Library offers hands on percussion experience

PLAINS – Afro-Caribbean percussion instruments hit the library on Tuesday as eager participants waited to get their hands on different instruments to learn more about each one.

Grant Applehans played a few percussion instruments to a full library crowd, teaching everyone about each individual instrument as he went along.

The minister was excited to develop community in Plains through rhythm he acquired serving as a missionary in Namibia, Africa.

“I’m not an expert but I have a passion for it. We learn together, we grow together and I’ll share with you what I know and we’ll take it from there,” said Applehans.

The participants in the library arranged themselves in a circle according to their comfort level with rhythm. Those who wanted something simple and were interested in keeping a steady beat started the circle. The group advanced into a second section that would involve a little bit of variety, and a third section for those who wanted a bigger challenge.

Applehans explained the group was going to construct a song in three parts using hand percussion. The folks on the left, kept a steady beat, while the folks in the middle worked on a more complex clap involving two claps and the exotic group who were looking for adventure went into a different series of a three-time clap.

“Rhythm – it’s something as Americans we tend to be a little bit detached from,” explained Applehans, stating that everyone has rhythm inside of themselves; it’s just a matter of finding that “internal rhythm” and bringing it out.

The group stood up and walked in a circle, while maintaining a steady beat as they paced around the library.

“The trick is not to get bored and keep it steady,” said Applehans.

Once the group passed their first test of rhythm, Applehans explained they completed their first experience of call and response. Call and response is when one group has a pattern and the other group responds to that pattern.

“It’s a conversation. It’s not just a matter of one person sitting down and playing music, it’s a matter of conversation within the community,” said Applehans.

He explained that music creates community because everyone has to join together and collaborate in order to make music.

“A big part of what each voice will be doing is finding their spot. Finding their place in the conversation to put in their little comment. It may just be a ding at the end, it may be a constant rhythm that flows underneath, it may be heavy on the front end, light on the back end,” said Applehans. “It’s finding space and then joining in the conversation, weaving together to make the rhythms as they roll.”

Once the group began to be comfortable with their inner rhythm, Applehans introduced some very simple percussion tools – sticks and spoons.

With sticks, one finds themselves with a new range of speed – the sticks moving faster than hands could move. The spoons also provided a range of sounds. Playing the spoons involves having two spoons, one that is bent a little so there is a space created between the two. As they are slapped together, the spoons make a variety of different clicking sounds.

Once the two simple instruments were introduced, Applehans dived into a variety of different instruments, many of them more complex the further he went along.

Applehans introduced the claves, guiro, agogo, maracas and a beaded gourd, all Afro-Caribbean percussion instruments He demonstrated each one as he handed them out to the crowd who learned how to perform music on the instrument of their choice.

As he introduced a new instrument to the ensemble each time, the participants began to hone their musical skills and began to produce music in rhythm of each other, creating their own community of music.

Each instrument introduced can be found in one form or another in both Africa and the Caribbean. Applehans explained the connection between the two different regions was slavery.

“This is all African but found its way to the new world and developed into what would be the basis of our jazz, our rock, our blues, basically every kind of American music. Its rooted in Africa, as it came into contact with the European styles, it blended together,” explained Applehans. “Slavery was an awful thing, a horrible thing but even after the darkest darkness, light can come.”

The slave trade helped put to life this style of music, a basis for most of our current music.

As the group claimed their musical talents, several drums were introduced to the group, adding the final touches to the group’s ensemble. As the music drifted through the library, it was apparent that each individual’s rhythm was found.

The percussion demonstration took place at the Plains Public Library. Every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. the library offers free entertainment for the public.