"Imagine a game of musical chairs where the music starts when everyone stops. Compose your own musical masterpiece by playfully interacting with this constantly changing instrument. Just as musicians use their hands to strum a guitar, Invisible Orchestra invites you to use your imagination – and your bum – to shimmy, squash, bump and bop your way around the orchestra. Coming together as an ensemble, you’ll discover a surprisingly delightful symphony of sound."

Invisible Orchestra  is a collaboration between Andrew Callaghan, Glenn Walton & Matthew Kelly that explores collective music making that is accessible to people of all ages and abilities. It has been supported by the Polyglot's Generator and Darebin's Loud Mouth programs, and was presented as part of the Families program at the Arts Centre Melbourne.

A ring of sixty chairs and floorpads form a gigantic instrument that can be played by everyone: multiple speakers allow everyone to hear their own playing while a collective sound emerges through large speakers for all to hear. Accessibility options are provided through pads placed on the ground and against walls.

Turning the concept of the musical chairs game on its head, musical events are triggered when someone sits down: notes, riffs & drumbeats emerge in an evolving soundscape that can work as a rolling engagement or in a performance setting, with a conductor guiding everyone's actions. 

An education program has also been developed for the Foundation to Level 2 music curriculum.