The gyil, mbira and kanjira are not typical instruments found in uptown bars, but this world music is waiting to be discovered this weekend at Robert Glidden Hall.
The Ohio University Percussion Club is hosting a free “Experience Percussion” performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday, where OUPC members will be showcasing their talent.
The first half of the show will feature a duo on vibraphone and marimba, a solo on snare drum, and a trio of percussionists performing an adaption of video-game sounds. Following a brief intermission, the second half will include a performance by the Mark Stone Trio.
Mark Stone is a leading professional in percussion world music, innovation, and education. He has performed with top musicians and traveled around the globe to places such as Uganda, India and South Africa.
“I think the concert is a great way to see what’s possible in music and maybe hear something (students) have never heard before,” said Roger Braun, professor and director of percussion in the School of Music.
Stone currently serves as the associate professor and coordinator of the World Music and Percussion Programs at Oakland University. Alongside Stone in the trio will be percussionist Dan Piccolo and violinist Alan Grubner.
Braun and Stone are long-time friends and founding members of Biakuye, a music and dance ensemble that combines African tradition with western elements.
Students also have the opportunity to become percussionists themselves by attending workshops held by a member of the trio on Saturday afternoon. The sessions are open to anyone with a desire to dabble in some unlikely instruments. The workshops will generate a few pieces that will then be incorporated into the first half of the show. Students can experiment, watch and perform.
Braun said he is excited for the opportunity students will have to hear world-class performers, such as Stone and the members of the trio.
“Here’s an opportunity in Athens to really hear something unique and special that you can’t hear a lot of places,” Braun said.
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