Students at Pattengill Elementary School were treated to a rare musical experience Monday afternoon. As part of his current North American tour, world-renowned tabla master Pandit Samar Saha visited the school to perform the iconic Indian drums.
The special event was made possible through the connections of Pattengill’s vocal music teacher John Churchville, who had the opportunity to invite his own tabla instructor to share his talents with the students.
“This is such a wonderful and unique opportunity for our students,” Churchville explained, noting that it’s one thing to talk about and show videos of a world-class musician, but another to see a live performance.
Churchville hopes exposing the children to such a high caliber of musicianship will help develop their listening abilities and appreciation for diverse artistic expressions.
During the performance, Churchville guided the students in keeping beat with their hands, a task made easier when they could see and hear Saha’s animated and precise performance.
Being exposed to great musicians is one of the best ways for students to become better musicians themselves, Churchville noted, adding that Pattengill was fortunate that Saha was able to include Ann Arbor on his touring schedule.
At the close of the performance, Principal Taneia Giles reminded the students that part of being a Pattengill Puma is learning about different cultures, places, and new things to learn.
“So one of the things that’s really important is keeping our minds open to all of this wonderful exposure we’re getting from the opportunities,” she said, before thanking both Churchville and the PTO.
The opportunity for Pattengill to host the Indian music master on his worldwide tour stop was made possible by the Bryant/Pattengill PTO.
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