stage for an intimate performance at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany. D'Alberto offered a heartrending set equal parts Philip Glass and Pina Bausch, incorporating the INSTRUMENT 1 alongside aching cello and violin melodies that flow like the winding canals of his native Italy, as the sun glitters upon their surface in the glow of a sweltry summer evening. Luca's new album, Exile, releases on October 7 via the neo-classical label 7K!, and you can listen to the record's first single, "Consequences," on Spotify and Apple Music now. Be sure to keep up with Luca on Facebook and YouTube for more!

New York's own Ian Mellencamp transported us to another dimension earlier this month with an emotionally-stirring show at Ludlow House. Nephew of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member John Mellencamp, the multitalented artist/model pulls from his unique musical lineage and rockets it into the twenty-first century with an experimental psych-rock sound. Watch above to see how Ian uses the INSTRUMENT 1 to lay down intricate percussion patterns, sculpt atmospheric soundscapes, and strum melodies that conjure images of gauchos riding into the sunset over the Argentine pampas. Ian's latest single, "Come Clean," recently released on all major streaming platforms, and you can see and hear more over on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Guitar savant Susan Palmer recently got hands on the INSTRUMENT 1 and has been producing delightful creations with the multi-instrument, drawing from her professional experience as a jazz, blues, and rock guitar instructor. We can't get enough jazz standards here around the office, so of course we were overjoyed to hear Susan's springy take on the Thelonious Monk classic, "Blue Monk." Also check out some mellow improvisations in Ampify's Groovebox app using the INSTRUMENT 1's Tap Guitar preset. You can find more of Susan's instructional videos over on her YouTube channel here.

Be sure to check out our Community Performances playlist on YouTube for more inspiring INSTRUMENT 1 submissions from Artiphon players across the globe, and let us know your thoughts over on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Don't forget to tag @Artiphon and the #INSTRUMENT1 in your own posts on socials, as you may see yourself featured in an upcoming Community Roundup. Happy music-making!