Musicians line up behind the equipment, lights go down, curtains part.
As the silent film begins, audiences are amazed at the original sounds emanating from all that junk. It's being played by the Alloy Orchestra, a Cambridge, Mass.-based trio that is revitalizing silent film masterpieces with stunning new musical scores. But sometimes there are so many sound effects or changes in the scenes that we're frantically grabbing at instruments before the scene passes. The percussionists pound, smash, screech, and ping, as the on-screen action calls for it. They'll also play real instruments like the accordion, clarinet, and glockenspiel.