Fredonia World Mallets Ensemble

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:02:52]Oh, that was good.

[00:02:57]Morgan, don't take yourself out.

[00:03:00]Take yourself out to dinner.

[00:03:05]Oh, major chord.

[00:03:11]Ready when you are.

[00:03:17]Yo, put it down, Ryan. There's people.

[00:03:20]So, are you are you comfortable?

[00:03:22]I'll be fine, yeah.

[00:03:24]Are you are you comfortable?

[00:03:26]It changes to say you're comfortable. I mean, I'm I'm fine as long as I see you.

[00:03:31]Can you can you Is the gong where you want it to be?

[00:03:40]I don't know, cuz I'm used to facing the computer. Okay.

[00:03:46]You're you're good. You're good.

[00:03:52]Come on.

[00:03:54]Can I say something real quick?

[00:03:56]Ryan Turtel, the live stream can start now.

[00:04:01]It's It's okay for them. It's so bad.

[00:04:04]Listen to the sound of my voice.

[00:04:07]You're not fun.

[00:04:24]All right, we all got what we need?

[00:04:26]What time is it?

[00:04:28]The second da da da da da da da.

[00:04:30]I hit the gong.

[00:04:35]Well, I guess this is the push-up.

[00:04:49]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [bell] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music and bell] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [bell] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause] [applause] >> Woo!

[00:17:06]>> [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [cheering] [applause] >> Wow, thank you guys for coming out. We are Hardly Marimba. I'm Hayden Gold.

[00:22:04]That's Donovan Monaco. That's Nigel Uziek.

[00:22:08]And uh we're so thrilled to be able to have a platform to perform some original music and original arrangements. That first tune was one I wrote called I don't know how else to say this.

[00:22:16]Um and I guess that's how.

[00:22:18]But uh I wrote it late last year for jazz quintet that Donny was also a part of with the band Tetris Effect. And it's so cool to be able to like perform it in a completely new way, no rhythm section, none of that. We recorded it with uh the great jazz pianist Nate Wilson and it's coming out everywhere this Friday for you to be able to stream, which is super exciting.

[00:22:39]Uh thanks.

[00:22:42]>> [applause] >> Um I think Nigel did great there and if you think he did great, you should come to his junior recital this Sunday in this room at 12:00 p.m. noon.

[00:22:57]>> [applause] >> Uh we got one more before we open up the rest of the world mallet concert. This is a a favorite tune of mine. It's Bonk de Poisson by Jack Stratton and Jacob Jeffries off Vulfmon's 2025 album Deg.

[00:23:13]Thank you.

[00:23:16]>> [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause and cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [cheering] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> WOO!

[00:31:13]WOO! [cheering] >> [applause] [music] >> WOO!

[00:33:47]>> [cheering] [applause] [applause] [music] [applause] [cheering] [applause] [applause] [cheering] >> WOO!

[00:38:02]>> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> WOO!

[00:40:48]>> [cheering] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> HI EVERYBODY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A couple of um remarks as we get set up for our next piece. Um this is the World Music for Mallet Instruments Concert. This is a part of the Percussion Ensemble here at Fredonia.

[00:49:20]Um the the two groups you just heard were all freshmen.

[00:49:23]Aren't they amazing?

[00:49:26]>> [applause] >> I'm very proud. And um the music that you're listening to is all traditional music that's been played for generations. Um it's been my life's work to transcribe and arrange this music. I I just love it that much. Um, the So, uh if you ever get the chance to travel in southern Mexico or Guatemala or Costa Rica, um, other places in Central America, the marimba is very, very beloved. Um, they are pieces of of art. They have inlay. Um, the resonators are wood instead of metal. They have a different sound because they buzz. There's a little membrane that buzzes.

[00:50:04]Um, and you'll see them kind of like we do, but even more, people sharing an instrument. You'll see three, four people sharing one marimba. Usually, they're members of the same family. Um, just playing the music that they've played forever, um, having their own spin on these traditional pieces.

