The sound of marimbas and other percussion instruments playing the composition entitled "Music for Pieces of Wood" by Steve Reich echoed throughout the main room in the gallery of the Peeler Art Center. A crowd of students, faculty, staff and visitors stood in a circle around student musicians.
Each year, The DePauw Percussion Studio performs at an opening for a new exhibit in Peeler. This year, they were asked to open for the art show, Image Transfer: Pictures in a Remix Culture.
The DePauw Percussion Studio show on Wednesday evening lasted for about an hour. The crowd barely budged unless they wanted a better glimpse of the performers. While some of the audience moved through the gallery to see the new show in place, most were content to watch the performers.
Professor of music Amy Lynn Barber leads the DePauw Percussion Studio, and the concert featured members freshmen Andrew Bosomworth, Katie Sherman and Carly Tebelman, sophomores Josiah Rushing and Patrick Speranza and seniors Ryan Edelen and Rebekah Woolverton. Also playing in the concert were guest performers senior Yuting Liu, who played the flute, and freshman Vedant Chandra, who played the traditional Indian instrument the tabla.
Freshman Mariah Hersom, a School of Music student, attended the show because of her connections to the performers. She enjoyed the show, in particular the musical aspects of it.
"I have a lot of friends in the percussion ensemble, and it was really interesting to see what they've been up to," Hersom said. "It's really cool how they displayed the instruments around the gallery. It allows people to see all the different instruments and how they interact with one another."
Sophomore Patrick Speranza, who plays in the ensemble, thought the concert went well.
"I am a music education major, and being a part of the percussion ensemble gives me the opportunity to perform, such as with tonight's concert," Speranza said. "I loved the informal setting the best, the way the pieces are set up and how the audience grouped around us promoted intermingling between the two groups."
