Fuego Tropical, the MSUM World Music and Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Kenyon Williams, will present three educational performances for over 1,500 elementary school students across the Fargo-Moorhead region this Thursday and Friday. The ensemble annually presents their educational presentation “Carnival Jump Up!” each fall for area schools, to great acclaim from the students, faculty, and staff at […]
MSUM’s Steel Drum and Salsa ensemble, Fuego Tropical, recently completed three performances at elementary schools in Fargo, West Fargo, and Barnesville. Each fall, the ensemble accepts a limited number of invitations to present an educational performance about music of the Caribbean to school-aged children. Teachers at each school are given a packet of educational activities in subjects ranging from music to science, creative writing, history, geography, and art to help prepare for the ensemble’s arrival. Directed by Dr. Kenyon Williams and aided by Marlowe Kulish, the ensemble has performed at over 30 different schools for thousands of area children over the past seven years. “This was far and away the best program we’ve ever hosted at our school,” raved Todd Henrickson, principal of Barnesville Elementary to the MSUM students after their performance. “I’ve never seen our students so attentive and involved in an event…much less an EDUCATIONAL event of this calibre!”