O'CONNOR: Herman Boyd created Echoes and Footprints to share his passion for uncovering the hidden roots behind America's favorite songs. And although polyrhythms and the history of musical techniques may seem like a lesson for more advanced musicians and historians, Echoes and Footprints has made it their mission to share their message with all age groups and all levels of experience. For Delmarva Public Media, I'm Jenny O 'Connor. On August 25th, Herman Boyd and his team brought their two-day music workshop to the Rehoboth Beach Boys and Girls Club. Herman describes that day one starts with discovering what instruments used to look like.
BOYD: Yesterday, we had roughly 45 vintage instruments. We allowed them to touch them, play them, and we told them the history of those instruments and how those instruments came from history and nature.
O'CONNOR: And after a day of seeing historical instruments firsthand, it was time for the kids to experience this primitive approach to creating instruments with a modern twist.
BOYD: Those instruments were made by things that were around people, things they could pick up and make and use. In our environment today, we have lots of recyclable materials. So the goal is to translate that same thinking of using things that are available to us on the ground or around us and to create the same type of sounds and percussions beat.
O'CONNOR: So, this lesson not only informed the kiddos about instruments and music and recycling, but how natural materials can also be repurposed.
BOYD: So that's what the essence of today was. It's really taking the whole notion of the natural part of it and really relating to nature as we know it today. Like the maracas. We know the maracas come from Cuba and northern South America. and they were often made with shells and coconuts. So today we use bottles and put in beads, stones, rocks, anything else as a shaker. So it's the same image, same sound that came from nature from this ascendant 500 years ago.
O'CONNOR: What was really impressive was the parade at the end of the workshop, where kids got to apply their knowledge of polyrhythms that they learned the previous day.
BOYD: We taught them some beats, yesterday. Ironically, one of the students today came and said 'I know what a polyrhythm is,' I was kind of surprised. He said, 'It's two beats! I'm going to do one with my hand. You do one with your hand. And we could do a polyrhythm.' It was an amazing thing for a six-year-old to figure out.
O'CONNOR: And although this parade may sound like a bunch of clamoring, these many musicians are actually perfectly executing a polyrhythm.
BOYD: So, what they did today in this parade is really the embodiment of that polyrhythm. They all play together. They're playing different instruments with different beats, but they're all playing different polyrhythms together.
O'CONNOR: And as if lessons on the environment, history, and music weren't enough, Echoes and Footprints also covers a little bit of science when creating their instrument.
BOYD: One thing we kind of talked about yesterday was the science of sound. And so this science of when you're using bottles and cans, size and volume matters in terms of the resonance of the sound.
O'CONNOR: Herman takes pride in the effectiveness of these workshops and that he's presenting information that the kids may never learn otherwise.
BOYD: Sad for me to say this, but oftentimes this is not taught in schools. And so this is a way of introducing this to them, tying it to history, but also tying it to nature. And as they go forward, they really can see the kind of how these things come together.
O'CONNOR: And Echoes and Footprints is committed to their mission of spreading the history of music and their message across the Eastern Shore.
BOYD: It is the objective to make sure that people understand and can feel. When they feel this beat, they feel history, they feel nature, they feel science. So it's important that those things are tied together because it does represent the echoes of the past and the footsteps we're taking forward and carrying that forward with us.
O'CONNOR: Herman's mission emphasizes the idea that music is more than just sound, it's history, it's nature, it's science. Echoes and Footprints works to ensure that communities can always feel the echoes of the past in the music of today. To find out more about the organization and to find an event near you, visit echoesandfootprints.com. For Delmarva Public Media, I'm Jenny O'Connor.
