Third Coast Percussion: Turning ordinary items into extraordinary learning

Posted on October 29, 2015

Sean Connors of the ensemble Third Coast Percussion draped a white cloth on a table in Penn High School’s percussion room, and set out brass bowls, glass bottles, bamboo placemats and barbeque grates. They were ordinary items, that through the creative mingling of beat, rhythm and melody, were transformed into extraordinary music, and extraordinary learning for Penn students.

Internationally acclaimed ensemble Third Coast
Percussion performed and conducted a workshop
for Penn High School students.  

Click the link to listen to the music of Third Coast Percussion:

http://www.thirdcoastpercussion.com/look-and-listen/audio-and-video/

Pictured at left: Penn percussion teacher Bill Leather, Peter Martin, Sean Connors, Penn High principal Steve Hope, David Skidmore and Robert Dillon.

Third Coast Percussion, the University of Notre Dame’s ensemble in residence, performed for Penn High School’s percussion class and conducted a workshop for the students on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

In the process, the quartet of Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin and David Skidmore opened up a gateway to sound exploration for the students.

“As percussionists, everything in the world can be an instrument for us,” Skidmore said. “Anything you can make a sound with is an instrument. That, and a number of other ideas behind our music are new to students, and that’s really fun for us, because it’s a chance for us to show students some ideas behind music that we never got a chance to learn about until we went to college or grad school.

“A lot of what we love about our music is a constant sense of exploration,” Skidmore said. “There’s a whole world out there of crazy, weird sounds, and that’s a part of what we do, as well.”

Penn High School principal Steve Hope appreciated the creative learning opportunity for Penn students.

“Penn High School was extremely pleased to welcome the internationally acclaimed quartet, Third Coast Percussion, to perform at Penn and interact with our students,” Hope said. “Exceptional learning moments like these for our students make our Fine Arts Academy a difference-maker on the secondary education landscape.”

Third Coast Percussion encourages students to ‘Think Outside the Drum,’ and explore creativity and expression through sound. The interactive performance incorporates music and learning objectives that include the scientific properties of sound waves.

Penn High School student David Obert said that he gained insights from the Third Coast Percussion event.

“It was really cool to see (Third Coast Percussion) perform, because they play the instruments that we play, but they play at a level we haven’t heard. They also played a lot of instruments that we’ve never played before or seen. I had a lot of new ideas about what I could do with percussion, and the opportunities that are out there.”

Obert added that he appreciated the fact that Penn offers its music students high-level and relevant learning opportunities.

“I was really impressed that Penn brought in a big-name group like this,” Obert said. “I was surprised we could get there here. They travel all over. We got to talk to them, and they gave us a lot of good advice, about playing with a group or a band. I’ll be able put those ideas into our Kaleidoscope concert in November. We’re working on their ideas in class.”

Allowing students to meet with accomplished musicians enhances the classroom instruction.

“This performance gives Penn students the opportunity to see professionals in action, a group of musicians that has dedicated their lives to performing, and make a living performing,” Penn High School percussion teacher Bill Leather said. “It gives our students a glimpse into that reality of performance as a lifestyle.”

Skidmore said that the group enjoys the opportunity to meet younger musicians.

“We love the music that we play, and we’re very passionate about it,” Skidmore said. “We’re very fortunate to perform and teach for a living. A big part of what we do, when we visit music students at schools, is communicate that passion. We talk about the music that we play, the things we love about it, and find connections between that music and what the students are learning.”

Skidmore said that he appreciates Penn’s commitment to teaching fine arts.

“We were all fortunate when we were growing to have great educational experiences through public schools,” Skidmore said. “That’s something that is sometimes in danger. Everywhere we go on tour, and we go all over the country, we’re almost always teaching in schools. If nothing else comes of that, just showing people how valuable the arts are, and how important it is to continue supporting the arts in school, that alone is something that we really love to bring to everywhere we visit.”

Third Coast Percussion will be performing this Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. The performance will include four world premieres, including a new piece written for hundreds of percussion instruments, the SATB choir and audience participation using their personal cell phones.

Click the link for ticket information to the Third Coast Percussion performance at Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 30:  http://performingarts.nd.edu/calendar/view.aspx?id=6711

Last Modified October 29, 2015