‘Steel Fusion’ Concert Brings Student Groups Together With Percussionist Phil Hawkins
Steel pans, trombones and percussion instruments came together during a recent performance with drummer Phil Hawkins in Rudder Theatre.
“Steel Fusion,” hosted by the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, featured 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 mentor students and perform alongside them. Kattari praised the students and their efforts in preparing for the show.
“They’re absolutely committed to, and invested in, the ensemble,” she said. “In Trinidad and Tobago — where steel pans are from — there’s a lot of significance placed on the sense of community you find in steel bands. And our students have really cultivated that here. I think you could tell that during the concert. They were having a great time playing this fun music with each other, and I hope the audience picked up on those good vibes. This is ‘healing music,’ as our guest, Phil Hawkins, said during the performance.”
Hawkins composed a new piece titled “Ochosi” for the event. During the concert, he told the audience how he planned to visit students last semester, but his plans had to change. To make up for having to reschedule, he promised the Steelband an original piece of music. The students asked if the piece could also include the Texas A&M Trombone Choir. Hawkins agreed and reworked “Ochosi,” a Cuban song that connects to a musical and religious practice and with West African culture.
“I took that melody and figured I would harmonize it, and then I wrote it for steel band and the trombones,” Hawkins said during the concert. “I wanted to be sure to put something in the piece where the trombone players get a chance to be trombone players.”
The Trombone Choir consisted of 14 players under the guidance of Dr. James Van Zandt, director of orchestras in the Department of Music Activities. The Brazilian Carnival Ensemble also joined in on “Coffee Street,” by composer Andy Narell, and “An Awkward Moment,” composed by Hawkins.
Hawkins said nothing compares to when music is “brought to life,” as the students accomplished during the concert.
“They are all really kind of pulling themselves into it,” he said. “I mean, my goodness — that is really moving. I get very emotional. You try to give everybody the chance to be the best at whatever their thing is. It’s fun when everybody feels like they have something to say, they are invested in it and poured their heart and soul into it.”
Andrea Imhoff, instructional assistant professor and acting program director for music, said “Ochosi” was a “brilliantly composed piece.” She said the ensembles rose to a level she had not heard before.
“They performed with such skill and with such virtuosity,” she said. “They were so confident and self-assured and moved through the performance with expression. The work that has been done over the years to get where they are today, to be able to work with a world-class composer, was just beautiful to witness.”
Sam Payne, a graduate Performance Studies student and president and student director of Maroon Steel, said he was grateful to work with Hawkins, and to be “in the presence of someone who is such a good musician.”
“Being around someone as accomplished as Phil, it really bolsters the band,” Payne said. “And it makes us all be on the top of our game. In rehearsals, with both ensembles, he was able to give direct feedback on what we were doing. That was a big deal on making everything cohesive.”
Daniel J. De Jesús, founder and president of Brazilian Carnival Ensemble and third-year Science Education doctoral student in the Teaching, Learning and Culture Department, said working with Hawkins was a rewarding experience.
“Phil has such good taste in all of these steel pan music and melodies he composed,” he said after the concert. “I grew up playing steel pans in Puerto Rico, and this performance brought back a lot of memories for me. Seeing us get together with the different groups to perform as one was amazing. This was truly a testament to the universal language of music and its ability to build connections among diverse cultures and people.”
