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Shookstruck Trio entertains Wood County third-graders

Photo Provided Shookstruck Trio members Robert Kistler, Dan Zawodniak and Matt Larson perform at Blennerhassett

PARKERSBURG — “It sounds like a parade,” remarked one student as all Wood County third-graders attended a series of concerts by the Shookstruck Trio this week.

The trio is comprised of three members of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra: principal percussionist Matt Larson, percussion professor at Case Western Reserve University; percussion section player Rob Kistler, who also plays with the Akron Symphony and the Canton Symphony, and percussion section substitute player Dan Zawodniak.

The trio introduced the concepts of rhythm and melody while demonstrating the snare drum, bass drum, bongos, cymbals, tambourine, xylophone and marimba.

Wood County students learned that hands are also percussion instruments, as they participated in rhythmic clapping before hearing a piece called “Clapping Music” by Steve Wright.

The trio, wearing gloves with pennies glued to the fingers, also performed the piece “Board Games” by Joe Tompkins.

Photo Provided Shookstruck Trio members Matt Larson, Robert Kistler and Dan Zawodniak play the marimba and xylophone at Blennerhassett School on Wednesday.

The trio demonstrated the sounds of xylophone and marimba as they played first a Chopin piano prelude adapted for these instruments by Larson, and then three ragtime pieces.

The final performance was a rousing rendition of “Trio Per Uno” by Nebojsa Zivkovic featuring the bass drum, bongos and opera gongs with all three players arranged around the bass drum.

The trio performed at three Wood County schools on Wednesday and at two schools on Thursday and will perform at one Wood County school today.

Ashlee Beatty, curriculum coordinator for Wood County Schools, said of the experience, “This informative and entertaining concert presented a unique perspective for our students. As the students were introduced to the percussion instruments, I could see toes tapping and heads bobbing. For many of our students, these school concerts are their only chance to see a live concert.”

This performance, along with a Young People’s Concert for all fourth-graders and the Ohio Brass Concert for all fifth-graders, are presented each year by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra-Parkersburg in cooperation with Wood County Schools with funding from the Henry Logan Children’s Foundation, the West Virginia Symphony League-Parkersburg and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

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