Metcalf Musicians to Perform at Statewide Music Educators Conference

Hundreds of music educators from throughout the state will be attending the 60th annual Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Conference in Peoria Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, and the one and only elementary school performers they will get to hear will be the OrffCats from Thomas Metcalf School at Illinois State University.

OrffCats is an after-school group of fourth- through seventh-graders who will perform jazz music and a piece composed for them by professional composer and pianist Robin Connell at 11 a.m. in the Peoria Civic Center, one of the sites of the IMEA conference.  Connell will conduct and play piano with the group.  The performance also will include two compositions by Illinois State alums and current music teachers Molly Nixon and Gabe Myers.  Nixon will conduct her piece.

OrffCats are co-directed by Donna Zawatski, general music teacher at Metcalf School, and Kimberly McCord, music education faculty member in the School of Music.  Each will conduct (McCord will conduct a piece she wrote) and one student will play a jazz bagpipe solo in full Scottish dress.  Music professor and bass player Bill Koehler will perform with the students.

“It’s a BIG honor to be invited to perform at thisconference for all the music teachers in Illinois,” McCord said.  “OrffCats will be the only elementary group to perform. It is also a nice collaboration between the School of Music and Metcalf.  Illinois State’s music education students have been involved withassisting the group.”

Bloomington-Normal residents can hear a preview of the concert (minus the bagpiper) at a free and open dress rehearsal at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, in the Metcalf main gym.

The student group is named for Carl Orff (1895-1982), a German composer and influential figure in music education.  His “Schulwerk” involves simple musical instrumentation that allows even untrained child musicians to perform a musical piece.  His ideas were developed into Orff Schulwerk which combines movement, singing, playing and improvisation in musical performance by children.