Good Vibrations (04-09-07)

This week, we got to hear the world.

While few ever get to really see the world, up close and in person, this week Hill City had the privilege of hearing the world, all thanks to performer Todd Green. Brought to Hill City and to Hill City High School by the Graham County Arts Council, Green displayed and expertly played over thirty instruments.

While his skill was obvious and masterful, what struck me as even more amazing were the number of regions and nations represented in Green’s performance.

Under his dexterous fingers, we heard western guitar, cello, and flute, as well as Ouds from the Middle East, Sarangi’s from India, Ronroco’s from Boliva, and Tiple’s from Venezuela. We heard frame drums, and Tibetan Bowls, and Udu drums from Africa, and a variety of Bansori flutes from India.

We got to hear exotic tunings, and even exotic notes, as Todd explained that some cultures don’t limit themselves to just the half and whole tones of our western culture, but actually play using the “quarter tones” in between them.

I was especially mesmerized by the stringed instruments from the Middle East. In addition to the Oud’s, Green played a Tar, a Setar, and a Kamenchech from Iran. In this time of war and distrust, I found the presentation of Middle Eastern instruments to be especially educational for our high school students. Bombarded with pictures and sounds of violence from the region, and filled with thoughts of terrorism and insurgencies, Todd Green offered an entirely different picture of the Middle East. He showed our students and our community the incredible and delicate artistry produced by these cultures that are so foreign to us. He gave us a taste of beauty from a place where the aesthetics are vastly different from our own.

In highlighting the different instruments, the different scales, and tones, and even the different concept of “song” and “music”, Todd Green taught us that there is an amazing and infinitely complex world beyond our borders. It may be different, but it is no less advanced or rich or amazing.

Todd Green ended his presentation talking about how the entire world, the entire universe, is all just the vibration of matter. Walls, curtains, chair, carpet, wood and concrete are made of various combinations of atoms that vibrate in their own unique frequency. So too do we, the human race, vibrate richly and individually.

Todd Green reminded us of the universal magnetism of music, and how if we just open our ears and our hearts, we can all be part of the good vibrations.