Percussionists drum lively semester finale

Vibrations of warmth and excitement shot through the air of Auer Hall on Monday as audience members bobbed their heads along with the music’s rhythm.

The Jacobs School of Music Percussion Ensemble performed five percussion pieces for its final semester concert.

“It’s more entertaining than the orchestras,” graduate student and ensemble member Josh Frans said.

Frans said he enjoyed getting to work with his co-director Kevin Bobo, whose piece “Musee” premiered at Auer Hall. He also said that he loved performing with the ensemble throughout the semester.

“We have fun,” Frans said. “We smile when we play.”

Students and families slowly filed into the hall while the ensemble fine-tuned their instruments before the performance. Children ran up and down the aisles as director John Tafoya set up a second video camera to record the performance. As the lights slowly dimmed, a silence filled the room as even more attendees silently sneaked in, hoping to not disturb the musicians.

Without introduction, three members performed “Lift Off!,” a piece composed by Russell Peck.  The performers used their instruments to imitate and interpret the sounds of an airplane taking flight. 

As the piece ended, Frans and other ensemble members raced silently across the stage to reassemble instruments before continuing to perform his only piece of the evening, “Strange Assortments.”

A group of Frans’ high school friends from Edgewood High School in Ellettsville came to support him. Megan Entrekin, Kirstee Larrison and Sean Meaden all agreed that the performance was enjoyable.

“It was awesome,” Larrison and Meaden said in unison.

Each of them have played percussion for years. Frans said he hoped to continue his love of percussion after graduating.

“I hope to be teaching somewhere,” Frans said. “I can’t play anything else.”

Larrison, Meaden, and Entrekin all had smiles on their faces after the performance as they chatted with Frans, who said that their reaction is what drives him to do well in the ensemble.

“I like making people happy,” Frans said.