Toucan Jam performed at Parker Park Community Center and Indian Mall on June 9, 2004. They told stories from all over the world accompanying each story with instruments from that country. Changing costumes to reflect each culture, they also used puppets and masks in some of the stories. Visiting every continent except Antartica they illustrated their journey on an imaginary map.
Toucan Jam totally engaged their young audience getting them to cheer, boo, or even shout out Japanese words at the appropriate time. They told a little bit about each instrument they played and played them all with virtuosity. Overall they put on a great show both in broad outline and in attention to detail.
Toucan Jam are Kelly Mulhollen and Donna Henschell from Fayetteville, Arkansas. They also perform as folk duo, Still On The Hill.
They closed their show with an Arkansas folk tune, "The Cuckoo Is A Pretty Bird", on banjo and fiddle. Kelly and Donna got the audience to clap along enthusiastically on the instrumental breaks and to stop clapping and be real still during the singing of the words.
After the show they took questions from the kids in the audience. Everyone had a real good time. Toucan Jam was sponsored by the Jonesboro Public Library.
Pictured above: Toucan Jam telling the Japanese story of the white crane.
Below: Kelly playing the African finger drum.
|
