Krannert Center is bringing back Day of the Drum. It’s a nearly free, all day event with performances starting at 10 a.m. and rolling until the final performance at 7:30 p.m. Check out the details:
From the release:
Saturday, March 14, 2015, Urbana, IL——In 2007 while attending the Sundance Film Festival, noted percussionist, former member of the band Champaign, author of Rhythm and Beauty: The Art of Percussion, and C-U local Rocky Maffit had a marvelous idea—to create a multifaceted event that would celebrate the many global legacies of percussion while engaging the public in high-energy performances by some of the world’s greatest instrumentalists. Maffit proposed the idea to KrannertCenter director Mike Ross and in 2009, Day of the Drum was born. That February and again in March 2012, patrons immersed themselves in drumming traditions from around the globe, participated in a joyful community drumming, and relished the power of performances both intimately and grandly scaled.Krannert Center now once again presents Day of the Drum, an almost entirely FREE Saturday-long encounter with percussion featuring wonderfully engaging performances, crafts for kids, an appearance by Maffit himself, and a little Illini in the afternoon, all of which will culminate in an evening performance by the taiko drummers of Kodo.Beginning at 10am and throughout the entire day, Intermezzo cafe and Promenade—Krannert Center’s exceptionally eclectic, artfully affordable store—will be open for service.Schedule of Events10 a.m. Crafting Project with The I.D.E.A. StorePercussion instruments are the focus of a crafting project with staff members from The I.D.E.A. Store.Lobby, Free11 a.m. The Billy Jonas BandAnyone can be a member of The Billy Jonas Band—all you need to do to join is start singing along! Percussion mixmaster Billy Jonas makes each rollicking tune an invitation to have fun, make friends, and see where the music takes you.Stage 6, Free12 p.m. Ayodele Drum and DanceNamed for a Yoruba word meaning “joy in the home,” Ayodele Drum and Dance is committed to empowering women and forging a joyful future for people everywhere.Lobby, Free1 p.m. Abbos Kosimov, doiraUsed in both ritual settings and dance performances, the doira is an ancient instrument of Uzbek culture. Today Abbos Kosimov is its most famous ambassador, taking its rhythms to festivals around the world and performances with artists including Zakir Hussain, the Kronos Quartet, and Stevie Wonder.Stage 5, Free2:15 p.m. UI Percussion EnsembleThis notable group was one of the first on university campuses to embrace the many percussion traditions of the world. Its students are versatile musicians who can play with the subtle movements needed for delicate works as well as the power that drives large-scale pieces.Stage 6, Free2:50 p.m. UI Steel BandCalypso, soca, jazz, and traditional music from a broad range of cultures will be featured during this concert.In front of the Tryon Festival Theatre, Free3:30 p.m. Crosspulse DuoThe effervescent Keith Terry and Evie Ladin literally need nothing other than their bodies to create outrageously entertaining performances. This pair of adventurous experimenters will get you moving at their wildly energetic show.Stage 6, Free4:30 p.m. Marching Illini DrumlineThe Best Band in the Land has a stellar drumline. Hear the cadences and enjoy the choreography of this acclaimed group of students.Lobby, Free4:45 p.m. Rocky Maffit and Friends FinaleDay of the Drum curator and emcee Rocky Maffit has performed with artists such as Paul Winter and Dizzy Gillespie, has written songs for the film About Last Night, has played with the chart-topping group Champaign, and has been studying world percussion traditions for decades.Stage 5, Free7:30 p.m. Kodo One Earth Tour 2015: MysteryThrough over 3,700 performances on five continents, Kodo has recast the Japanese taiko drumming tradition as, at once, a tool of exquisite cultural preservation and a vehicle for contemporary composition and collaboration.Tryon Festival Theatre, Tickets: 45 / SC 40 / Stu 15 / UI & Yth 10