By Steph Yin | Published Dec 28, 2015 7:07 PM

In 2007, electrical engineer Jay Silver discovered how to turn anything into a musical instrument. While tinkering with an electronic-organ kit, he accidentally spilled lentils on the kit’s circuit, which produces musical notes. “As I was trying to dry it out,” he says, “I noticed the noise was changing.” He realized that touching the device shifted the sound.

The next day, Silver took the circuit to the summer camp where he taught and showed the campers how it worked. When it came in contact with conductive objects, they acted as extensions of the device: Users could touch the object to create different sounds, like pressing the keys on a keyboard. Silver’s campers tested it out, making music with everything from apples to bicycles. Later, a co-worker suggested that Silver hook up the circuit to a pencil, since electricity can pass through its graphite core. The result was Drawdio, a pencil that plays “music” when you draw.

Silver published instructions for Drawdio online, and he loves when people use his idea to create something new. With that in mind, Popular Science built a caroling candy cane—and so can you.

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of Popular Science, under the title “Make Sweet Holiday Music.”

We purchased these materials from Jameco Electronics, Home Depot, and a local grocery store.

3. Add resistors, capacitors, and amplifier

5. Add candy cane leads, battery clip, and speaker

8. Attach circuit to candy cane

Like science, tech, and DIY projects?

Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights.

Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.

Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.