Much of the appeal of the drums, especially for children, is their accessibility. Unlike trumpet or violin, it's simple to make a tolerable sound with a drum. And percussion is at the heart of the rhythm, the most elemental aspect of music. They don't think that way when they see an oboe. It's infectious for audiences of all ages.
People have a response, a rhythmic manifestation, to music.
The first thing you do isn't singing along, it's tapping your foot to the music. And every culture has some form of percussion music in it. All of which makes Battu World Percussion an ideal entity to participate in the Aspen Music Festival's Musical Odysseys Reaching Everyone Program. The M.O.R.E. program, organized by the Music Festival's education and outreach coordinator Deborah Barnekow, brings musicians to the valley to educate and entertain. In addition to the classroom visits, the members of Battu will perform two free Family Concerts, kicking off the Music Festival's Winter Music concert series.