People of mixed age and ability have been creating musical instruments out of found and salvaged materials at Lithgow's Mitchell Conservatorium for the past nine weeks. 

The community workshops have covered working with unusual materials, creative ways of making sounds and rehearsing for a performance. 

According to Associate Director and regional coordinator of the Lithgow Mitchell Conservatorium Phil Braithwaite, the program was hard to get going.

"It was hard to coordinate, so we got Neil Duncan who is a one handed saxophone player to come to the ability awards in 2018 and show what could be done," he said. 

This created interest from members of Uniting Care who brought a group of clients to the workshops. 

"We want to be increasing engagement with different activities within the ability sector," he said. 

Since February 7, presenters Martyn Cook, Kerry Davies and Andrew Davies have been working with a group of around 10 participants to collect junk, old and damaged instruments to create sound effects for a story the group wanted to tell.

"They made the instruments; rain sticks, pots and pans, the worlds largest xylophone, it's been great, it's been really good," he said. 

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The presenters worked collaboratively with participants to create rhythms and melodies that soothe, inspire and illuminate, according to Mr Braithwaite. 

Participants from Uniting Care helped create the sound effects while teachers read out a story about a burglar in a stormy night.  

"We have to thank Bunnings for their help giving us different timber off cuts," presenter Andrew Davies said. 

Mr Braithwaite said the Lithgow conservatorium would be keen to do things like this again in the future.

"We are keen to have as much inclusion as possible," he said. 

"We are happy to talk to anyone who wants to run a social inclusive activity." 

The Mitchell Conservatorium collaborated with Lithgow City Council, Regional Arts NSW and the NSW Government to run the program.

A showcase performance of Salvaged Sounds will take place on Thursday, April 11 at 12pm at 4 Wylde St, Lithgow. 

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