Area first graders experience World of Music at MSUM
Eric Bolin, KVRR News
MOORHEAD — Area first graders had a chance to learn about music in other cultures at a concert at MSUM.
The first graders arrived by the busload to Hansen Auditorium, where MSUM’s Fuego Tropical taught the students about the origins of steel drums, and the many different kinds of music that come from places like Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago.
While the concert kept the kids engages, the concert is also a good opportunity for the performers to know what it’s like to have multiple performances in a day.
“As a steel drum artist, I’ve played Jimmy Buffet’s music over and over and over. And each time I try to bring something new to the table when I do it. Same thing here,” said MSUM Percussion Professor Dr. Kenyon Williams. “When they’re doing the same music, how do you keep it fresh? How do you keep it exciting, and hopefully, getting better each time? So it’s a great skill to be able to work on in a real-life, practical performance environment.”
The concert series is being put on by Learning Bank, which has been focused on new approaches to bringing art to school districts in the metro.