[00:50:23]Um, the ensemble you're about to hear, the balafon ensemble, um, this is one of the examples of the great, great grandparent of the modern marimba. This is a balafon, um, from Guinea in West Africa. It's tuned, um, to a seven-note scale. Can someone play their C major?

[00:50:46]And that's actually kind of recent. Um, it used to be tuned to all equal steps, right? You'll hear now that it sounds like a C major scale. Um, but up until maybe 20, 30 years ago, they were equaheptatonic.

[00:51:00]Um, so, the influence of the of uh European music and American music is is felt even in this instrument. Um, but the word marimba itself is an African word. Um, it's it's hard to trace its emergence within Central America and southern Mexico, um, but it it's first noted in the late 1700s by some of the priests and monks that were living there, um, that the the indigenous people were playing marimbas. And, um, it's it's grown from there, and this is this is some of the roots music. Um, within Guinea, this style of music is played by, um, people who are known as the jelly, which is kind of a version of you might have heard the word griot or griot, um, people whose job it is, through their singing and playing, to maintain the histories of every member of their village.

[00:51:57]So, that's actually their full-time job.

[00:51:59]Um, well, it was before economies got tough. But anyway, so, um, that's why in the program I say as taught by Abu Sillah. He is my teacher. Um, he was here a few years ago and worked with our students. It was really, uh, challenging and fun.

[00:52:13]Um, and so, when I say, uh, as taught by, this is a piece that you might hear a hundred different ways based on which jelly was playing it for you. Um, but this is the version that he taught me.

[00:52:23]Yankadi Makuru, it's a Susu pair of dances, actually, and, um, hope you enjoy it.

[00:52:52]Woo! That's better. Okay.

[00:52:58]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Woo!

[00:58:02]>> [cheering] [applause] [applause] [cheering] [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause and cheering] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Okay.

[01:09:52]>> [music] [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> WOO!

[01:19:06]>> [applause] >> WOO!

[01:19:14]>> [applause and cheering] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> YOU ARE IN FOR SUCH A TREAT.

[01:24:59]I MEAN, THE WHOLE concert's a treat, but um a wonderful colleague of mine up at UB, Steven Guerra, is a choro specialist. He plays guitar.

[01:25:10]It's amazing what he can do. And I became really um transfixed by this style, and I asked him to recommend a couple of charts for me to um arrange for the advanced group, and you're about to hear the unveiling of the choro group. Please enjoy.

[01:25:46]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Woo!

[01:29:22]>> [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause and cheering] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Yeah.

[01:38:07]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Woo!

[01:39:40]>> [music] [music] [applause] [applause] >> Well, one of our students uh Donovan Monaco, really caught the bug of Brazilian music. And so, he actually transcribed and arranged something that you're going to notice is a little bit difficult. So, um I really am proud of Donovan and this is his side crew side group. Um playing one of the hardest pieces I've ever heard in this ensemble. Okay, here you go.

[01:41:16]>> [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [cheering] [applause] [cheering] [applause] [applause] >> Okay, we've made it to the last piece.

[01:46:48]Uh this is our traditional closer and I just wanted to acknowledge a couple of people.

[01:46:55]One of them just walked by. Uh we're going to really miss Hayden and we wish him the best.

[01:47:01]>> [applause and cheering] >> The other person was in World Mallets eight semesters.

[01:47:09]And it was not unnoticed. Thank you so much, Zach.

[01:47:14]>> [applause] >> And please mark in your calendars, uh we do have a fabulous performance October the 12th. Alma de Mexico dance troop based in Rochester will be performing with us.

[01:47:28]Uh it's going to be really beautiful.

[01:47:30]So, I hope to see you guys there. We'll be in the Williamson Center.

[01:48:23]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [applause] [applause] [applause] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Woo!

[01:56:38]>> [cheering] [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause] >> There it is.