Parents of Armstrong first graders may experience a Spring Break that sees their children clapping, stomping, and slapping themselves.  Odds are, the children are simply “hamboning” - an artform that uses a series of rhythmic slaps and pats on the body to create music.  They got their inspiration from Mark Shelton who brought his show “Strike, Scrape, and Shake” to Armstrong on Thursday, March 8 through a grant from HP Arts.

Mr. Shelton kicked off his program by dashing throughout the auditorium with a pair of drumsticks which he used to create rhythmic sounds on seats, the podium, the stage, and other solid surfaces before ultimately stopping before a set of drums where he finished his opening number.  The high energy (and loud!) start elicited giggles, squeals, and lots of ear-covered excitement from the 6 and 7 year olds in attendance. 

With skill that many a new teacher should try to emulate, Mr. Shelton quieted the crowd so he could begin to teach them about the history and evolution of percussion instruments.  He demonstrated the three ways to create percussive sounds: by striking, scraping, and shaking.   Various instruments were used to demonstrate these techniques including a cabasa, a doumbec, a hammered dulcimer, a set of wooden bones, and a snare drum.   A performance of his original piece, “Sequoia Afternoon,” followed which he played on the halo, a very new instrument which resembled a large black turtle or perhaps an alien spacecraft.   

Mr. Shelton ended his show with a number played on the only non-acoustic instrument in his arsenal – a HandSonic. The HandSonic™ is an electronic hand percussion with a pad that is divided into zones. The children counted aloud as he brought forth sound from each one and discovered that there were eighteen zones in all.  With the ability to record then loop the recording, Mr. Shelton demonstrated a layering of sound that once again brought forth smiles and wiggles from the children. 

 As he said “good-bye” to them, Mr. Shelton encouraged the children to check out his website (www.marksheltonmusic.com) and watch some of his YouTube videos.  Certainly, if they do, parents should anticipate creative exploration of the different sounds their children can create by striking, scraping, and shaking objects in their environments!

HP Arts is a non-profit corporation supporting HPISD arts programming. Established in 1987, the specific purpose of HP Arts is to enrich HPISD students' educational experience by encouraging their interest and participation in the arts.