MONROE, LA – Join the ULM Percussion Ensemble as they present a stunning fall concert on November 11 at the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, 200 University Ave. in Monroe. As an additional treat, Bayou Steel, ULM’s Steel Band, will be performing in the lobby of the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, as they provide pre-show music for concert attendees beginning at 7:00 pm.
This semester, ULMPE students are using all types of percussion instruments, both traditional and nontraditional. They’re using drums and mallet percussion instruments, which many in the audience have likely seen before, and they’re also using non-traditional items such as smart phones, metal bowls, wine bottles, and lighting for effect.
The show will feature works by Lou Harrison, Ivan Treviño, Emma O’Halloran, David Skidmore, and more. Pre-show music features members of Bayou Steel in the Recital Hall lobby performing selections of steel band music for a happy entry into the hall.
“One of the special things about programming and performing music is the ability for it to reflect reality. Trances reflects our reality by incorporating the use of smartphones, while Shell by Emma O’Halloran is a small reflection of the past. Emma composed the piece as a reference to the vast emptiness of shopping malls, which, of course, were once a bustling center of entertainment for the public,” said Dr. Kathryn Irwin, Director of Percussion Studies at ULM.
“This program presents a variety of instruments, colors, and depth of meaning, and there is something on it for every member of our audience. I am happy to see the ULM Percussion students thriving, and I hope you will join us for the concert,” added Irwin.
ULMPE’s show begins promptly at 7:30 pm, with a $5 general admission fee. However, students, faculty, and staff get in for free upon presentation of their ULM ID.