2008 Woodie Awards
Taking the percussion to the streets
Zach Dionne
Issue date: 11/6/06 Section: Style
"Anything around you can make music."
This philosophy, according to third-year biochemistry major Dave Roberts, is the idea behind the University of Maine's newest musical group, Garage Band. Banging on trash cans with drumsticks may not sound like music to many, but to the five UMaine students that have founded Garage Band, there is music to be heard in the art of banging on everyday objects. The group originated with Roberts, Jesse Call, Carl Stecher, Taryn Reese and April Cummings.
The group was Cummings' conception. Growing tired of the trend of new groups in the music department focusing primarily on choral a capella, Cummings, a second-year elementary education major with a concentration in music, turned to her roommate, Reese, a first-year graduate student in the percussion performance program.
"We don't want to be Stomp," said Cummings, specifying that while Stomp and the Blue Man Group are large influences, the goal isn't to become carbon copies of the established acts.
"Stomp is just identifiable with this. There's no real genre," Call said. "I've been calling it street percussion."
The group held a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 25, for all interested students. The five core members are excited by their plentiful ambitions for this group in terms of members, roles, music and goals.
"What's nice about it, though, is you're just banging on trash cans; on whatever you want," Roberts said. Trash cans, both metal and rubber, as well as brooms, wooden poles, break drums, kitchen utensils, basketballs, and a PVC instrument similar to the Blue Man Group's setup are planned instruments so far. The group stresses that anything portable that makes sound can be incorporated, and body percussion will be used alongside vocal percussion, or beatboxing.
Those interested in joining are encouraged to "bring in everything they think would make good sound," according to Call. "It was mentioned during our first meeting that if you think something's too weird, it isn't. The point is to make something out of nothing and to open a few eyes."
This philosophy, according to third-year biochemistry major Dave Roberts, is the idea behind the University of Maine's newest musical group, Garage Band. Banging on trash cans with drumsticks may not sound like music to many, but to the five UMaine students that have founded Garage Band, there is music to be heard in the art of banging on everyday objects. The group originated with Roberts, Jesse Call, Carl Stecher, Taryn Reese and April Cummings.
The group was Cummings' conception. Growing tired of the trend of new groups in the music department focusing primarily on choral a capella, Cummings, a second-year elementary education major with a concentration in music, turned to her roommate, Reese, a first-year graduate student in the percussion performance program.
"We don't want to be Stomp," said Cummings, specifying that while Stomp and the Blue Man Group are large influences, the goal isn't to become carbon copies of the established acts.
"Stomp is just identifiable with this. There's no real genre," Call said. "I've been calling it street percussion."
The group held a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 25, for all interested students. The five core members are excited by their plentiful ambitions for this group in terms of members, roles, music and goals.
"What's nice about it, though, is you're just banging on trash cans; on whatever you want," Roberts said. Trash cans, both metal and rubber, as well as brooms, wooden poles, break drums, kitchen utensils, basketballs, and a PVC instrument similar to the Blue Man Group's setup are planned instruments so far. The group stresses that anything portable that makes sound can be incorporated, and body percussion will be used alongside vocal percussion, or beatboxing.
Those interested in joining are encouraged to "bring in everything they think would make good sound," according to Call. "It was mentioned during our first meeting that if you think something's too weird, it isn't. The point is to make something out of nothing and to open a few eyes."
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