Spring Break
Ensemble brings in special guests
Sean Smith
Issue date: 5/29/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
|
However, June 3 will prove to be an interesting night for the Mediterranean and Percussion Ensemble performance.
The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Designs is presenting the ensemble performance next week, led by Bruce Kaminsky, director of both ensembles. Each group showcases a wide variety of music that spans different genres.
The Percussion Ensemble will be playing a wide variety of music ranging many different styles and genres including Iron Butterfly's "Ina Gadda Davida," the Louis Prima Classic "Swing, Swing, Swing," the Herby Hancock jazz standard "Chameleon" and even a percussive groove oriented version of the "Mission: Impossible" theme songs. Even though they are rather different varieties of music, they all contain a common percussive element and style made famous by Kaminsky.
What makes this performance interesting is the inclusion of different music groups during the ensemble sets. In addition to the student ensembles, Kaminsky is bringing in outside musical groups to add to the sound of the students.
The Philadelphia Middle East music scene is steeped in a tradition of crossing ethnic, religious and cultural boundaries.
Greeks perform with Turks, who perform with Armenians, who perform with Arabs, who perform with Jews. The music becomes the only issue. Groups like Atzilut, Intercultural Journeys and the Spice Route Ensemble perform music that moves effortlessly from Arabic to Hebrew origins.
Members of the acclaimed Arabic and Hebrew World Music group, Atzilut: Concerts for Peace, will perform with the Drexel Mediterranean and Percussion Ensembles June 3 at Drexel's Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut streets at 8 p.m.
Admission is free, so do not miss the opportunity to see the unique blend of styles.
Be the first to comment on this story