October 12, 2005
Drumming up an audience
Saturday Family Symphony features percussion instruments from around the world
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Drummin' Fun took zoomed attendees on a tour of the world's percussion, taking them on a musical trip from the Congo to Mexico, from Scotland to Brazil and Hawaii.
The season's inaugural Saturday Family Symphony drew 131 children and adults into the sounds and moves inspired by percussion instruments ranging from the djembe drum, maracas and marimba to cow bells, xylophone and snare drum. Hosted by Sandra Alderman, six members of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra percussion ensemble provided the music for the morning.
Launching an educational a call and response, Alderman asked "What is a percussion instrument?"
"A percussion instrument is something you strike or you shake or you can scrape it, too," replied David Warne, principal percussionist for the TSO and the ensemble leader.
Pots, pans, legs, high fives - all can be percussion instruments, Alderman noted.
"I just hit the stage and the stage became a percussion instrument," she noted.
Guest dancers joined the ensemble on stage during three numbers. Rachel Courville, 10, demonstrated the Highland Fling during a demonstration of Scottish music that featured a drum plus bagpipes.
Asianne Imani and Sierra Darga danced a graceful hula dance while Imani later undulated through a belly dance.
The varied program kept young attendees moving as they danced and conducted from their seats or listened on stage during a marimba solo by James Koch.
The Saturday Family Symphony series began 12 years ago and holds multiple educational programs during each school year. The goal is to introduce children to a range of musical instruments and sounds, noted Andy Buelow, executive director of the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. Vocalist Jayne Sleder provided the spark for the series in 1993.
"She just thought the community should have something introducing instrumental music to children," Buelow recalled. "Nothing like that was in existence at the time. She's is somebody who has always been very close to the TSO as a vocalist and a donor."
Each season cycles through the major families of instruments in an orchestra: percussion, woodwinds, brass and strings. The symphony's respective ensembles take the lead each session.
This year, the Saturday Family Symphony Series is bringing other arts organizations into the mix, reflecting the synergy between the various disciplines. The Great Lakes Children's Museum will describe how vibrations make sound during the November program while dancers from Ballet, Etc., will present Peter and the Wolf in January.
"We sort of look at classical music as the basis for everything we do but as much as possible we want the kids to see how classical music, folk music and dance are all part of a continuum," Buelow said. "It's really only adults that set up these firm boundaries around music; children don't - they will go from listening to a Beethoven Symphony to listening to a rock band and thinking nothing of it."
"We think that that is a mindset that should be encouraged," he added.
The informal series and it's educational format is also fun for the musicians, who can both cut loose a little and improve themselves professionally.
"The musicians dig it," Buelow said. "An important part of being an orchestral musician is getting to do your own sorts of things without the conductor. I think it helps them be better orchestral musicians."