I am always looking for stories beyond the guitar for my storytelling site, Guitarkadia. When I discovered Ken Butler and his work, I knew I found a gem. His Brooklyn studio is filled with hundreds of his “hybrid instruments” created from discarded objects. Butler’s philosophy of function versus non-function moves beyond the conceits of art and music—proof that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. “No Strings Attached” draws upon material from the upcoming documentary on Butler that I’m producing for Guitarkadia.

Emon Hassan, Narratively's Director of Video & Multimedia, is a New York-based filmmaker and photographer. He is also a contributor to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook & Google+.