Grand Finale

Last month, my friends at Being:Art came to the kids' school for a World Tour performance. Then they came back the next week to teach the kids how to make shakers and rainsticks. Yesterday, they returned for the grand finale: an Amadinda! And, as it turns out, an Akadinda too!

The Amadinda is inspired by a traditional pentatonic xylophone originating in Uganda. The name is derived from Ama (big) and Dinda (keys). An Amadinda has twelve keys, and the Akarinda has seventeen. We made ours from walnut that Scott Banbury salvaged from a local tree and donated to our cause. (Thanks, Scott!)

We had about forty parents and students show up for a 5 hour marathon of measuring, sawing, chiseling, sanding, drilling, hammering, and fine tuning. We did have a short break for lunch thanks to our one and only Lunch Daddy, Steven Hassinger! And as you can see from the pictures, some kids (yes, mine!) hid in the office to play video games!

It was a really amazing day and I can't say enough good things about Sean & Anne. They have really been so much fun to work with and we (students and parents) have learned so much from them.

It is really exciting to have two handmade instruments for the school to use forever. The kids and parents totally amazed me with their patience and persistence on this project. Of course it totally makes me want to come up with more and more projects!

I was the designated photographer/bosser arounder. I think I got carried away with the former duty because my camera battery died right before we got both instruments put together!!

Here's a peek at the action:


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.