August 1, 2006 See a performance by the Blue Man Group and you’ll be inspired by the innovation and originality of the group, its music, its comedy and, of course, its non-traditional instruments. In a short period of time since the group came to prominence, their star has risen strongly and the innovation continues as it has just released its new album "Live at the Venetian - Las Vegas" on iTunes. Now LA-based toy company ToyQuest is partnering with the new entertainment phenomenon to create a line of state-of-the-art musical instruments. The line includes four innovative instruments that fuse cutting edge technologies with traditional musical play patterns. The first musical instruments, being the Keyboard (video demo here) and Percussion Tubes (video demo here), are already in stores and the Drum Suit and Air Pole will follow. All of the instruments feature multiple technologies that enable kids to mix and layer music with a simple wave of their hands resulting in an all new music making experience. The instruments also come with original Blue Man Group music and a pre-installed library of instruments and sounds. The Keyboard retails for US$80 and the Percussion Tubes for US$70 and target children ages eight and older. Check out the boys playing with their new toys on video here.
"We were extremely excited by the opportunity to collaborate with ToyQuest. Their commitment to creating a quality experience for the child was paramount, and we couldn't be happier with the end result", say Chris Wink, co-founder and original Blue Man.
“Our goal was to harness the energy, excitement, and creativity of Blue Man Group while completely reinventing the way kids approach and interact with music,” states Bob Del Principe, ToyQuest VP of R&D.;
Del Principe adds, “Anyone who has seen a Blue Man Group performance is amazed at the bizarre and clever musical instruments they use in their shows. Working with their creative team, we were able to capture that feel, sound, and look. These instruments are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. ”
Josh Weichbrodt, Marketing Manager at ToyQuest adds, “The music market is evolving. Kids today own iPods and MP3 players filled with their favorite music. We wanted to take that music and bring it to a new level of enjoyment.” Weichbrodt continues, “We developed technologies that make our Blue Man Group instruments compatible with any MP3 player. Kids can just plug it in and jam along with their favorite band. Now they can explore their own musical creativity while listening to their favorite tunes.”
Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to create a form of entertainment that is totally unique. The blissful party atmosphere created at their live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man experience. The company's appeal to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds is a quality that distinguishes all of their endeavors, which also include scoring projects (most recently the animated feature Robots), commercial projects (such as Intel), and television programs (such as the ongoing storyline of Blue Man Group in Arrested Development).
