If your kids are looking to smack some drums or discover the melodic plink of the marimba, a local world music camp is ready with its eighth season, having just received a new grant from the province.
The Errington World Music Youth Camp recently received a $2,500 multicultural grant, said the camp co-ordinator, Val Dare.
“It’s hugely important” she said of the grant. The money helps to keep camp prices down, this year at $75 for the morning portion of the camp, and $100 for full days. It also helps to bring in high-calibre artists and instructors, she said.
Instructors and performers this year are Marco Castracci and Vero Villalva of Bloco Energia; Fahlon Smith with Kumbana Marimba; Robin Layne of Locarno, B.C. World Music Collective; Chris Couto of Tanga and Coco Jafro; and gumboot dance teacher Sarah Van Borek, fresh from her studies in South Africa.
The camp is also supported by the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Errington War Memorial Hall Association.
Dare began the world music camp in 2010 with the help of a local marimba group and performers from a previous camp Dare helped to run in Vancouver.
The camp teaches youth ages eight and older (usually around 12 or 13 at the oldest) to play Zimbabwean marimbas and Brazilian samba percussion in an ensemble.
Marimbas are like wooden xylophones, with wooden bars that are struck with mallets of various sizes to produce musical tones.
“They come in various sizes according to the pitch, so you’ve got soprano, tenor, baritone and bass,” said Dare. “It’s like an orchestra.
“And the cool thing about it is that you don’t have to learn to play a complete melody on it yourself. You learn a particular part, and then all the parts are put together. So you can actually learn to play a song in an hour.”
Brazilian samba percussion includes a variety and drums and other instruments.
The benefits of both these groups of world music instruments is they don’t require a lot of technique to get started playing, said Dare. Plus, kids get the chance to make a whole lot of noise, which becomes music as they learn.
The camp ends with an evening recital for family, friends and funders at Errington hall.
This year’s summer camp runs from August 7-11, and offers beginner, intermediate and performance-level classes.
However, most spaces have already filled up with last year’s attendees who have re-registered, said Dare.
As of Friday, April 21, eight spaces were left in the beginner level.
Registration forms can be found at the Errington hall website at erringtonhall.ca or from Dare at vgdare@gmail.com.
