Steelband Students To Collaborate With Percussionist Phil Hawkins In Free ‘Fusion’ Concert
Steel pan, trombone and other percussion instruments will come together in a free concert titled “Steel Fusion with Phil Hawkins” on Friday, April 12, at 7 p.m. in Rudder Theatre.
The event, hosted by the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, will feature 10 songs presented by Texas A&M’s Steelband — made up of the Maroon Steel performance group and students in the Small Ensembles course — alongside performers from the Brazilian Carnival Ensemble and the Trombone Choir.
Dr. Kim Kattari, faculty adviser for Maroon Steel and instructor of the Small Ensembles course, invited Hawkins, a drummer and percussionist based in Santa Clara, California, to lead rehearsals of his music with the student ensembles and perform alongside them in the concert. Hawkins composed a new piece titled “Ochosi” specifically for the event.
“This concert is pushing us in new directions and challenging us to perform a more diverse repertoire,” Kattari said. “Having a chance to engage with guest artists is also really beneficial because it exposes us to new ideas and perspectives.”
Hawkins said he has visited other universities and was thrilled to be invited to Texas A&M. He said he is grateful to see students playing his music.
“In all cases, I am very moved by the students,” Hawkins said. “Because when you go somewhere, and people are specifically playing a piece of music that you conceived of — to see that human energy all focused in one direction and feeling like you had something to do with it — is really quite moving. I am really grateful that people are interested and want to perform steel pan.”
The concert will also feature Hawkins’ compositions “Inside Story” and “An Awkward Moment.” Kattari said she has been impressed by the student groups as they prepare to perform with Hawkins, noting how collaborations with guest artists help improve performance techniques and skills.
“Every time we invite a guest artist, we learn so much from them and really improve our performance techniques and skills,” she said. “Moreover, by inviting a well-known composer like Phil Hawkins and sponsoring a performance here, it increases the visibility of Texas A&M in the regional Texas steel pan community.”
“Ochosi” is a steel pan version of a Cuban song, Hawkins said, which connects to a musical and religious practice and with West African culture.
Sam Payne, a graduate Performance Studies student and president and student director of Maroon Steel, said the group is eager to work with Hawkins. He hopes the audience leaves with a sense of where steel pan is headed in the future.
“There are all sorts of possibilities of music that can be written for steel pan,” Payne said. “We are fusing these different kinds of music, and being able to play songs that might not be traditional but sound really good. We hope the audience has a great time and as much fun as we did in preparing them.”
Hawkins said he encourages students to approach music in a historical and cultural way, and to embrace the music rhythmically and stylistically.
“As a musician, you are creating something that is greater than the sum of its parts,” he said. “Historically, these melodies were all sung. So we are trying to sing through the instrument and tell a story. They have been rehearsing and learning all the notes, so my job is to come in and remind everybody how fun it is, and really try to make a meaningful musical experience together.”
Top photo: Sam Payne, a graduate Performance Studies student and president and student director of Maroon Steel; and Dr. Kim Kattari, faculty adviser for Maroon Steel and instructor of the Small Ensembles course. Photo by Igor Kraguljac Photography.
