When Junior Madison McAfee decided to begin drum lessons last year, she said she thought Stacey Jones-Garrison, teacher of music and director of the Percussion Ensemble, would say “no” because she had never taken lessons before.
Instead, Jones-Garrison encouraged her not only to take lessons, but also to join Percussion Ensemble.
“The fact that she made me do it was really helpful,” McAfee said. “I joined because she really wanted me to, and it helped a lot.”
Now McAfee and the Percussion Ensemble will perform their concert, “Something old, new, borrowed, BLUE,” at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 24 in Markel Auditorium.
The concert will include an assortment of pieces arranged by Jones-Garrison, along with student soloists and a performance with the Tower Dancers.
The main feature of the concert will be music from the Blue Man Group, an entertainment company that performs globally.
In addition, the show will feature some arranged xylophone rags from the 1920s, body drumming, and an original piece written by the students to be performed on plastic buckets.
McAfee said she is looking forward to the bucket piece. She said Jones-Garrison gave the students the plastic buckets, and the students collaborated to write the piece.
“We made it,” said McAfee. “It’s not like memorizing notes, so I’m excited for that one.”
Jones-Garrison explained the Blue Man Group portion of the show will be not be a copy of one of their performances.
“People need to know they won’t get paint splattered on them when they come to this concert,” Jones-Garrison said. “We’re paying tribute more to the musical aspects of the Blue Man Group.”
She once worked with the Blue Man Group in Chicago to build a special percussion instrument out of PVC pipes called a tubulum. In 2016 she built her first tubulum, and then constructed two more over this school year’s Christmas break.
“They actually sent me some parts. Special thanks to the Blue Man Group for helping with that,” Jones-Garrison said.
Senior Nathan Steinmeyer, who has participated in Percussion Ensemble since his freshman year, said he is looking forward to his percussion solos during the concert.
“I personally think that this is the best selection of music that Stacey has picked for us yet,” Steinmeyer said. “This concert is going to be really cool. People are really going to enjoy it and really find it to be fascinating.”
As a beginner, McAfee said it is challenging to play with more advanced percussionists like Steinmeyer.
“It’s intimidating, but just really cool to watch them play,” she said.
Steinmeyer said Jones-Garrison makes the varying levels of talent “work really well.”
“She’s always known the right amount to give the students that if they really tried, they would be able to do it,” Steinmeyer said.
McAfee said she would encourage students to join Percussion Ensemble because unlike other musical groups on campus, no audition is necessary.
“I had zero experience the first year,” said McAfee. “So you can just do it.”
