ECHO expands horizons

It began one night in a lounge, when an accomplished violinist laid out a dream. Together with other accomplished musicians, her dream became a possibility in October 2001.\nThe result: The Educational Cross-Cultural Heritage Organization (ECHO), which is approaching its one-year anniversary in Bloomington.\nWith classes ranging from belly dancing to rock n' roll, saxophone to claw-hammer banjo, the institute expands on a wide array of traditional music styles not commonly encountered in today's society.\n"Music is a part of everyone's culture," said ECHO marketing director Michael Parkinson. "There are a lot of well-trodden paths in music -- country, rock, jazz -- which have all had a lot of exposure.\nWorld music is an emerging music and the world community is gaining more interest in different styles."\nWith the mixture of cultures and diversity in Bloomington, along with the growing popularity of the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival and the renowned presence of the IU School of Music, the chemistry for the ECHO organization is still holding strong.\n"The Bloomington community is a great setting for ECHO," said co-founder Megan Weeder. "People from around the world pass through here and live here, and the music just accentuates the diversity of the community as well as raises awareness of the beauty of other cultures."\nAfter hosting a public concert on Sept. 14, ECHO faculty members got to see first-hand the impact of diversity on their audience.\n"People really appreciated the music," Weeder said. "The lineup included everything from Flamenco to Irish, and we got a standing ovation at the end of the night, so I think that it was an enjoyable experience."\nECHO faculty member Sam Bartlett said it was great to see people respond well to the live concert.\nWhile pursuing its mission, which is to provide opportunities for the study of traditional music and dance from the diversity of the world's culture, ECHO faculty members are also educating their students. Students range from beginners to professionals wanting to perfect their craft.\n"I hope to generate some deeper interest," said banjo, mandolin and guitar instructor Sam Bartlett. "Music is so central to everything that I do and such a vast part of my life that I just want to suck my students in deep."\nECHO also takes pride in the educational value of cultural exposure. \n"It broadens people's horizons," Weeder said. "You can take a lot of jazz and classical violin classes, but not Arabic or Irish fiddling. It feels great when students appreciate it, and pick up on it."\nHarmony School offers selected classes on diverse art forms, and some Bloomington residents have even opened up their homes to offer classes and share their knowledge and love of music with ECHO students.\n"Our faculty and the professional musicians who also teach are people who have mastered their instrument in their own rite--they have a perspective of information, talent, knowledge and excitement that adds to ECHO, and of course they really know what they're doing," Parkinson said.\n"The ECHO teachers and artists in this community are so special and we should all be so thankful that they are here," Weeder said. "If this institute had existed when I went to IU, I would have been so thrilled--I only hope that we can inspire that kind of enthusiasm in people."\nFor more information, stop by the ECHO office @ 103 N. College Ave., call 337-7823 Ext. 3, or e-mail@echoecho.org.