The Melodica Men

What started off as two guys playing toy instruments on the streets of Seattle and Paris has now become an internationally-acclaimed internet sensation. The Melodica Men first went viral in 2016 with their video of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” which gained 1.5 million views in a day. In three years, Tristan Clarke and Joe Buono, graduates of the Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory, have amassed over 1 million followers across social media and over 110 million views worldwide for their fun and virtuosic melodica videos.

The musical duo bridges the worlds of classical and popular music, having been featured with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and also on ABC’s The Gong Show. Their broad appeal and versatility has taken them around the world from South Korea to Lithuania, playing at national music education conventions as well as comic cons.

Their live show upholds the integrity of classical music while making it fun and accessible, and also includes a wide variety of genres from video game music to rock. Drawing from their experience busking on the street, they feed off the energy of the audience in ways that keep the show fresh and engaging for people of all ages.

Behind the scenes, the Melodica Men are pioneering a new way of learning music as a language through the melodica. You can find out more about their music education mission on Patreon.

Tristan is a graduate of the Juilliard School and plays principal trumpet with the Jacksonville Symphony. Joe has earned two Masters degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and teaches music privately.